4th of July Recipes for Your Family

Celebrate the 4th of July with your family and friends and WOW them with these fabulous recipes! All of these are recipes that I've been given by someone else, but my family didn't like them the way they were....so I tweaked and added and played with them until now we have our own family favorites!

So this year, I think I'm going to do all of my families favorites for the holiday weekend. I'm going to start off with some appetizers. Usually I do the really simple. A veggie tray with a Ranch-based dip or a cheese ball with crackers. Of course, my kids think we can't have a party if I don't break out the chocolate fountain and provide them with graham crackers, strawberries, grapes, Ritz Crackers and Peanut Butter, Vanilla wafers with some confectioner's sugar icing in between them, pretzels...well you get the idea. My chocolate fountain was the best $50 I ever spent! Instant party, just by getting it out of the box.

But this year, I decided to break away from my usual appetizer fare. Instead, I'll do a meat tray..filled with ham, chicken, roast and turkey slices with cheese cubes and crackers along with some homemade

Peach and Strawberry Salsa

2 large fresh peaches, peeled and chopped
1 quart fresh strawberries, chopped
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2-3 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro.

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve chilled with meats and cheeses.

So...how about salad? I love Caesar Salad. I don't eat iceburg lettuce, so Caesar is a perfect choice for me. But for the holiday...how about a new twist on that old favorite? Now, let me explain one part to this salad before I begin. You can use the creamy Caesar dressing for this recipe...but, the Vinegrette just gives this a bit more of a kick. I think you'll love the difference in taste.

Caesar Pasta Salad

1/2 pound Macaroni, cooked, drained and salted
1 large can All-white meat Chicken Breast, drained and flaked
2 (16 oz) bottles of Kraft Caesar Vianegrette with Parmesan Dressing.
8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy and then crumbled
1 large can of Shredded (not grated) parmesan cheese