Friday Fun: 4th of July Recap

Are you still recovering from the 4th of July weekend? The Wisconsin Test Kitchen sure feels that way... We spent most of the weekend at home, but did a lot of cooking and entertaining of family and friends. At one point, Rebecca joked she must have run the dishwasher 25 times that weekend because of all the dishes and cooking. But it was all worth it. We thought we'd break down some of our favorite summertime recipes we've prepared over the last week! Sorry for the lack of pictures; we were too busy cooking to remember to snap a lot of pics! 

We had some of our favorite families over for a cookout the week before 4th of July, and smoked a pork shoulder and some ribs. Even though Kevin thinks meat alone is an acceptable meal, Rebecca felt the need to prepare a few side dishes. 

One of our tried and true summer salad recipes is a Pea Salad from The Pioneer Woman. The combination of sweet peas, cheddar cheese, red onion and bacon is savory, salty and perfect for summer. It's easy to throw together, and it's usually the first salad to go at a cookout.

No cookout is complete without dessert, and this family meal was no exception. Since rhubarb is in season, we decided to make a Rhubarb Cake, and use some of the 12 cups (no exaggeration) of rhubarb in our freezer. This cake couldn't be easier to make; and is perfect served room temperature with a dollop of whipped cream on top. I have a feeling we'll be making it again, since we still have so much rhubarb to go through...

Over 4th of July weekend, we smoked more pork shoulder, experimented with some pizza recipes, and pretty much stuck to our tried and true recipes. But we did attend a 4th of July party, and brought along a Feta Dip that was easy to make the morning before the 4th of July parade, swimming and other festivities. We served this tangy dip with a side of red pepper slices and crackers. It's so easy, it will make you look like a culinary rockstar. Don't worry: your secret is safe with us! 

We look forward to sharing more of our recipes with you; and would love to hear some of your summertime favorites! Leave your recipes in the comments below.

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew