Last Minute 4th of July Recipes
For the first 30 years of my life, the 4th of July was my favorite holiday by far! Even now, as I sit here and write this, I imagine that scene in The Sandlot…are you thinking of the one? Where the boys play their only night-game of the year, and there is a street party, and fireworks, and hot dogs, and sparklers, and bomb pops! I’ve always felt patriotic-at-heart, and I love being part of a team, so the concept of all 300 million of us celebrating together in the same way all across the country is just deeply inspiring and comforting to me!
What’s more American (and delicious) than the irreverent hot dog? And what better way to celebrate the USA’s 250th birthday than to enjoy what I’m calling The Great American Hot Dog Flight, a hot dog bar concept highlighting regional hot dogs from our great nation!
First, let’s set the table! We’re an interior design studio, y’all! It has to be beautiful! I’m using a long red-and-white stripe table runner over another illustrated one layered for depth (you can actually purchase both of those here in store!) across the whole table. I may even cut a small strip off the end of the table runner, about 3” wide. Then, cut the strip into 4” pieces. So I’m left with several 3”x 4” pieces. I then fold them in half and I’ve got matching table-tents where I can write instructions/ingredients!
But also, if you're eating your dogs poolside, that's great, too! You'll just want to set it up on an outdoor-friendly platter for easy grab-and-go eating!
1. The New Yorker
The beloved New Yorker. Like you grabbed it right off the cart on the streets of the Big Apple. You know it, you love it, all you need is Mustard (spicy brown is always an option) and sauerkraut.
2. The Chicago
Everyone loves a Chicago Dog. The mustard, that bright-green relish, onions, fresh tomatoes, a pickle spear, spot peppers, and celery salt. (This one is famously sold with poppy seed buns, so if you're feeling wild, get you some! Listen, for me, I’m just tryna feed these sweaty kids. But I respect you, Chicago!!!!)
3. The Texan
Yeehaw!!!! What is a Texas summer without a chili dog? The ingredients for the Texan are… mustard, chili, cheese, onion, and jalapeno.
4. The Sonoran
An Arizona prized possession! Bacon, beans, pico, and mustard. A twist on the classic American street food. It’s delicious, give her a try!
5. The Carolina
For this dog, all ya need is chili, coleslaw, and mustard. The crunch on the coleslaw. It’s spectacular!
THE HEART BEHIND IT ALL
For the last several years, the tradition we’ve settled happily into is the 4th of July at Noni and Papa’s house. We stop at the Fireworks stand right outside of Ballinger, asking the salespeople questions like “Now does this one have a screamer?” And “is this finale-worthy?” And “Have we got enough punks?” and just drop silly amounts of cash on boxes emblazoned with “Pirate’s Booty,” and “Screaming Mimi.” (You should see my giddy smiling face right now!) We eat hot dogs and watermelon and play with the little silly firecrackers until Sarah gets fed-up with our crazies. Then when the sun goes down, Nick and Dad assume the roles of “Director of Fireworks” and “Assistant Director of Fireworks.” They create elaborate plans of which boxes will go off when and what will pair with what. Lately Dad’s engineered a fireworks pad that he screws the tube-things to so they don’t fall over and shoot directly at us. We learned that lesson the hard way about 20 times. Hehehe!
All that to say this, 250 years America. Wow. 250 years! We started as a concept, an ideal. The beautiful, brave, and elaborate dream of Democracy. Where we, the people, maintain the power. Where everyone is created equal. Where the government has no right to even get in your business, much less tread on you. Where it is your right, by law, to enjoy life. Liberty. And to pursue happiness. Happy Birthday America, I love you, and I’ll believe forever, even in the darkest times, that you have what it takes — That we have what it takes to form a more perfect union.
