The countdown to the great Fourth of July is on! Exactly a week from now the sky will be showered in spectacular bits of light, a celebration for this amazing country’s  independence. I am taking a different approach to the holiday this year…. usually my energy is on fire running around trying to get everything done to be just so. Not this year, I am dreaming of something way more relaxed. Easy, but nice. Simple, but well thought out. Relaxing at home in comfy loose clothing with my flip flops on surrounded by a few of my closest friends, and really tasty food.

When I started to think of the menu, and what I would serve, my head sort of skipped around thinking of all things Americana. I thought about pie, watermelon, french fries, green salad, hamburgers, and hot dogs. Hot dogs get so much respect in my neck of the woods, especially the quintessential downtown Los Angeles bacon wrapped hot dog, there is no other dog that trumps it for me. And just like that I decided I would serve bacon wrapped hot dogs. They are so easy to prepare and take very little effort, but are “ooooohhhhhh sooooooo gooooooooood!” Plus I know I could find all the ingredients I need for my 4th of July Dogs at Walmart…. my one stop shop! Happy Red White and Blue USA…. Here’s to our Independence!

Ingredients for bacon wrapped hotdogs:

• bacon
• frankfurters aka: wieners
• toothpicks
• hot dog buns

Directions:

1. Take a single strip of bacon, and a frankfurter. Wrap the entire frankfurter by starting at the top and working your way to the bottom.
2. Ensure closure with a toothpick on both the top of the bacon wrapped frankfurter and the bottom. 
3. In a frying pan over a medium flame add in bacon wrapped frankfurters. Cook on  one side until crisp then turn to the other side. 
4. Using thongs, carefully pull the toothpicks out of each frankfurter, and continue frying on the sides until the entire frankfurter is cooked. 
5. Slice open hot dog bun and fill center with bacon wrapped frankfurter.
6. Garnish with ketchup, mustard, onion, pickle, mayo.
7. Enjoy! 

The idea of having a bar-b-que doesn’t exist if corn on the cob isn’t thrown on the grill.  I take pleasure in watching people eat their corn.  So many different ways to enjoy each kernel.  Some people eat it like a old typewriter on fast speed….very crickety.  All the way down one side and back at the top again for another go at it. Some people pick each kernel and savor it slowly. Some people just hack away at the corn taking big bites here and there with no rhythm or coordination.  I am a meticulous corn eater, I eat one side and then more on to the next….  never leaving a kernel untouched.  Then you have your funny people that bite a kernel and place them strategically in their teeth and leave them there to resemble messy mouth.  Maybe that last one just happens in my family, I don’t know.  Whichever the case, delight in this corn and eat it the way you know how.

All photos taken by: Nicole Presley

Ingredients for grilled corn on the cob:

Fresh corn on the cob

Kerrygold garlic and herb butter

basil infused olive oil

fresh lime juice

salt and pepper

aluminum foil

Take a piece of aluminum foil (7×7)and place down on  as a work space/wrapper. Place corn on aluminum foil and spread butter around entire corn to cover it.

Then drizzle with olive oil and squeeze with fresh lime juice.

Next season with salt and pepper to your liking.

Then wrap the corn in aluminum foil nice and tight, and start on the next one.  One you finishing wrapping all your cobs. Throw them on a bar-b-que grill and cook on each side for 5 to 6 minutes. A corn has 4 sides…. a total of 20 to 24 minutes.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!