The 4th of July brings out the patriot in every American. So break out the red, white, and blue and proudly hoist that American flag. But what about unique ways to display your USA pride this Independence Day? Get crafty and show off your Pinterest-worthy skills with easy menu items, holiday decorations, and patriotic party games perfect for an all-American celebration.
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A Menu Fit for Uncle Sam
Lasagna & Blue Potatoes
Instead of reinventing the wheel every holiday, why not rework your usual crowd-pleasing dish in a festive way? Lasagna is always a favorite and it happens to look like the stripes of the American flag. Bake your lasagna according to the standard recipe, then remove a rectangle-sized chunk from the top left corner. Replace this section with fried or baked blue potato slices. The blue potatoes will serve as stars and the lasagna as stripes. Festive and delicious!
Strawberry Tiramisu
This scrumptious dessert featuring ladyfingers soaking in mascarpone cheese, whipped cream and coffee is almost as popular in the United States as in its native Italy. A summer version uses strawberries, jam and liquor instead of the coffee. Giada De Laurentiis offered a great recipe in Bon Appetit magazine years ago. After the tiramisu is finished, top it off with fresh strawberries and carefully-placed blueberries to form an American flag.
Cherry & Blueberry Pie
Start with your favorite pie crust (either homemade or purchased). Roll out the bottom and place it in a pie dish to form the base. Next, fold a piece of aluminum foil and stand it up to form a wavy center line at the center of the pie crust. Pour cherry pie filling into one side and blueberry filling into the other. Roll out the rest of the pie crust and cut out strips to form stripes and stars using cookie cutters. Decoratively place them on top of the fillings. Bake and serve up a piece of Americana.
How to Show Off Your Patriotism
Flag Decorations
It’s easy to make your own flag-inspired decorations to celebrate the 4th of July. All you’ll need is your imagination, some fabric and the willingness to sew either by hand or with a machine. Check out 3 DIY Flag Decorations for Summer Holidays to find detailed instructions on creating festive door wreaths, porch banners and patriotic bunting.
A Patriotic Tablescape with Firecracker Napkin Rings
The table should be the showstopper of your party. Using red, white and blue tablecloths is a must. You can also add red and white flowers or American flags in a vase as a centerpiece. But a simple way to really wow guests is by making firecracker napkin rings.
Cut rectangular strips out of blue or red card stock. Then, twist three to four pipe cleaners in blue, red, silver or white to form the shape of a firecracker. Attach the pipe cleaner firecracker to one strip of cardstock. Finally, wrap the strip of cardstock around a napkin and adhere the two sides of cardstock together with double-sided tape.
All-American Fun & Games
Presidential Memory Game
Find a headshot of each American president. Print out two of each to serve as cards. Then, place the cards face down on the floor or table and have participants take turns trying to make a match. You can do the same with patterns featuring the stars and stripes. If you want to keep the game in mint condition for years to come, you can laminate the pieces. This is a great game for little ones because you don’t have to read; you just have to remember the faces.
American History Pictionary or Charades
You can add a little twist to either of these classic party games. Have people draw or act out famous events in American history and the other players will guess based on their observations. For example, you might have the Boston Tea Party, Abe Lincoln’s assassination or the “I Have a Dream” speech among the topics. This is a better option for tweens to adults, who can read and will know historical events.
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