Favorite Fourth of July Traditions

4th of July Traditions:  Shooting Off Fireworks

This 4th of July weekend, we had a Perfect Day!  

It was 100 degrees outside so we went to CheeBurger in Huntsville and had the best cheeseburgers, saw Super 8 at the matinee, and then had a small cup of icecream at Cold Stone Creamery.  

I had never been to Cold Stone before but in lieu of popcorn and candy at the movies, we held out for a scoop of icecream, and in this heat, it was truly satisfying.  

Super 8 is the best movie we've seen in a long time. Each of us loved every thrilling moment!  (Don't bring little kids to this movie-they won't get it and it's super scary--for middle school and up!)  

For once, we were all in a good mood at the same time. They say money can't buy happiness--but it gave us a leg up on a Perfect Day.

Rather than spend a lot of time in traffic after the spectacular fireworks, our family opts to buy our own simpler fireworks and shoot them off for our entertainment, (and our country neighborhood).

Simple 4th of July Menu

For a Relaxing Fourth, Serve The Perfect Hamburger with Sweet Potato Chips, Watermelon Slices, and Build-a-Sunday for Dessert

The Perfect Hamburger
2 lbs. ground lean beef chuck

1/2 c. finely chopped onion

2 t. salt

1 t. hot sauce

Mix beef with onion, salt, hot sauce, and black pepper and shape into patties about 3/4 to 1 inch thick.  Handle mixture gently and avoid packing patties too tight because the hamburgers will not be juicy.  Make the center of the patties thinner and the edges thicker.  Cook as follows:  5 minutes per side for rare, 6 minutes for medium rare and 7 minutes for medium.