Happy Independence Day, Yanks!

[jough]

Happy 4th of July to all the 'merkins out there.

Canadians and Brits - FUCK YOU!

[CortJstr]

Yeah, I was going to start a Canada Day thread on Thursday but then I was all like, "fuck that noise. They can start their own damn thread."

I'm spending my 4th watching the friggen rain and watching Dodgeball (the movie, not the GSN show). Depending on the weather we might walk over to the Key Bridge and watch the fireworks over the Kennedy Center.

[linnea]

Yup, the rain's been pretty intense here. We sang all these patriotic songs at church this morning, and I'm getting ready to head to my father's house for some BBQ goodness. Happy Independence Day to all! <3

[jough]

I am off to bar-be-que goodness. I bought some choice NY Strip steaks - enough for everyone - and will supplement the dried-out hamburgers and mystery meat hot dogs with them.

Having said that, I do love hot dogs, in all their yucky goodness, although the "all beef" dogs are my favourite, as they seem meatier and have more of a bite to them.

And if you've only had Oscar Meyer crappy weiners, try to find a deli that has deli franks with the skins on.  Then fry them.  The added crisp is worth the extra few dollars.

[V-Adore]

Most of our festivities were last night; the folks and I went down to the lakeside to watch the fireworks. Sure, it was an hour spent in the muggy twilight (and we are feeling the toll taken by the insects today, oh yes we are) for ten minutes of glory -- but holy crap, good fireworks.

Cheese dogs tonight. Given as I am a junk food junkie and a cheese sauce aficionado (please don't hurt me, foodies -- I admire you but just can't get there), it's a good day.

[linnea]

Téodor's recipe for Flavor Burgers have saved many a cookout at which I have been an attendee. Jesus--you should be thankful that you've never had to eat any food prepared by my mum. Bless her heart, she just doesn't think food's "done" unless she cooks the holy hell out of it. I never liked burgers growing up...and there's little wonder WHY, since they had the same flavor and texture as a god damned hockey puck.

I have suffered through enough nasty grilled meals to be shameless about shooing my mum out of the kitchen and rescuing the cheap grocery-store meat Téodor-style. Grated cheese, Worchestershire sauce, mustard, a bit of fresh garlic, cracked pepper and salt. Hey, I'm an adult now, so she can't beat me with a wooden spoon if I piss her off. I just remind her that I'm going to be the one picking out her nursing home. Heh!

And of course there is always the beer standby for brats. I prefer to parboil them in some beer (some of my friends use Guinness, but I for one cannot stand to put a can to waste in such a manner. Instead, I sacrifice a cheaper brew for the brat cause). Although some people are fans of keeping them hot in boiling beer after they come off the grill, I feel that this affects the crisp-factor to an unfavorable degree. Parboiling in beer keeps 'em tasty and helps reduce the splitting factor by at least ten.

So, yes. You wonderful people and the Achewood cookbook have given me some brilliant ideas for the grilling season. I just got home from a cookout at my dad's place. A good time was had by all. And now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to watch "kitty TV" as I chill with my Scottish Folds and watch them destroy the kitty-tree-palace that I bought for them.

<3

[Ben-San]

My July 4th: sausage pizza and a rental of "Escape From New York".

I also got "The Sting" and "Ocean's Eleven" (not the remake) for some caper-y goodness later or tomorrow.

[Gimpson]

My fourth was dinner at the gf's house with her folks (first meeting).  I brought side dishes of cucumber salad and some green beans I made like they did on America's Test Kitchen this week.  The gf baked a bundt cake.  Her folks made burgers, baked beans and "Super Slaw", which was an excellent cabbage salad with that excellent peanut/ginger dressing that you'd get at a Japanese steak house.  That was cool because it went very well with the cucumber salad and I'd always wanted to know how to make that cool ginger dressing.  

Fireworks, then to bed.  Happy Birthday America!

[wombat]

"Super Slaw", which was an excellent cabbage salad with that excellent peanut/ginger dressing that you'd get at a Japanese steak house.  That was cool because it went very well with the cucumber salad and I'd always wanted to know how to make that cool ginger dressing.  

So do the rest of us!  Post the recipe!

[Gimpson]

"Super Slaw", which was an excellent cabbage salad with that excellent peanut/ginger dressing that you'd get at a Japanese steak house.  That was cool because it went very well with the cucumber salad and I'd always wanted to know how to make that cool ginger dressing.  

So do the rest of us!  Post the recipe!

Done

[AugustWest]

Saturday night -- Al Green (!) and fireworks by the Mississippi River.

Sunday -- lots of beer and pork steaks + roughhousing in the in-laws' pool.

Today -- Driving through pouring rain, followed by more driving through pouring rain.

[Bozack]

Saturday night -- Al Green (!) and fireworks by the Mississippi River.

...

August, we live near the OHIO River. How was Al, by the way? I was actually playing pool at this place on Market Street (Bank Shots, a pool hall in a coverted bank (the pro shop is in the vault!)), and we left just as everyone else did. I probably cut you off....

[AugustWest]

Saturday night -- Al Green (!) and fireworks by the Mississippi River.

...

August, we live near the OHIO River. How was Al, by the way? I was actually playing pool at this place on Market Street (Bank Shots, a pool hall in a coverted bank (the pro shop is in the vault!)), and we left just as everyone else did. I probably cut you off....

Yes, wiseass, Louisville is on the OHIO River.

St Louis, however, is on the Mississippi River.  Since St Louis is where I saw Al Green on Saturday night, I am reasonably certain that the body of water behind the stage was in fact the Mississippi rather than the OHIO River.

I used to go to Bank Shots for lunch 10 years ago.  Free pool if you bought lunch!

[CortJstr]

I'm spending my 4th watching the friggen rain and watching Dodgeball (the movie, not the GSN show). Depending on the weather we might walk over to the Key Bridge and watch the fireworks over the Kennedy Center.

So I actually ended up in Silver Spring watching several fireworks displays from a balcony in addition to the "real" one.

But I did see Dodgeball and the little bit after the credits is still making me shudder every few minutes.

[wombat]

So I actually ended up in Silver Spring watching several fireworks displays from a balcony in addition to the "real" one.

Hey, so how come I didn't see anything?  Hmm, maybe I should have left the house for a minute.

I meant to go see the fireworks in Takoma Park, which were inexplicably on the 5th.  But I forgot about it till I had just gone to bed and started hearing explosions.  Such a party animal I am.