A Giveaway and Fun 4th Ideas
Today I don’t really have a recipe to share, but I have something fun to giveaway and a couple of fun ideas for the 4th of July. Of course both of these ideas involve food!
The first thing I want to share with you is a fun pan from DuPont called the Flip It. They were nice enough to give one to me to try and one for me to giveaway to my readers. This fun pan embeds an American flag image that shows up on the food when you cook it. You can use it to cook pancakes, french toast, grilled cheese, omelets, and crepes on your stove top. I decided to give the pancakes a try. In the booklet that comes with the pan it has some tips for using the pan. It suggest to make your pancake batter as follows: 1 heaping cup dry pancake mix, 1 egg, 1 tsp oil, 3/4 scant cup of milk. This recipe will make 3 large pancakes using 1/2 cup batter for each. I doubled the recipe. The pancakes looked great, but I wasn’t thrilled with the taste and texture that I got by following their recipe. Next time I’m gonna just make my regular pancake batter. My family however loved them. My oldest son said that they looked like Belgian pancakes because they were so big. There is a little problem that I did have making the pancakes. You need to make sure that you give the first side of the pancake plenty of time to cook. If you flip the pancake over too soon you end up with batter flying out the side of the pan. As a precautionary measure, just flip the Flip It over the sink. I really want to try french toast and grilled cheese in the pan now.
The other fun thing about the Flip It is the flag part of the pan is removable. You can take it out and use it to mold jello or bake shortcakes, quick breads, biscuits, etc in it. They also have different images you can purchase to change out for different holidays, etc. For DuPont Products check out http://www.teflon.com/.
Now one of you will get to win one of these fun pans thanks to DuPont. In order to be entered in the give away leave a comment telling what is your traditional 4th of July food item you must have every year at your celebration. Whether it’s hot dogs, potato salad, or homemade ice cream, let me know. You can enter up until midnight on July 4th. Then I will announce the winner on Monday July 6th.
Now another fun idea. This idea would be great to use for a favor, place setting, decoration, or whatever else you can think of. You only need two items. A box of individually wrapped Hostess Ho Ho’s and some star garland. I think the Ho Ho’s may be different in other parts of the country so hopefully you have something similar and they wrap them the same way. All you do is take your individually wrapped Ho Ho and twist one end of the wrapper. Then tie a piece of the star garland around the twisted end. Then you have a cute little firecracker. You can put stickers or use a permanent marker to write individual names on them to use as a place card and then your guest will have a little treat to take home.
122 comments on “A Giveaway and Fun 4th Ideas”
This is possibly my favorite holiday! I love anything with fruit. Red and blue fruit. Flag jello or my mom's world famous baked beans!
Every July 4th we always HAVE to eat ice cream drumsticks! Yum. My kids love this tradition. They also kinda eat candy for breakfast (actually along with it) since our community parade starts between 9:30 and 10:00 AM.
I love to eat mustard potato salad and hamburgers on the fourth along with a big glass of sweet tea! Delish!
Texas Sheet Cake is ALWAYS at our 4th of July BBQ!!! It's extra special because I only make it once a year….everyone looks forward to it!
I love to eat corn on the cob. I could eat it all day long.
Anything in the air conditioning! We usually let the kids 'design their own' popsicles with differnt layers in a popsicle mold. They love that and look forward to it every year.
I have to eat potato salad on the fourth!
We don't really have a certain food for the 4th but usually some sort of BBQ. This year I made some red, white & blue jello squares so if they're a hit maybe they'll become a tradition.
I can't believe I'm going to miss 4th of July celebrations this year because I have the flu — Must have BBQ something and potato salad.
dicity
For a long time it was Manti BBQ turkey but the grill broke and we haven't bought a new one.
I love hot dogs with mustard and baby back ribs. my mom also makes the absolute best corn and black bean salad!
Ice cold watermelon, with my dad. It wouldn't be the same eating it without him he's what makes it special.
This is a great idea!! My daughter's birthday is July 4th, she will think this is sooo cool
Corn on the cob–Yum!
Fourth of July for my family always ment BBQ, BBQ,BBQ.
And you can't forget the potatoe salad, and baked beans.
I love barbecued hamburgers and homemade ice cream. Oh, and corn on the cob. Yum, I can't wait until tomorrow.
Watermelon. Hands down!
Banana Splits of course!
Homemade Fresh Peach Ice cream is a must in our home for the 4th! My Grandparents, Parents, and now my family has continued this wonderful tradition. We have taught our children to make it, so hopefully this will continue on down the line!
We have since moved from Utah to Alaska, so the "fresh peaches" aren't so fresh, we just have to do a little extra planning. Love your site!-Erika
I love my moms potato salad it is the best I've had! The recipe is on my new blog timeforsupper.blogspot.com you should check it out. I'm a regular follower of yours you have great recipes
Our 4th usually means grilling up some hamburgers and hot dogs paired with some nice, juice watermelon, yum!!! God bless America!
Our 4th of July meal consists of the usual, hamburgers, grandma's potato salad, but the best part of the 4th of July meal is the birthday cake. My mom's birthday is the 4th of July so we always have a patriotic cake to celebrate! Happy Birthday Mom!
Must have Stuffed Shells on every Fourth of July!!! Yum…
Amber
Crystalclearbc@aol.com
Love the pan! I think no fourth of July is complete without deviled eggs…beautiful yellow filling, sprinkled with bright, red paprika!
Definately watermelon. If you cut a hole in each end and put it in a tub of ice water for a few hours it is so juicy and cold and sweet. I can't wait until Saturday.
We love baked beans, hot dogs and ice cream! Great giveaway!
WATERMELON! It's not a BBQ with out it!
My must have for the 4th of july is macaroni salad!!
We don't really have a food tradition we just plain eat. Everyone brings food to grandpa's cottage and we have a feast of many different things.
Laura that pancake is so cool and that ding dong fire cracker is adorable!!
Every 4th of July we make my great-grandmother's potato salad. It's tradition, and wouldn't be 4th of July without it.
Laura
hot dogs and ribs! Must have both.
Nothing better than homemade rootbeer – in a HUGE 5 gallon cooler with a ton of dry ice. Without it on the 4th, it's just a total LOSS!
I have to have ice cream! Any kind! I normally never eat ice cream but the 4th in Texas is usually over 100 degrees and there is nothing like a big ice cream cone under the fireworks.
To top off our 4th of July BBQ, we always have homemade vanilla ice cream. Yum!
Every year for 4th of July, I have to make strawberry shortcake. Even while living in Australia and it being the middle of winter there, I still had to make strawberry shortcake on the 4th to feel like I at least got to celebrate the day a little bit. This year I think I'll try your strawberry shortcake cupcakes instead of my usual shortcakes that I make using Bisquick.
Homemade vanilla ice cream is a must and not half bad with a fresh pie either.
The one thing that has never changed in our July 4 menu since I was born is my birthday cake!
Sue
i have to have my baked apple pie!
Watermelon for sure!! local! and local corn on the cob
Those pancakes rock!
I absolutely have to have my Aunt Betty's 1-2-3 Layer Dessert. Cool and creamy and mmmmmgood!
I don't think the 4th would be the 4th without having a BBQ with homemade burgers potato salad and a good pasta salad. Awesome giveaway. Thanks!
we love to have the strawberry pretzel jello on 4th of july, yum!
Our 4th if July must haves are rassberries and blueberries with whipped cream. Very patriotic!
Must have potato salad!
We always have to have corn on the cob for July 4th! Thanks!
sphinxcw at aol dot com
We always have a big breakfast with pancakes, eggs, sausage, hashbrowns and Orange Juice!
Love your blog! It's awesome!
For our 4th my mom always makes deviled eggs and I have to make Banana Split cake. A couple of years ago I was sick and couldn't make it. The way everyone reacted you'd have thought the world was ending, lol.
The fourth is my birthday so I have to have a cheescake (we call it Danish Dessert) with a flag made of berries on it. So good!
I would love to win this cool flip it! Our traditional 4th of July staple is my mom's homemade potato salad!! It's delicious!
Wow, that's so cool. I've never seen anything like that. Our 4th of July feast is always different, but usually something with strawberries and blueberries to get the fun 4th of July look and some fruit in there.
For July 4th anything cooked on the BBQ is good for me. Sometimes its burgers and hot dogs or it might be a steak.
God Bless America.
We always have a BBQ cookout with corn on the cob and watermelon.
Can't have to 4th of July without moms potatoe salad and grandma's baked beans.
Lots of Watermelon and corn on the cob. Even thought I don't really like watermelon I get it..it's what we grew up on.
My grandma's potato salad is a MUST HAVE. And corn on the cob is a great reminder that it's really summertime!
Sorry… hot dogs, not got dogs!
We have to have got dogs with lots of ketchup and mustard! Can't go without those on the 4th!
We always go to our cabin for the fourth so we do tinfoil dinners on the fire oh and of course smores! Love your blog!
I can't celebrate the 4th of July without potato salad…HOMEMADE potato salad that is! This year I'm making my mother in law's recipe!
marci6tx at msn dot com
Homemade Apple Pie… an American favorite!!!
We love hotdogs and hamb. and potato salad.
both those ideas are wonderful!!
For us, my aunt always makes her potato salad. It's the only potato salad I like.
Our fourth of July tradition is to BBQ and then of course you have to have the flag cake with blueberries and strawberries!
Love your firecracker favors. Love your blog!
We usually have the standard hamburger and hotdogs, but my mom-in-law just introduced me to a yummy baked potato salad that I'm planning on incorporating into this year's meal, and could very easily become a tradition!
We just got to have Brats and Potato Salad.
I just love your blog. What a cute idea for the Fourth.
Thanks,
Robin
my mom's potato salad…it is the best! (and I'm not just biased, everyone who knows it requests that she makes it : )
We have a wonderful bbq every 4th that includes lots of homemade goodies: icecream, donuts, french fries, rootbeer, and steak or chicken. We all eat way too much! This is a great give away!
Oh my goodness!!! Such cute ideas!!! OH I hope I win!!–as for 4th of July food…we always go to my great Aunt's house for breakfast. We always have ham and cheese strata, pancakes (hopefully flag pancakes next year), and fresh fruit!
We have my hubby's famous burgers and hot dogs and corn on the cob grilled on the BBQ. And for desert homemade ice cream root beer floats! Yum!
We can't go without grilling in some way on the 4th. We also have to have potato salad!
Gotta have hamburgers and potato salad! Yum!
We always have burgers, hotdogs and brownies!
I love to make homemade ice cream on the 4th.
egundy @ gmail . com
what a cute idea for a pan and your pancake looks awesome. Thans to Dupont for the giveaway.
our 4th celebration has to include Pulled Pork, corn on the cob, tater salad, and fruit pizza!
Definitely watermelon!!! With seeds so there can be a speed spitting contest!
I always make a giant sugar cookie and use strawberries and blueberries to decorate it like a flag.
Blue Cheese hamburgers and grilled corn on the cob… so yummmy!!
Gotta have baked potato salad and some blackberry cobbler
We usually have BBQ Burgers, potato salad and Red White & Blue Pie(a creamy cheesecake-like filling over fresh strawberries & blueberries). Sometimes I switch out the burgers for hot wings…both yummy! I'm getting hungry!
We have to have some form of BBQ and macaroni salad.
Pickles! We love them! And, of course pancakes with bacon and all the fixings for the early morning flag raising.
I love to have fruit salad…YUM!
Any kind of Jell-O salad and fruit. There are some great ideas and traditions on here!
Our traditional foods include watermelon, hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, and cream corn. I think this year I'll try a strawberry cream pie with blueberries for extra color!
WATERMELON is my 4th of July staple. I wouldn't know what to do without it!!
We love to do baby back ribs on the grill on the 4th. Side it up with cheesy potatoes and corn on the cob and it's a party!
Potato salad and ribs! Yum!
Watermelon! Got to have it.
Cold, drippy and sprinkled with salt. Mmmm. Love the hoho idea, too cute and easy.
Long description for a small tradition … coming from a rural area, the local dairy processes their milk into small 'bags'. (about 3" square.) (That's how you get milk for school lunch.)
Summer time, and the 4th of July means those same bags, but they fill them with all flavors of 'punch'. PUNCH BAGS!!
It wouldn't the 4th of July without WATERMELON! They usually give it out for free where we go watch fireworks, and everyone must eat about 10 pieces, at least!
Corn on the cob! ALWAYS. As long as there is corn there, it's the
4th! Love getting to read all of your yummy recipes!
This is my first 4th of July on my own and as a married woman (woohoo!) so I don't have a traditional dish yet, but I plan on making yummy potato salad.
http://mixingbowlsandspatulas.blogspot.com/
Every year when the 4th rolls around I always want to throw some sort of party because its been a while since the last holiday and there are so many red white and blue desserts as well as party favors and decorations, but I never do!!!!! I love potato salad and it is a great summertime staple!
Our 4th of July tradition is a grilled brisket with our homemade red pepper rub. It is fantastic!
I have to have hamburgers and potato salad. Have to!
traceypa@yahoo.com
We always have dry ice root beer four the 4th. It is a lot of fun and the kids just love it.
We just HAVE to have watermelon every year. We're still a young new family and making new traditions and it's so fun to read these and see what everyone else does. Thank you
We always do homemade root beer – five gallons! It's the best.
That's a nice idea for a pan. We like watermelon for outdoor picnics at our place.
I live very close to Sugarhouse park so I always host a 4th of July party because we can see the fireworks from my backyard. The main course varies year to year but we always have watermelon, corn on the cob and deviled eggs. It wouldn't be the 4th of July without those!
I love my mom's potato salad! She is not a great cook but her potato salad is fabulous!! And my sister always brings rosettes, which don't last very long. Laura, maybe you could tackle those and teach us. That is one thing I just cannot make. Have a great 4th.
Love your blog and the recipes you share are always so good. We have to have baked beans at our bbq for the 4th. I "doctor" them with ketchup, mustard, and brown sugar. I slow cook them in the crockpot and they go great with our bbq. I'm going to try your strawberry shortcake cupcakes this year – thanks!
On the 4th of July we always have watermelon, hot dogs and chips and dip! Looking forward to this Saturday!
ribbon fries and BBQ brisket sandwiches or BBQ brots at the 4th of july carnival. It's all about carnival food for us then
Two years ago on the Fourth my hubby proposed… we have yet to start our family Fourth tradtions but all our food would definitlly have the American Flag on it if we win!
We definitely have to have the 4th with a barbeque. It doesn't matter what meats we are cooking as long as its a good old fashioned BBQ.
definitely WATERMELON!
We always get KFC because it's too stinkin' hot to cook…..and a birthday cake for my brother who was born on the 4th
My absolute favorite is the potato salad. I could eat just that and not worry about the rest. My mother made the best and unfortunately I'm not perfectly sure of her recipe but I try. She would put the oil, vinegar, etc. on the warm potatoes.
Yum!
My absolute favorite is the potato salad. I could eat just that and not worry about the rest. My mother made the best and unfortunately I'm not perfectly sure of her recipe but I try. She would put the oil, vinegar, etc. on the warm potatoes.
Yum!
I have to have sweet corn on the cob, yum!
I have to have corn on the cob with butter and parmesan cheese.
Our church always hosts a pancake breakfast. This pan looks so fun!
The fourth of July is not complete without a BBQ. With hamburgers, pasta salad, and of course my great beans! Love ya!
Watermelon! I am craving some right now.
Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
shen[dot]margaret[at]gmail[dot]com
We have BBQ spareribs, dutch oven potatoes, and a whole lot of different salads and desserts. The 4th of July is always a holiday we look forward to. It doesn't get better than my uncle's special sauce on the spareribs!
I would say watermelon, hot dogs, and 4th of July cupcakes are definitely staples at our family get together! MMM I can't wait til Saturday!
We love to bbq anything and have a jello salad with festive colors of the flag. I love your blog!! I check it out everyday!!
I love the 4th, such a fun holiday. I have to have watermelon, it is a must!
can't have the 4th of july without the barbeque hamburger and corn on the cob. Love LOve Love your blog.
Our Fourth of July staples are BBQ pork with cole slaw, corn pudding, and peach cobbler! Can't wait to have it on Saturday!