Star Salad

I was inspired by hours on Pinterest to make a 4th of July salad by cutting stars out of mozzarella cheese! Mozzarella logs come pre-sliced now, so it was very easy to cut out mozzarella stars with a cookie cutter. 

I wanted the salad to be a nod to red, white & blue, so I used fresh cherry tomatoes (halved), fresh blueberries and white stars. I added fresh basil to punch up the flavor and it was deliciou. Before I placed the white stars on top, I tossed the salad in a light dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. If you dress the salad with the stars, the white cheese absorbs the vinegar and it isn't as pretty. Happy 4th of July!

#starsandstripes #blockparty #salad

United States of Jell-O

Happy 4th of July!

It's a little nerdy, but I want to show you my United States of Jell-O. I'm afraid you'll have to search eBay for another mold like this. My mom bought it years ago and it has served us well. The trick is to make the Jell-O firmer, as if you were making Jell-O Jigglers. That way, the states retain their shape and your guests can easily serve themselves "the bible belt" or the "upper Midwest."

Dan outdid himself and skillfully cut out the state of Idaho from this mold. I wouldn't have believed that the rest of the mold could stay intact afterwards, but it did! I ate Washington in honor of our move. What area would you choose first?

#jello #4thofjuly #United States #holidaycooking #familydinner

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! 

May your summer be as bright and festive as these fireworks. xo Anne

Happy 4th of July

Nothing says vacation like a slow boat ride.  We always have a flag on the back of the boat, most do, but this time it serves to say "Happy 4th of July!"


I've made 3 of my grandmother's coffee cakes (for this morning and the rest of the week), dip for the fruit, scalloped potatoes (for tonight's ham dinner) and graham cracker ice cream for dessert.  Whoosh!  A big accomplishment and I know that everyone will enjoy it.


Now it is time to relax and enjoy.  I hope you have a wonderful holiday with family and friends.

Vacation Pictures

How's this for capturing a quintessential Fourth of July moment?

Taking great vacation photographs often means removing yourself from the heart of the action.  Instead of sitting on the blanket, I chose to sit above and behind my friend's children so that I could get a few vacation pictures for her.  You may miss a few minutes of interaction, but in the end you'll be glad to have photographs that will last a lifetime.

You can read my thought-process below for this photograph, and perhaps consider these tips when taking your own vacation pictures:

• Light - By staying in the shade, I let the "spotlight" of natural sun be on my subjects
• Angle - Timing is everything when taking a picture.  When I arrived at the parade, I could see that capturing the boys waving at the floats would be darling.  By keeping myself at an angle to my subjects (instead of sitting directly behind them) I had more chances to get this firetruck as it approached.  I was able to take 3 photos just like this, with the only difference being where the firetruck is in the frame.  Later (when the parade was over and I had time to evaluate) I could choose to keep the picture where all the elements looked the best.
• Secrecy - Once the boys realized that I was taking their picture, they turned around a lot to see what I was up to.  If you decide what photo you want (first lick of an ice cream cone, kids jumping off the dock), don't announce your intention.  You might miss out on capturing a perfectly natural moment.
• Determination - Just do it! Bring your camera along and grab pictures when you can.  If you think about constructing the perfect shot too much, you'll miss out on some really good ones.  Just always take your camera with you and enjoy!

The United States of Jell-O

Do you love it? The 4th of July is not complete without The United States of Jell-O. My Mom bought this mold years ago through the Jell-O website, and I am sad to say that they don't offer it anymore. Perhaps if they hear from enough people they will bring it back. Although the USA isn't available anymore, you can celebrate with a darling flag mold.

I love this mold because it is so funny to see the family going through the line and picking "the Dakotas" or "California" for their serving. This year I chose the coastal area near Washington, D.C. - yum!

Fort McHenry

When we were in Maryland, we had a day to fill before our night flight back to Detroit. A day trip to Fort McHenry seemed like the perfect activity and on a clear day like this, the chance to photograph an historic fort was irresistible.

Fort McHenry is the birthplace of our National Anthem. Francis Scott Key was inspired after witnessing the British attack on Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore in 1814. When he saw the American flag still flying over the fort the next morning "in the dawn's early light."

I thought it was neat when I heard that each May, three to four thousand school children re-create a "Living American Flag" at the fort by standing in a particular spot in either red, white or blue shirts. From above, it makes a giant flag of stars and stripes. Cute! (Click this link to see an example!)

I hope you are having a wonderful holiday weekend.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

Parade Route

Every small town in America has a parade on the Fourth of July. It is a time of sunshine, school marching bands and, occasionally, a really great float. This cow, Ruthie, which is sponsored by the Leland Mercantile ("The Merc") is my favorite by far.

I have been in Leland for the 4th of July parade every year (but 2) since I was a baby. I remember years watching the parade with my entire family, including both of my grandmothers. I remember hoping for candy to be thrown my way.

Now a million years later, we have an even bigger crowd - my parents, brothers and sisters-in-law and all the kids sit on blankets along the road and enjoy this little bit of Americana.

The parade is exactly the same every year and as "short and sweet" as this moment is, I love it just the same.

And now its my teenage nephews that make sure to hand me a Tootsie Roll after the floats go by.

Happy 4th of July

My goal was to get The Blue Angels and the American flag in the same picture. I lined up my shot and patiently waited for the planes to fly by. They are F/A 18 Hornets - so fast it is hard to compose a shot at all.

In my wildest dreams, I never thought that the wind would blow the flag "just so" and that the planes and jet stream would line up with the stars and stripes! This is one of my favorite photos.

Wishing you a delightful 4th of July.