Saints, Feast, Family
- Traditions passed down with Cooking, Crafting, & Caring -
July 4
Independence Day
USA
Independence Day, also referred to as the Fourth of July or July Fourth, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Continental Congress declared that the thirteen American colonies regarded themselves as a new nation, the United States of America, and were no longer part of the British Empire. The Congress actually voted to declare independence two days earlier, on July 2.
Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, and political speeches and ceremonies, in addition to various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States. Independence Day is the National Day of the United States.
Dining
Whether one is BBQing in the backyard with family and friends or having something a little more refined, dress your eating area in style!
Recipe:
Red, White and Blue Lemonade Slushy
Ingredients
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1 cup lemon juice
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1 cup sugar
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4 cups ice cubes
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1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
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Maraschino cherries
Directions
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Place lemon juice, sugar and ice in a blender; cover and process until slushy.
Divide blueberries among 4 chilled glasses; muddle slightly.
Add lemon slush; top with cherries.
Sherry Cobbler
A sherry cobbler is a classic American cocktail made with sherry, sugar and citrus. Its origins are not known in detail, but is believed to have originated sometime in the early 19th century. The earliest known mention is from an 1838 diary of a Canadian traveler to the United States, Katherine Jane Ellice, but it did not gain international name recognition until Charles Dickens included the drink in The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit. To make the drink, orange and lemon are muddled with simple syrup, shaken with ice in a cocktail shaker, and strained into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Garnishes include mint leaves, raspberry, and orange and lemon slices. It can also be garnished with pineapple wedges or any seasonal berries. Some recipes add pineapple juice.
This original recipe is made with just three ingredients: 2 wine glasses sherry 1 tbsp sugar 2 or 3 slices of orange
The popularity of Sherry Cobbler inspired many spinoff drinks like the Champagne Cobbler, Claret Cobbler, King Cobbler and Whiskey Cobbler.
In 1888, Harry Johnson wrote "This drink is without doubt the most popular beverage in this country, with ladies as well as with gentlemen," but like many classic cocktails their popularity fades after Prohibition.
A 19th-century recipe for Fourth of July Sherry cobbler is made with strawberries,
lemon peel, powdered sugar and sherry.
Ingredients
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4 ounces medium dry sherry such as Amontillado
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2 teaspoons sugar (preferably super fine or powdered)
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2 orange slices
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1 strawberry
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a few raspberries and blueberries
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lemon peel
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Crushed (or shaved) ice and berries or orange slices for serving
Directions
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Combine the sherry and sugar in the bottom of a cocktail shaker and stir
until the sugar largely dissolves. Add the orange slice and some ice cubes
(not the crushed ice), close the shaker, and shake vigorously until the shaker
is frosty and the orange slices inside are muddled up by the ice. -
Strain the drink into a tall glass filled with crushed ice, and garnish with mint,
slices of fruits and berries. Serve with a straw.
