Here are a few quick and easy ideas for the kids to make to celebrate the 4th of July. Most can be done with just a little adult supervision, making it even more fun for the children. They love to tell friends and family, "I made it myself!"
For a delicious and healthy breakfast treat, layer plain or vanilla yogurt (depending on your family's tastes) with sliced strawberries and blueberries in clear glass serving dishes (if you have a large group, use clear plastic punch cups). Top with a sprinkle of granola, and garnish with a whole strawberry and a few more blueberries.
Chips and salsa go with most 4th of July menus- make them even more festive by using blue corn chips or a mixture of blue and white chips. Place a serving bowl in the center of a platter, fill the bowl with your favorite salsa, and arrange blue or blue and white chips around the bowl for a pretty patriotic display. You can buy red corn chips, too, but I would make sure they are made from red corn and not artificially colored with red dye. Garden of Eatin' has both red and blue chips made from organic corn.
For an icy cool and healthy snack make these Watermelon Pop Stars.
If you'd like to add in a bit of kitchen math and chemistry this week, go to this page at Baking 911 to learn about The Chemistry Behind Making Butter and Pound Cakes. Bake a pound cake using the original English pound cake recipe in the box labelled Sarah Says. Let the children have fun measuring out a pound of each ingredient and see if they get the same amounts as the recipe says. The number of eggs may vary depending on the size of the eggs.
You can serve your pound cake "Strawberry Shortcake style" with sliced strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream to go along with the 4th of July theme.
And finally, get a few red and blue bandannas. They are great to use as napkins, line a basket of chips or breads, and cover a picnic dish to keep the "critters" out. When it gets hot, wet a bandanna and tie it around your neck to help keep you cool. You can also stitch up a quick apron or two to keep your clothes neat and clean while making these 4th of July treats.
I hope you have fun making some of these with your children and you have a fabulous 4th!
Blessings,
Catherine
Catherine lives in the heart of Texas with her husband Carl, and their 3 daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. They enjoy cooking and learning together as a home educating family. You can read Catherine's Kitchen Adventures and more on her blog- Ramblings from my Heart and Home.
