baby, you're a firework

I hope everyone's prepped and ready for the big day tomorrow!  After a breakfast of tasty bagels, I escaped the city for the wilds of Connecticut.  And boy is it wild... so much green you'd think you were in a jungle, wild animals around every turn, a grocery store that you have to drive to.  It's the honest to goodness wilderness.  So drive to the grocery store we did.  But not just any grocery store, this was Stew Leonard's.  All we needed was a little bit of parsley and mustard for my patriotic red white & blue potato salad since I accidentally left those two important ingredients in Brooklyn.  Well thank goodness I did because had I not, I never would have been able to visit the labyrinthine aisles of this market / butcher / grocery store / hoedown.

we decided that we need corn too.
what's independence day without corn?

This store is awesome.  Entertainment while grocery shopping?  Yes, please!

After a leisurely trip through the market, we headed back to the lake house to prep for tomorrow's feast and fix up some supper - not-quite-all-American shrimp tacos with fresh guac and leftover squash slaw.  I was doing an awful lot of work in the kitchen and my sous chef, Fatso, was not as helpful as I had hoped.

After all that hard work in the kitchen (so much chopping,) I was rewarded with a tasty, boozy mojito with fresh mint from the beautiful little garden...

and a lovely boat trip on the lake.  Look how pretty and relaxing.  Boozy boating is my new favorite hobby!  Can you row canoes in the East River?

Well, as you can see my fourth of July celebration is coming along nicely.  And since fireworks are totally legit in Connecticut, tomorrow is sure to be a blast (pun totally intended!)

In case you're not as prepared as me with your holiday themed recipes and party plans, here are a few culinary creations and ideas celebrating the original 13 colonies.

And to get you in a rockin' mindset, I share with you my top ten America the Awesome patriotic party songs.  Well, they at least mention this great land in one way or another.  So put on your classiest, or trashiest, red, white and blue ensemble and get ready to dance under the bottlerocket's red glare - (this is just a quick, off the top of my head list,  but we'll call it a top ten anyway.)

10. Woody Guthrie - "This Land Is Your Land" (you know you love Woody)

9. James Brown - "Living In America"

8. Elliot Smith - "Independence Day"

7. Elton John - "Philadelphia Freedom"

6. Tom Petty - "American Girl"

5. Bruce Springsteen - "Born In the USA" (or really anything Bruce. c'mon, he's The Boss)

4. Animal Collective - "Fireworks"

3. Violent Femmes - "American Music"

2. Simon & Garfunkel - "America"

1. David Bowie - "Young Americans"