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Here's a shot of our dog, Gertie, our eight-year-old Tibetan Terrier, getting into the July 4th spirit.  Do you think it's weird I dress up our dog? :)

Wishing you a safe and fun July 4th!!

TIP 1 -- I had to start with the most mouth-watering dish... pulled pork sandwiches with Asian slaw. Since our grill still isn't hooked up, I wanted to come up with an alternative to typical July 4th BBQ food that was equally fun and equally delicious. That's why I thought of pulled pork! Who doesn't like pulled pork?! :)

You will find the recipes at the end of the post. The pork and slaw are both very easy to make, but the pork does take 6-8 hours to cook, so plan ahead if you're considering it.

TIP 2 -- Another recommendation for July 4th is to serve some delicious red, white, and blue strawberry shortcake. I posted this recipe a few months ago. It is so light and fresh and simple to make.

My tip is to set it up as a strawberry shortcake bar, putting out the cakes, whipped cream, and fruit separately, and letting your guests create their own.

TIP 3 -- For centerpieces I have two ideas. My first is candy skewers. I used wooden skewers, picked out red, white, and blue candies at the local candy store, and had a lot of fun putting them together.

My daughter went nuts over these and almost came to tears when I told her she couldn't eat them until I took pictures.

The second idea is to buy some red, white, and blue flowers and arrange them in simple vases or tin cans. I don't like my flowers to look too styled, so I used a simple cylindrical vase and made them look like fresh picked wildflowers (by placing them at varied heights and using lots of green leaves) rather than flowers I bought at the grocery store. :)

TIP 4 -- Anyone who knows our site knows what a huge fan I am of free party printables. That's why we give so many away.

For those of you who don't know, party printables are files you download, print, cut out, and use to decorate. You can really get creative with them, and you can never run out because you can always print more.

Take a look at the 6 full collections of July 4th party printables we're giving away this year! There's bound to be a style that speaks to you.

So those are my tips for throwing a fantastic 4th, and as promised, here are the pulled pork and Asian slaw recipes:

PULLED PORK

Ingredients:

• 1 bone-in pork butt (6 to 8 pounds)
• 1/3 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

Prepare the rub by mixing together the brown sugar, salt, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, and dry mustard.

Cut through the fat on the top of the shoulder in a 1 inch crosshatch pattern. Cut through the fat, but try not to cut into the meat.

Rub the mixed seasoning on the entire shoulder and into the cuts on the top.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put in the refrigerator over night (at least 12 hours). We put ours on a cookie sheet to catch any drippings.

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 325 degrees and lower the rack to its lowest position.

Unwrap the shoulder, and wipe of any excess rub off that hasn't been absorbed into the meat. Place the shoulder on a greased rack in a roasting pan with 3-4 cups of water in the bottom to keep the drippings from burning.

You can baste the shoulder a few times with the liquid during the cooking process. We refilled the water once about half way through.

Cook until the internal temp is at least 190 degrees. If you take it out too soon, the meat won't be tender. A probe thermometer is very helpful as the cooking time can vary depending on the size of the shoulder and the over. Our 7lb. shoulder took 8 hours to reach 190 degrees.

Here it is right out of the oven.

Let the shoulder rest for an hour, then use two forks to pull it apart. It should shred easily.

SPICY ASIAN SLAW

Ingredients:

Slaw

• 2 cups napa cabbage (about half a head)
• 2 cups radicchio (about half a head)
• 1 grated carrot
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Dressing

• 2 teaspoons dry Chinese or English (Coleman's) mustard
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoons light sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1/2 teaspoon chili oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Quarter the cabbage and radicchio, and cut out the hearts. Slice thinly and mix with the onions, cilantro, and carrots.

Mix together the dressing ingredients.

Add the dressing to the chopped vegetables.

Toss with the sesame seeds to taste.

And here's the final product again... Yum!!

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Wanessa from WCC Designs has been very busy lately. :) Not only did she design our set of FREE Canada Day printables, but she also designed this FREE collection of "Independence Day" July 4th printables. If you want something a little more modern, less traditional for your BBQ, this is the set for you.

The collection includes: drink wraps, mini party logos, party logos, blank tent cards, pendant banner, and cupcake wraps.

DOWNLOAD THE HIGH RESOLUTION FILES FOR PRINTING

Take a look at how fun these are...

Thank you, Wanessa, for your playful designs.

To learn more about Wanessa and see more of her designs, please visit her blog, Facebook page, and Etsy shop.

For more July 4th inspiration, check out these Independence Day parties.

Holy cow! I made these salted brown butter Rice Krispie treats for our July 4th BBQ and they were so delicious!

If you love Rice Krispie treats but find them a little one-note and a little too sweet, this is definitely the recipe for you.

Mine had so much complexity. They were sweet, salty, gooey, crunchy and the best part... everyone LOVED them. This is going to be my new dessert to bring to every pot luck I'm invited to (be warned, invite me to a pot luck, you know what I'm bringing).

Take a look at how easy they are to make, and let's not forget how inexpensive...

Ingredients:

• 1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, plus extra for the baking dish
• 1 10 oz. bag marshmallows
• Heaping ¼ teaspoon flaky sea salt, plus extra for topping
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

Directions:

Butter a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and set aside.

In a large pot, warm butter over medium low heat.  The butter will melt, then foam and bubble, then start to brown.  You will notice little brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan.  Stir frequently during this process and keep your attention on the pot.  The butter can go from wonderfully brown to burnt in just a few moments.  You will know the butter is done when it gives off a nutty aroma and turns a golden brown (check out this great resource for how to brown butter).

Turn off the heat and add the marshmallows, stirring until smooth.  Add half of the cereal and stir to incorporate.  Sprinkle in the flaky sea salt and remaining cereal and continue stirring until everything is fully mixed together.

Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish.  Using a silicon spatula (or piece of parchment paper), press mixture into the dish in an even layer.  Sprinkle with additional flaky sea salt to taste.

Trust me, so worth trying these and it took about 15 minutes from start to finish. To jazz them up, next time I think I need to drizzle a little dark chocolate on top.

If you make some, email me and let me know what you think.

Recipe: Kitchen Konfidence.

 

I want to wish you all a safe and happy 4th. Hope you are spending time with the people you love, eating great food, and having lots of fun!

We're heading to a friend's BBQ. I'll be eating a burger with all the fixings!

I'm hoping we're not too fogged in tonight to see the incredible fireworks shows along the beach. I LIVE for fireworks!

Also, I'm excited to see all your celebrations. Please add them to our site so I can show them off!

This week's party photo comes from Abigail B's Red, White and Blue Block Party. What's better than cute kids celebrating the Fourth of July!

Check out the rest of this adorable party. And if you need more inspiration, take a look at all the July 4th parties on our main site and our free July 4th printable collections!

xxxx

I love July 4th. I don't know why because in Los Angeles it is always cloudy at the beach. But take a look at these gorgeous July 4th parties people have added to our site.  If you are in the need of ideas, here are some great ones! (Click on the photo or link to see the whole party.)

Norene's 4th of July Party

Laura's Americana Luau

Magnolia Creative Co's Budget Friendly Patriotic Party

Lindsey M's Little Firecracker's 4th of July Riverside Soiree

Molly E's Celebrate our Independence!

Need more ideas? Take a look at all our July 4th parties. And if you need free July 4th party printables, we've got you covered with four different printable collections.