YOUR FRIENDS' ACTIVITY

    Plan your best-ever Fourth of July BBQ

    By | Shine Food – Wed, Jun 29, 2011 8:08 PM EDT

    Treat your friends to festive food, sparkling drinks, and inventive decorations this holiday weekend with our 125+ July 4th party ideas.

    DECORATION INSPIRATION


    Festive tabletop
    This tabletop scheme provides a quick way to tap those patriotic colors with contemporary style.
    > More: How to set this festive outdoor table


    Star luminarias
    White bags and vellum stars make festive outdoor lanterns. Use a star stencil and colored vellum to make red and blue stars. Glue them to white paper bags. For beautiful (and safe) illumination, use a small tap light instead of a candle.


    Star-spangled pinwheels
    These patriotic pinwheels are easy to make and fun to see spinning in the breeze on the Fourth of July. All you need are a few basic materials.
    

> More: How to make party pinwheels

    RELATED: 6 more fun decorations for July 4


    PARTY MENU     IDEAS


    The Party Starter (Watermelon Tequila Cocktail)
    This refreshing watermelon cocktail is a pure taste of summer. For a nonalcoholic version, skip the tequila and add a little water to help blend the mixture.

    Recipe:
    Yield: Serves 8
    Prep time: 20 minutes; freeze for 3 hours

    Ingredients

    • 1 seedless watermelon (about 6 lbs.)
    • 3/4 cup lemon juice
    • 2 cups silver (also called blanco) tequila
    Preparation
    1. Cut melon into chunks and discard rind. Purée chunks in batches in a food processor. Pour mixture through a strainer into a bowl. Pour 4 cups into another bowl; whisk in lemon juice. Save any remaining watermelon juice for another use. Pour juice mixture into 4 ice cube trays* and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.
    2. Make drinks: Whirl half the watermelon cubes in a food processor until broken up, then add 1 cup tequila and whirl until blended. Pour into a pitcher and repeat with remaining ingredients.
    *A standard ice cube tray has 14 cube slots.


    Prosciutto-wrapped Asparagus with Citrus Dip
    You can make these hors d'oeuvres even simpler: Without their scallion ties or lemon zest, the asparagus and prosciutto still taste terrific.
    
> Get the recipe


    Honey-Sesame Grilled Chicken Wings
    Sticky sweet replaces blazing buffalo with these tasty wings. Serve them as finger food at your party.
    > Get the recipe


    Herb-rubbed Baby Back Ribs
    These are the ribs for summer. The black pepper in the rub picks up on the black-pepper notes in Zinfandel. (Be sure to have plenty of bottles on hand!)
    > Get the recipe


    Garlic Smashed-Potato Salad
    This chunky potato salad is a cool summer version of everybody's favorite garlic mashed potatoes.
    > Get the recipe


    Warm Bacon and Herb Coleslaw
    Add a savory twist to the classic summer side dish: a warm bacon dressing.
    > Get the recipe


    Old Glory Cherry-Blueberry Pie
    For the perfect holiday dessert, we give you a summery pie with a patriotic topper.
    > Get the recipe

    RELATED:
    9 more recipes for a mix-and-match July 4 party menu
    100+ more grilling recipes for the Fourth

    SUPPER CLUB PICK

    • Childhood Favorites from the Shine Supper Club
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      Childhood Favorites from the Shine Supper Club
      Childhood Favorites from the Shine Supper Club

      My after-school snack was a sacred ritual. I sat on the carpet in my parents' bedroom at a low table, the television turned to "I Dream of Jeannie," and ate a peanut butter and honey sandwich cut into neat squares. I wasn't fussy about crusts. I just loved the sticky pairing of creamy peanut butter with syrupy golden sweetness drizzled from a honey bear in diagonals across the soft white bread. Nothing else--save for maybe apples and peanut butter in a pinch--could have made for as sweet an