Fourth of July

Tasty Tuesday–Oktoberfest in July

It’s been quite a few years since we last had a German feast for the Fourth of July, so that’s exactly what we did last week. The menu was somewhat different…this time around, we made all of our Oktoberfest favorites, starting with pretzels:

And pretzels call for fondue for lunch, which I served with pickles and brats as well:

The main course was schnitzel:

I served it with family favorites such as spaetzle, red cabbage, pickled beets, and sauerkraut:

It’s one of my favorite dinners, no matter what time of year it is!

The real star of the feast in my opinion, though, was the dessert. I decided to deconstruct the components of my Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte recipe, and serve Black Forest sundaes. They were so delicious, and I’m pretty proud of my culinary creativity!

It’s fun to plan an unexpected meal for a holiday every now and again!

Sartorial Saturday–Fusion Fashion

The Fourth of July is quickly approaching, and I have an outfit that reflects the red, white, & blue of America while honoring my Austrian heritage!

I paired a white lace dirndl blouse, the dress from “Die Heimat” dirndl with red lacings, and the solid red apron from my Everyday Dirndl for this look:

I added lots of red accessories, including an edelweiss bracelet, a beaded necklace, and a floral crown:

Here’ s a closer look at the lacing and the pretzel zipper charm, which is something that appeals to all cultures!

I think it’s the perfect fashion for the Fourth!

How do you mix your cultural heritage with your present-day life?

Sartorial Saturday…On A Sunday–Fashion for the Fourth

It’s been a while since I shared an Independence Day outfit! I’m really happy with the look I put together today, featuring a red Harley top and blue harlequin circle skirt from Pinup Girl Clothing and a red, white, and blue Splendette duchess bangles stack. The Starlite necklace from Meteor Jewelry and star brooch from Erstwilder are also a perfect fit, and let’s not forget a bright blue mask, because there’s still a pandemic going on. My favorite part of the outfit, however, might just be the red and blue PUG hair flowers I added to my Unique Vintage bonnet.

Happy Fourth of July!

Quote of the Day–Independence Day

“‘Mankind.’ That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it’s fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom… Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution… but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: “We will not go quietly into the night!” We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on! We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!” Bill Pullman as President Thomas Whitmore in Independence Day

Throwback (Chickadee) Thursday

Today’s Chickadee Thursday post had me thinking back to the only other time Chickadee Thursday fell on the Fourth of July, six years ago…what a quick six years it has been!

A German Feast for the Fourth

I wasn’t really feeling the Fourth of July this year, so I wanted to do something different for our holiday dinner. I decided that a meal that celebrates part of our family’s heritage would work, so I set out to make a German Feast for the Fourth.

We started by making pretzels this afternoon, which is always a family favorite food and activity! In addition to nacho cheese (so not German!), we also had a delicious German pub mustard for dipping.

For dinner, I decided to make pork schnitzel with a Jaeger sauce, German potato salad, gerkensalat, sauerkraut, and homemade spaetzle. The dinner was a big hit!

For dessert, I made a Schwarzwald Kirsch Kuchen. Also a big hit!

This wasn’t our usual Independence Day dinner, but it was festive and delicious…what more can you ask of a holiday meal?

A Feast for the Fourth

Happy Fourth of July!

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This year, I decided to take a break from our standard Independence Day dinner of braised beef brisket, and instead went with a Dr. Pepper inspired meal. We had pulled pork in a chipotle Dr. Pepper sauce and topped with a spicy slaw, corn on the cob, baked beans, kettle chips, watermelon, and our favorite cherry Jell-O made with Dr. Pepper instead of Coca-Cola. We also had two special treats…red, white, and blue Rice Krispie treats with lunch, and my favorite Stars and Stripes Funfetti for dessert, complete with sparkler candles!

It was a very festive meal, and a nice change of pace from our usual Fourth of July dinner!

A Markel Family Independence Day

Today was our typical Markel family Independence Day celebration. We watched our favorite Fourth of July movies (Yankee Doodle Dandy and Holiday Inn), listened to A Splash of Pops more than once, and then watched the Boston Pops Fourth of July concert. We also watched our neighbors set off tons of fireworks, which makes me very nervous every year, but it still an amazing show to see. We had our standard dinner of brisket, baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon, and potato salad, and a few treats…finger Jell-O and a red, white, and blueberry trifle. There were even patriotic flowers this year, thanks to Ryan!

It was, as always, a very fun holiday!