HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY! I hope you are having a beautiful 4th of July! I love a good summer drink. This one, created by Lisa Hatfield Torres, is just right for today's celebration, and every summer celebration. This is sangria, but this would be equally beautiful with iced tea or lemonade! I serve it along with those long silver iced-tea spoons, so everyone can get the last bite of delicious summer fruit along with the cool, refreshing liquid. We are so blessed to live in our beautiful America. I remember so many magical warm days celebrating the 4th of July. When our girls were small, we set out very early to help our local service club serve pancakes and sausages before the Main Street parade. After the parade, we'd all troop home for a bbq, and enjoy the afternoon in the garden with family and friends. Later that evening, there were fireworks at the local high school. Always on the menu were their very favorite hamburgers made by their daddy, hot off the grill. Chef Lisa of DeliciousTable has reinvented the BBQ burgers as mini sliders, which you make in the oven! I love this idea, for days when firing up the barbecue isn't your fondest idea, and you want to recapture the magic of your 4th of July barbecue. See the recipe for Sheet Pan Cheeseburger Sliders on DeliciousTable.com SHEET PAN CHEESEBURGER SLIDERS 3 lb ground hamburger 3 tablespoons BBQ Grill Rub 1 cup worcestershire 24 mini hamburger buns ruffled bib lettuce 24 tomato, slices 24 1/2? cubes of cheddar cheese 6 slices colby cheese, cut into quarters dipping sauce or burger spread: ketchup, mayo, dill (or sweet) relish (4 tablespoons each or equal portions) American flag picks INSTRUCTIONS Mix ground hamburger, grill rub, and worcestershire sauce. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, mix hamburger meat, grill rub, and worcestershire until well combined. Use a 2” ice cream scoop to get them even sized, place a cube of cheese inside, and form into a ball. Place on the parchment lined baking tray. Bake 400 degrees 20 minutes until well done. Assemble burgers: slice buns, stack lettuce, tomato, burger, cheese, add serve on a patriotic tray (or in cupcake wrappers) and stick a flag toothpick in top. Optional: Serve with dipping sauce or spread on burgers: Mix equal portions of ketchup, mayo, and relish (either dill or sweet). These are delicious for any summer day, the 4th, Memorial Day, or Labor Day. I hope you make these for your very favorite people soon. Happy 4th !