Spangly Stars

I don't remember the first time I saw the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy," a biography of Broadway's George M. Cohan, but I do remember being surprised that Jimmy Cagney could sing and dance and that Mr. Cohan wrote some very memorable patriotic songs.  Since watching the movie for the first time, I always think of the movie and try to watch it on or around July 4th.

I haven't seen the movie yet this year, but bits and pieces of different songs were going through my head as I watched the fireworks display tonight, and including those by Irving Berlin and Francis Scott Key.

"Over there, over there, Send the word, send the word over there - That the Yanks are coming, The Yanks are coming, The drums rum-tumming, Everywhere."

"So prepare, say a prayer, Send the word, send the word to beware, We'll be over, we're coming over, and we won't come back till it's over Over there."

"I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy, A Yankee Doodle do or die, A real live nephew of my Uncle Sam, Born on the 4th of July."

"I've got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart, She's my Yankee Doodle joy."

"Yankee Doodle came to London, Just to ride the ponies.  I am a Yankee Doodle boy."

"You're a grand old flag, You're a high flying flag,"

"And forever in peace may you wave."

"You're the emblem of The land I love The home of the free and the brave."

"Every heart beats true 'Neath the Red, White, and Blue, Where there's never a boast or brag."

"But should auld acquaintance be forgot, Keep your eye on the grand old flag."

"God bless America, Land that I love.  Stand beside her, and guide her Thru the night with a light from above."

"From the mountains, to the prairies, To the Oceans white with foam God bless America, my home sweet home."

"And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."

"Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines in the stream . . . "

"'Tis the star-spangled banner!  Oh long may it wave Oer the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Oh!  Thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto:  "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

3rd of July

Oh, the sweet anticipation of celebrating the 4th of July!  Dad always has a cookout w/ a ton of food (he could probably feed the whole block with what they cook) that's delicious.  We always eat way too much, but love every single bite.  We each bring something to share, and this year I was asked to bring cupcakes . . . I've added something else to the mix though.

Here are the main ingredients for my desserts.  I will tell you that I made two different types of desserts.

Yes, one of them was cupcakes.  Any idea what the other was?  All will be revealed in due time.  By the way, don't you love the beautiful Formica counter top circa late 1950s??  It's the original counter top to the house, unfortunately.

Well, since I'm baking to celebrate the 4th of July, and knowing there will be several teenagers and several 1st grade and younger there, I knew I wouldn't make but a couple of people happy no matter what kind of cupcake I made.  So, I kept it simple - white cupcakes and then varied the icing a little . . . 8 of them have half strawberry icing (closest I could get to red) and half vanilla icing dyed blue; then 6 have all strawberry icing, 6 have the blue icing, and 4 have white vanilla icing.  I could at least keep with the patriotic theme via color scheme (not everybody likes cherry, so I couldn't do a maraschino cherry on or in them; not everybody likes strawberry, so I couldn't use JUST strawberry).  I was tempted to put jelly beans in them and on top, but believe it or not, there are people in my family who don't like jelly beans!

Have you figured out what I did with those marshmallows and the 2 boxes of Jello?  Hint:  only a very small amount of water was used, and it wasn't boiled.  I'm thinking this might go over pretty well with the younger kids . . . I made one using the watermelon jello and tasted it before I made a bunch of them (if I don't like it, I won't give it to others!).  I thought it was pretty good.  It's definitely a light dessert!

Have it figured out yet?

Here's the result:

They taste kind of like Peeps!  The pinkish ones are watermelon flavor and the blue ones are berry blast.  They were so easy to make that I'm taking the "extras" with me tomorrow just in case they are a big hit.

Yes, I'll share the "recipe."  Select the Jello flavor of your choice (I really liked the watermelon one!), and open it into a small bowl.  Use a lollipop stick or straw if that's what you have handy.  You could probably use a toothpick if small kids weren't part of the festivities.  I put some cold water in another small bowl, then dipped the stick into the water before inserting the stick into the marshmallow.  Once the stick was inserted, I dipped the marshmallow almost all of the way into the water, then shook the excess off.  Then I rolled and dipped the marshmallow in the dry Jello mix until it looked good to me.  I just used a coffee mug to hold them while they "set."  I had some bags for lollipops/cakepops and I used those to individually wrap each of the Cheeps as I'm calling them (I posted on Facebook to a friend that they were "kind of like a cheep, er cheap, version of Peeps").

I had initially planned to try to do some stars on the icing for the cupcakes, but decided against it . . . it seemed too much like work.  I love to bake, but only the easy stuff most of the time!