We do the 4th at my aunt's house every year now, since she has a wonderful pool and a very large house that actually holds us all! LOL (last gathering, at Thanksgiving, was 45 people, and that was with about 1/3 of us not able to make it!)
They usually do the main foods, and let us bring the sides and desserts. 
So of course I'm taking cake, cuppies, and cookies. Not sure yet what design for the cake... still working that out. Nothing like waiting till the last minute, huh?
but it will be sun, fun, and burned buns all day long!
ok i am dying...you guys and these receipes!!! i just had breakfast and want puffs and brats!!! hahahahahaaha thanks for sharing!!! tomorrow i leave for san fransisco to visit my sister, my mom and my kids are already up there...we will watch fireworks from the bay and then on saturday we are having my nieces 5th birthday party!!! Huge Princess party!!! i am making a castle and mini princess' cakes!!!!!! i am so looking forward to this mini vacation!!!! Happy 4th Everyone!~
For the puffed pastry, you can also cut into long strips, about 1-inch wide, and wrap slightly overlapping around cream horn or canolli forms, bake until golden and puffed. remove from forms while still pretty warm. Fill with Kalhua Whipped Cream, and dip the ends onto mini chocolate chips. Tasty!
Oh and for the weekend we are taking the kids to Vegas. 110 degrees and crowded as hell, but should be fun!
Your quite welcome. Cream horns sound beyond yummy. It's funny one of my classes this semester is a nutrition class. The instructor is a hard core health nut. He's beyond obsessive about it. I think I should bring him in some C Horns, and Napoleans for the weekend. Hehehehehe
Mike
Mike-
You should totally do that! See if he can resist the power of the pastry! MMmmm.... pastry. Too bad they don't have a drooling emoticon.
DH is working the Fireworks show in the town he works in on the 3rd. I'm doing the parade for our town on the 4th, and fireworks later. The 5th is our Annual FajitaRita Bash. All our friends & Family will gather for Fajitas and frozen Margaritas. My DH mans the grill and I take care of cake..this year I'm making a grill cake (as a challenge from my friend to see if I can do better than the crawfish pot I made for his party) and also Margarita cupcakes!
Man.. I just had a salad with cottage cheese for lunch (I actually do like it LOL) and now all I want to do is make brats and puff pastry filled with many naughty things that a gal on a diet shouldn't eat.
This 4th I have no idea what we are doing. Probably just a bbq and go see some fireworks at the beach. I managed to get through with no bookings for this weekend other than a tasting on the 6th. Go me!!! 
My mom just bought a home on the lake this year so that is where we will be. They have a pontoon decorating contest and we are doing an Old West theme. Then they have fireworks. Grandma is keeping my youngest two so I can relax and enjoy myself.
I will be bringing toll house pies, because I am caked out. 
I'm hoping to talk DH into staying over at the "cabin" (aka. the house we closed on back in January that we're STILL not moved into yet... 
)... Otherwise, we really don't have any plans at all because DH has to work the closing shift at work.
The brat thing sounds like a good idea.. I just bought some salmon and swordfish though so I've got to get through those meals. Ey Yei Yie that stuff got spendy!... Of course, I'm new to making swordfish and especially Salmon..
I won't be making any cake this year for the 4th... BUT... next week is my b-day and this year I told DH "I'm NOT making MY OWN FLIPP'N BIRTHDAY CAKE this year and was going to order one to the same level as one I would charge for"... then I told him I had ordered it ... his response was "you didn't, DiD you?"... " YEP!"... " 
no, did you???"... 
YEP!"... I honestly don't think he believed me until I told him who I ordered it from, or what time I need to go pick it up... Since I lost my kitchen space rental, I've been referring a lot of business to another baker I know so figured I better know what I'm refering them to to eat at some point LOL..
Good for you!! I hope it tastes wonderful for your birthday!!
My husband usually picks mine up from the grocery store! ONE year he actually made me one with my oldest daughter. I think she was about 8. She is 18 now!!! Oh well. Have a great 4th and birthday!!
I hope everyone has a great 4th of July! Happy anniversary ljhow623, and happy birthday CoutureCake!
Our town has fireworks on the 3rd. Just got back from seeing them with family at the park. They were fantastic! I am having everyone over to play in the pool, cook out & celebrate our independence and my sisters birthday as well. Made big ol' Coconut Pineapple cake for her (and us!)
To all of our military men & women who are presently serving our country & also to those who have served in the past and their families, a HUGE THANK YOU AND HUG for your sacrifices to keep our America FREE! Love you all! HAVE A HAPPY & SAFE 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE! 
I have this nasty summer cold and have been coughing my head off for the last couple of days, soooo staying in bed all day and having everyone wait on me hand and foot sounds great to me (like that's ever gonna happen!!).
We are having a cookout and watering our new lawn (yay!). I think I am going to bake...and hopefully I will have time to make some gumpaste items to get ahead for next week.
Happy fourth of July! Or "Dependence day as my youngest son says!
We'll be mucking out our basement post-flooding. Now have mud to shovel, dry it out & then start in with the bleach..... could be *so* much worse so we're grateful. 
Anyway, I know it's late but wanted to share a quick cream puff recipe since Doug & Mike brought up the subject. My dad owned an egg business in my childhood so Mom became creative in ways to use eggs when business was slow. One thing she was known for in our small town was her cream puffs. Mom's puffs were filled with homemade vanilla pudding to use up even more eggs.... dear heavens were they good! Anyway, I never could replicate them but found something easier with about the same result. It's a recipe from my husband's cousin. Enjoy & have a safe holiday!
DeeDee's Cream Puff Dessert
1 stick butter
1 c. water
1 c. flour
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 400º grease a 9x13 pan
Boil together 1 stick butter and 1 cup water.
Add 1 cup flour; mix well. Cool slightly.
Stir in 4 eggs, one at a time.
Mix well and spread into pan.
Bake for 30 minutes.
Cool completely.
1 large box vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese
8 ounce Cool Whip
Hershey's chocolate syrup
To pudding, add 3 cups milk and 1 (8 ounce) package softened cream cheese. (Suggest that you add a bit of milk to the cream cheese first & âloosenâ it to prevent any lumps.)
Mix together with wire whip or mixer until lumps disappear.
Pour into cream puff crust.
Spread Cool Whip on top of pudding and drizzle
Refrigerate.
Keeps very well for days.
Well, it's raining here at the moment.
We're going to the amusement park, it's about an hour drive from my house. Then, back to my son's place (he's the one getting married this month, and I'm doing the cake and wedding cake cookies) for a late dinner picnic because my daughter is working til then. I'm making my double chocolate, chocolate chip brownies, cupcakes, and a fruit bowl salad.
Then I'm hoping the rain doesn't spoil the fireworks tonight.
Ahh well, my grand plan for red white and blue cupcakes did not work, they looked more like tie blurs...plus they sunk. So now we have confetti vanilla cupcakes.
Julia
I wish I had gone to Doug's for the holiday. His meal sounded awesome!
Hubby and I debated several things and ended up really doing nothing. I haven't been feeling very well lately and didn't on the 4th so we just hung out at home. I did cook some steaks that were in the freezer. We live on a hill and have a pretty good view of the city so we were able to watch the fireworks shows from our back deck. I could have actually watched the fireworks from my bed. It's pretty cool to be able to watch them without getting in the crowd but that is also some of the fun. 
I hope everyone had a great time!
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