Teacher: “True or False? The Declaration of Independence was written in Philadelphia.”
Student: “False. It was written in ink.”

Q: What did one flag say to the other flag?
A: Nothing. It just waved.

Q: How was the food at the Fourth of July picnic?
A: The hot dogs were bad, but the brats were the wurst!

Here in the States, we’ll be celebrating Independence Day this Thursday, so I thought I would offer up some ideas for your patriotic menu. Even if you don’t celebrate the 4th of July, I’m sure you’ll find one or more of these recipes a great addition to your next cookout.

We definitely want to start things off with some delicious beverages like those Pimm’s pictured above, a great nod to all my UK friends on this sticky day.

Pimm’s Cocktails are the perfect summery drink and look as good as they taste.

These Strawberry-Honeydew Coolers are the perfect non-alcoholic libation.

Time to fire up the grill. A hot menu would be Steak House Burgers With Caesar Coleslaw And Chilled Asparagus Salad. If you are having friends around you’ll really love these recipes as everything can be made ahead. All that you need to do is grill the burgers when your guests are ready to eat.

Here is another make ahead dinner. All In One Burgers With Celery And Potato Salad pair Tex-Mex style burgers with a classic potato salad.

For the hot dog lovers out there, here are three really interesting toppings to give your frank a Korean, German or Polynesian flair. Serve with some fabulous Grilled Corn.

This Flag Cake was one of my favorite cakes ever. Just follow a few cake cutting and assembly directions and you get this awesome flag inside.

Another terrific Red, White And Blue cake is this fun and fruity Poke Cake.

And how about some from scratch Red, White And Blue Cupcakes?

To get you in the mood for Thursday, blast this most excellent cover of Dave Alvin’s 4th of July.

The Bronx, who I wrote about here in their other musical project Mariachi El Bronx, are just a party wrapped up inside a band. Check them out on The Bronx Website and the Mariachi El Bronx Website. You can learn of upcoming world tour dates and also buy the music on either website.

Cheers!