All of these delicious, easy recipes come together in no time-great to have on hand for a busy, lazy, long weekend with family and friends. MORE LIKE THIS:See all Fast Ideas »Try our best July 4th recipes, menus, party ideas and how-tos »Get fun outdoor party ideas »

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Courtesy of Glorious TreatsMike Singer, Bon Appétit

People do scary, borderline illegal things with food. And when we find these outlaw recipes, we'll post them in our new series, "Kookery". Then, we give the BA Test Kitchen a chance to weigh in on the mad deliciousness of it all.

Nowhere in the Declaration of Independence does it read "we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Fourth of July cakes are created equal."

They're not.

You've probably seen a patriotic baker arrive at a company BBQ palming a vanilla frosted sheet cake streaked with rows of strawberry halves representing the country's original 13 colonies and a square of blueberries representing the 50 states. We salute these hero chefs because they love cake and they love our troops. But fact is, the classic flag cake means the slices are inequitable -- some with only blueberries, some without a taste -- and that doesn't represent what makes this nation great. The blog Glorious Treats knows that while some may see our country as a

By GalTime.com

It's time to celebrate our country's independence. If you're looking to show your patriotism throughout your party, right down to the cocktails, check out the red, white and blue 'Premable Trio' of drinks consisting of The Betsy Ross, The Patriot and The Bottle Rocket cocktails.

Related: Three Cheers for Red, White and Blue Desserts

Let the celebration commence!

THE BETSY ROSS

2 parts Cherry Vodka

1 part Ginger Ale

Serve on the rocks in a highball glass.

THE PATRIOT

3 parts Coconut Vodka

Serve on the rocks in a highball glass.

BOTTLE ROCKET

1 part Blue Vodka

2 parts lemon-lime soda

Serve on the rocks in a highball glass.

More from GalTime.com

• Family Fun on the 4th
• Tips for a Killer Clambake
• Dining Out at Disney- So Many Choices
• Top 8 4th of July Hot Spots
• Sizzling BBQ Outfits
• The Girl's Guide to Grills

Are you ladies excited for the long weekend, or what? We'll, if you're in the outfit planning/getting excited-for-fireworks/jonesing for a few days off work stage and you'd like stylish distraction, you've come to the right place. I'm on the hunt for a cute little 4th of July dress under $100, stat! You ladies with me?!

Related: Find Your Body's Best Swimsuit For the Fourth of July Weekend!

While red, white and blue look completely adorable together, you can also just pick one of the iconic hues to create a festive 4th of July look. That's my plan anyway. Now, if I only knew which hue to pick! There's a case to be made for each one…

The Little White Dress: While you can't wear it to all of the summer weddings on your agenda, it'll get you into warm-weather goddess mode every other weekend. And, anyway, what could be more appropriate than a quintessentially summer color like white on the 4th of July?


The Little Blue Dress: The sneaky-cool thing about a blue dress is that you'll be

Summer means dining outdoors, one hand wrapped around a cold drink and the other hovering over a sizzling grill. We homed in on two gas models sized just right for hosting a crowd or whipping up breakfast, lunch, and dinner during a kitchen renovation. Both performed well in a test just short of a Bobby Flay smackdown. The big-ticket grill proved more substantial and less prone to flare-ups; the lower-priced one preheated quickly and kept an even heat. -Deborah Baldwin, This Old House magazine



See all the details on these grills at THISOLDHOUSE.COM





MORE: Cook Up a Great Outdoor Kitchen



High-End

Weber Genesis-310 three-burner propane grill

Is it for you?
If you are willing to pay for a handsome, heavy-duty high performer with a long life expectancy.

Weight: 180 pounds
Primary cooking area: 507 square inches"
Warranty: 10 years for burners; 5 to 25 years for most other parts

About $650, Weber





MORE: The Most Expensive Grilling Products Ever


Cool Feature: Heavy-duty stainless-steel

Before you indulge in hamburgers and hotdogs, jump in the swimming pool, and watch pretty fireworks displays this Fourth of July weekend, you're going to need some gear. After all, there's no better day to show your patriotism via fashion than the 4th. We encourage all things red, white, and blue, and we've even created a guide of pitch-perfect 4th of July duds to help you get your Americana on without looking insanely over-the-top. See all of our patriotic picks here.

For more "What to Wear to" guidance visit SHEfinds.com or sign up for our newsletter.

For 13 more festive Fourth of July party ideas and crafts, visit Babble.

MORE ON BABBLE:

May the Fourth be with you! 30 red, white, and blue foods to celebrate Independence Day

United dishes of America! 50 recipes inspired by U.S. cities and states

Patriotic-chic! 5 adorable dresses for your Fourth of July BBQ

A summer to remember: 6 great kids craft projects to make the memories last

Get crafty! Test out the best DIY projects from the top 50 mom craft blogs

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