Pumpkin Pie NO BAKE DIY

http://shine.yahoo.com/team-mom/three-ingredient-pumpkin-pie-175107241.html?vp=1#!lM5ly

Three-Ingredient Mini Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
2 6-ounce containers of Greek honey yogurt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
4 mini graham cracker crusts
Whipped cream and ground cinnamon for topping (optional)

Method:
1. In a small bowl, combine yogurt and pumpkin pie spice and stir well.
2. Fill pie shells evenly with the mixture.
3. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon, and enjoy.

Stu's No-Bake Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:
1 package of unflavored gelatin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of kosher salt
1 can condensed milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 15-ounce can pumpkin purée
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 graham cracker crust
Whipped cream for topping

Method:
1. In a heavy-based saucepan, bring the gelatin, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, condensed milk, and eggs to a slow heat. Stir slowly until mixture thickens somewhat, about 10-12 minutes.
2. Add pumpkin purée along with the vanilla. Mix thoroughly.
3. Pour into crust and place in the fridge from 3 hours to overnight.
4. Serve with some whipped cream.

Fall Wreath DIY

http://quelinda-crafts.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-wreath.html

http://quelinda-crafts.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-wreath.html

http://quelinda-crafts.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-wreath.html


http://quelinda-crafts.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-wreath.html

Pumpkin Rice Krispies

Pumpkin Rice Krispies

3 Tablespoons butter

1 package mini marshmallows (or about 4 cups)

6 cups Rice Krispies

Orange food coloring**** THIS BLOGGER ADDED orange juice for flavor as well****

Black icing

Green icing

Tootsie Rolls

1. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat.

2. Remove from heat and stir in the orange food coloring.

3. Add the cereal and stir well, until completely mixed.

4. Once cooled, shape the rice krispie mixture into balls about 3″ in diameter.

5. Shape a Tootsie Roll into a pumpkin stem and place on the top of each pumpkin. Decorate with green frosting for leaves and black frosting for the faces.

By withsprinklesontop.net

4th Of July

Larry West is a freelance writer in the Pacific Northwest and a frequent contributor to MSN.

Making it official

The Fourth of July was not a federal holiday until 1941.
Although July 4 had long been celebrated as the Independence Day holiday by tradition,
 and even by congressional decree, it was not officially a federal holiday until
Congress agreed to give federal employees the day off with pay—and
that didn't happen until 1941.

Red-White-Blue Splash

C&H SUGAR photo credit

Red, White and Blue Splash

• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled and cut into long, wide strips for forming star shapes
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 1 bottle Perrier Mineral Water
• 1/2 cup Sprite
• 1 (1 liter) bottle lemon-lime seltzer (or club soda)

recipe adapted from:

http://www.chsugar.com/recipe/red-white-and-blue-agave-sangria-1506?utm_source=ch&utm_medium=email&utm_content=RedWhiteAndBlueAgaveSangria&utm_campaign=July4th2013EmailBlast

squash dipping bowls

What You’ll Need

- Acorn squashes
- Large spoon or small ice cream scooper
- Utility knife
- Paring knife
- Dip

Let’s Do It

- Start by slicing a very thin section off the bottom of the squash with a utility knife to make a stable base, making sure you don’t cut into the hollow inner core
- Slice off a slightly larger section on top and remove (you can keep this section to serve as a cap or as a decorative accent piece)
- Use a large spoon or even a small ice cream scooper to scrape out the squash’s innards, and then use a paring knife to carve out a smooth dip receptacle
- Wash, pat dry and refrigerate overnight to firm up the squash (you can skip this step if needed)
- Fill with your favorite dip and serve with chips, pita chips or raw vegetables

DIY Make Mulling Spices

how to make mulling spices

what you’ll need

• 4 ½ medium-sized oranges, hulled
• 2 cups light brown sugar
• 16 peppercorns, whole
• 8 all-spices, whole
• 16 cloves, whole
• 8–10 cinnamon sticks, trimmed into thin pieces ¼” – ½” lengths

let’s do it

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees
• Line baking sheet with parchment paper
• Place halved and hulled oranges facing up
• Bake until the peel is dry but still a little flexible
• Allow to cool completely, preferably overnight
• Fill 8 dried orange halves with brown sugar
• Take extra dried orange half and cut into 8 small beak pieces, rounded at the top and pointed at the bottom, approximately ¼” in size
• On a clean mat, arrange the spices to look like a turkey, cloves for eyes, neck and gizzard, dried orange piece for beak, all-spice berry for body and pieces of cinnamon for feathers
• Once arranged to your liking, methodically take each piece and press into the brown sugar to create turkey image
• Wrap each orange half tightly in cellophane and tie off with ribbon
• Makes 8 mulling packs

Instructions to write on tag:

• Add to two quarts of cider or apple juice
• Simmer for 30 minutes then strain and serve

St. Patrick's Day Food

chocolate dipped shamrock potato chips

What You’ll Need

• Several russet potatoes
• Mandoline slicer
• Shamrock-shaped cookie cutter
• Green food dye
• Large frying pan
• Cooking oil
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Kosher salt

Let’s Do It

• Wash and peel your potatoes and then thinly slice on a mandolin
• Use a cookie cutter to shape each slice, then soak in a bowl filled with green-dyed water for 1-2 minutes
• Remove from water and pat dry, and then drop into a large frying pan filled 1″ deep with pre-heated, pre-salted cooking oil (should be heated right to the point of smoking)
• Cook in small batches for 1 minute or until chips turn golden brown, then set on paper towels to cool and soak up excess oil
• In between batches, melt chocolate chips in microwave or simmer on stove top in a double-broiler
• Add salt to taste and serve with chocolate dipping sauce

potato bites with sea salt & parsley

potato bites with sea salt & parsley recipe

what you’ll need

• several small or Yukon gold or red potatoes
• canola or vegetable oil
• flat leaf parsley
• salt and pepper

let’s do it

• wash your unpeeled potatoes
• place potatoes in saucepan covered by 1″ of water
• bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer
• cook until potatoes are tender (a toothpick can go all the way through)
• drain potatoes and allow to cool enough to handle
• cut potatoes in half (or into thick slices)
• preheat frying pan over medium to medium high heat
• pat dry and press parsley sprig top onto 1 side of each potato
• add just enough oil to coast the bottom of the pan
• cook the bottom side first until it starts to brown, then flip and finish on the parsley slide until golden brown
• season with salt and pepper and serve immediately

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What You’ll Need

• Jell-O Gelatin Dessert, Island Pineapple flavor
• Unflavored gelatin powder
• Large glass baking dish
• Cookie cutter
• Vegetable oil spray

Let’s Do It

• Prepare the jello per box instructions and pour into a large glass baking dish to create a 1″ thick layer. To make the jello stiffer and more moldable, you might want to add a few pinches of gelatin powder before pouring into the dish
• After the jello has set, use the cookie cutter to punch out the coins
• If the cookie cutter starts sticking, hit it with some vegetable oil and then wipe way any excess oil

What You’ll Need

Makes 10 – 12 servings

• 3 pounds Russet potatoes, scrubbed and washed
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 green onions, sliced and divided in half
• 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup sharp cheddar, grated (and more for topping)
• 2 heads of broccoli, florets cut
• Cooked, chopped bacon (optional)

Let’s Do It

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line cookie sheet with foil; place potatoes on cookie sheet and bake for 60 minutes; allow potatoes to cool (20 – 30 minutes); peel and chop into 1-inch cubes
• Melt butter on medium heat in large heavy-bottom stock pan; add half of green onions and cook (1 – 2 minutes); add potatoes and season with salt and pepper; stir and cook (4 – 5 minutes)
• Add chicken broth, turn heat to high and bring to boil; turn heat back down to medium or medium low and simmer (5 – 6 minutes); use potato masher to mash potatoes into broth 5 to 6 times
• Add cream and sour cream by tempering (to ensure it doesn’t curdle); do not add both directly to the pot. First take measuring cup and remove 1 – 2 cups of potato soup mixture and place in bowl; add half of cream and mix thoroughly with wooden spoon; pour cream-potato soup mixture back into pot and repeat with remaining cream and sour cream
• Add 1 cup cheddar cheese and broccoli to soup and simmer (20 – 25 minutes) on low to medium low heat; season with salt and pepper to taste
• Serve with cheese, bacon and green onion as toppings

What You’ll Need

• Several large russet potatoes
• A variety of veggies such as black olives, broccoli, radishes, cucumbers, carrots (both full-sized and baby), Brussels sprouts, green onions and red bell peppers
• Lots of toothpicks

Let’s Do It

• Clean and wash your potatoes and then slice off just enough of the bottoms to allow them to stand up straight
• Chop and slice your pre-washed veggies and place in separate bowls arranged around the table
• Set potatoes and toothpicks around the table
• Using the toothpicks, pin the veggies into place to assemble the potato face
• Don’t let the potatoes go to waste, bake them as usual and enjoy

deviled eggs in a hash brown nest

how to create these deviled eggs in a hash brown nest

what you’ll need

makes 18 nests with eggs

• 1 bag frozen or refrigerated hash brown potatoes
• vegetable oil
• 18 eggs
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup light olive oil
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• salt and pepper to taste
• fresh dill

let’s do it

hash brown nests

• divide hash browns into individual servings
• cook hash browns according to package instructions

deviled eggs

• place eggs in single layer in large pot
• fill pot with cold water until eggs are covered by about 1″
• bring eggs, uncovered, to a rolling boil
• remove pot from heat after boil is achieved and cover tightly with lid
• set timer and allow eggs to sit, covered, 13 minutes
• carefully remove eggs from pot and place in bowl of ice water to cool
• let cool completely, then remove shells
• cut top 1/4 of egg off
• carefully remove yolk and rinse out egg whites
• in bowl combine egg yolks, mustard, water, oil, paprika, salt and pepper; stir until smooth; spoon into piping bag
• pipe egg yolk mixture into egg whites
• place egg bottoms into hash brown nests; garnish with egg top and fresh dill

Hot Cocoa Recipe N Hot Cocoa Bar DIY

homemade hot cocoa recipe

what you’ll need

makes 12-14 servings

• 3 cups dry milk powder
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup cocoa powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¼ cup chocolate syrup
• ½ cup powdered nondairy creamer
• ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips, melted
• 7 cups water

let’s do it

• sift dry milk powder, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and salt together in a medium bowl
• add powdered nondairy creamer
• pour 3 ½ cups water and vanilla extract into large cast-iron pot (or heavy bottomed stock pot)
• slowly add dry ingredients to water, whisking constantly
• pour in chocolate syrup and melted chocolate
• add remaining water to pot and whisk until all ingredients are well blended
• place on stove top and cook on low heat for about an hour; stir well and serve

hot chocolate bar setup

1. let’s get started

• use a cast iron pot to make your hot chocolate and keep it warm
• a cast iron pot will look gorgeous on display or can be kept on the stovetop to keep warm
• your favorite hot cocoa recipe
• hot chocolate recipe

• 2. marshmallows!

• dip marshmallows halfway in white (or dark chocolate for a decadent addition)
• sprinkle with crushed peppermint while still warm
• put in a bowl once cooled

3. topping your tasty treat

• candies and small cookies  (M&M’s, Pepperidge Farm Pirouette Rolled Wafers)
• whipped cream and caramel sauce
• shaved white, milk chocolate and dark chocolate
• Kahlua, amaretto and other liquors–kids aren't the only ones who can have fun!

4. sinful stirrers

• melt chocolate then pour into fine-tip squeeze bottle
• fill spoons with chocolate (keep level by propping the spoon handle until the chocolate has hardened)
• sprinkle with edible glitter or small candies for extra flair

5. something to sip

• create interest with your hot chocolate bar by using unique bowls and glasses

6. elevate your presentation

• set up display of varying heights by using cake stands and serving trays
• group toppings together, cups or bowls together, etc. to make serving easy

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Bird Nest with Chocolate Eggs Recipe

Nutella bird nests with chocolate eggs recipe

what you’ll need

makes 12–15 nests

• 6 cups mini marshmallows
• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cup Nutella  ****can also use sunflower type butter (peanut butter)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter *** can use sunflower butter ***
• 1 box Fiber One cereal
• 36 mini Cadbury eggs

let’s do it

• fill medium saucepan 1/3 full with water; bring to boil
• put marshmallows in medium-sized bowl and set over boiling water; stir constantly until marshmallows begin to melt
• add chocolate chips, Nutella and peanut butter to mixture; stir until completely melted and remove from heat
• add cereal immediately to mixture and combine thoroughly
• take approximately ¼ cup of mixture when cool enough to handle; mold with lightly greased hands into nest shape
• let nests harden in refrigerator for 30 minutes
• add Cadbury Mini Eggs

Mac N Cheese Bites Recipe

macaroni and cheese bites recipe

what you’ll need

makes 12 bites

• ½ / 1 tablespoon butter, divided
• 1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs, seasoned or plain
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley (1/2 teaspoon dry)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided into single cups
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 3-4 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
• 1 cup whole milk

let’s do it

• preheat oven to 350 degrees
• grease muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray
• sauté ½ tablespoon of butter with panko crumbs until golden brown
• stir in parsley and set aside
• bring large pot of lightly salted water to a boil
• add macaroni and cook according to package instructions until al dente
• remove from heat, drain and return to pot
• stir in remaining butter and egg until pasta is evenly coated
• add remaining cheeses (reserve 1 cup of Jack cheese), bacon, mustard (optional) and milk
• spoon into muffin tin
• sprinkle with reserved cheese and bread crumb mixture
• bake for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown
• allow muffins to cool slightly before removing from pan and serving
  

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Chicken Salad Cucumber Rolls

chicken cucumber rolls recipe

what you will need

makes 2 dozen

• 2 chicken breasts
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup sliced almonds or pecan pieces
• ½ cup Greek yogurt, plain
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2–3 English cucumbers
• toothpicks

let’s do it

• bring salted water to boil
• add two chicken breasts and cook fully; about 20 minutes
• let cool for 5-10 minutes
• place chicken on flat surface
• secure with fork in one hand and with second fork, pull away shredded pieces
• place chicken in medium-sized bowl
• add celery, cranberries and nuts
• mix thoroughly
• combine yogurt, lemon juice, salt and pepper
• add to chicken mixture
• slice cucumbers length-wise with mandolin (if especially long, cut in half)
• place heaping teaspoon of chicken salad on one end and roll
• secure in place with toothpick
• repeat until chicken salad is finished
• refrigerate until ready to serve
  

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DIY Infused Water Recipes

flavored water recipes

what you’ll need

grapefruit & basil

• 4 sprigs basil
• 1 gallon water
• 1 grapefruit
• ice
• pitcher or water dispenser

lemon & rosemary

• 3 sprigs rosemary
• 1 gallon water
• 2 lemons, sliced
• ice
• pitcher or water dispenser

sweet peppers

• 2 cups sweet mini peppers (green, red and yellow)
• 1 gallon water
• ice
• pitcher or water dispenser

let’s do it

Grapefruit & Basil

• use spatula or back of large wooden spoon to bruise basil
• put basil in bottom of pitcher/water dispenser, add water and let steep about 2 hours
• cut grapefruit into thick slices and discard end pieces
• add grapefruit and ice to pitcher/water dispenser; chill another 2 hours before serving
• add more ice as needed

lemon & rosemary

• use spatula or back of large wooden spoon to bruise rosemary
• put rosemary in bottom of pitcher/water dispenser, add water and let steep about 2 hours
• cut lemon and discard end pieces
• add lemon and ice to pitcher/water dispenser; chill another 2 hours before serving
• add more ice as needed

sweet peppers

• halve mini peppers and remove seeds
• put peppers in bottom of pitcher/water dispenser
• add water and ice; chill for 4 hours before serving
• add more ice as needed

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Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Pumpkin Cheesecake Muffins

Makes: About 45 mini muffins (12 regular)

For the filling:

•8 oz. cream cheese, softened
•1 large egg
•1 tbls flour

•1 cup confectioners’ sugar
For the muffins:

•1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
•1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
•1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
•1/2 tsp. ground cloves
•1/2 tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
•1/2 tsp. salt
•1/2 tsp. baking soda
•2 large eggs
•1 cup sugar
•1 cup pumpkin puree
•1/2 cup + 2 tbls vegetable oil
For the topping:


•1/4 cup sugar
•2 1/2 tbsp. flour
•3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
•2 tbsp. cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Directions:

1.To prepare the filling, combine the cream cheese, egg, flour and confectioners’ sugar in a medium bowl and mix well until blended and smooth. Set aside. 

2.To make the muffins, preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin pans with paper liners. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, pumpkin pie spice, salt and baking soda; whisk to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer combine the eggs, sugar, pumpkin puree and oil. Mix on medium-low speed until blended. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.

3.To make the topping, combine the sugar, flour and cinnamon in a small bowl; whisk to blend. Add in the butter pieces and cut into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender or two forks until the mixture is coarse and crumbly. Transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.

4.To assemble the muffins, fill each muffin about 2/3 full with batter. Add a dollop of filling on top. (I would say I used about a tablespoon of batter and a heaping teaspoon of filling. They were pretty full going into the oven.) Sprinkle with topping. Bake or 14 minutes. Cool. Eat. Smile.

Easter Bunny Veggie Plate

Easter Bunny Veggie Plate

Ingredients

2 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed

Veggie dip

Veggies.

Instructions

Cut the dough into pieces to make all the body parts, cover, let rise.

Brush with egg

Bake 30 minutes at 350.

Add 2 raisins for the eyes and sliced almonds for the teeth.

http://myhoneysplace.com/easter-bunny-vegie-plate-printable-instructions/

Easter Basket Cookies

Easter Basket Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1-lb package refrigerated sugar cookie dough (or homemade dough)
• Assorted colored sprinkles
• 1/2 cup frosting, canned or homemade
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• Green food coloring
• Specked jelly beans
• Pastel Jordan almonds
• Licorice string (pipe cleaners are a non-edible substitute)

Ingredients

1 1-lb package refrigerated sugar cookie dough (or homemade dough)

Assorted colored sprinkles

1/2 cup frosting, canned or homemade

1/2 cup shredded coconut

Green food coloring

Specked jelly beans

Pastel Jordan almonds

Licorice string (pipe cleaners are a non-edible substitute)

Instructions

This recipe will make 24 cookies in miniature muffin pans, or 12 large cookies in regular muffin pans. Spray your pans with nonstick cooking spray, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to form balls of cookie dough. Roll the balls in the colored sprinkles until they're completely covered, then place them in the miniature muffin pans.

Once all of your dough is formed into balls, bake the cookies in the 350° oven for about 12-15 minutes--just until they're set around the edges but are still soft in the middle.

While you're waiting for the cookies to bake, place the coconut in a large Ziploc bag and add a few drops of green food coloring. Massage it through the bag to spread the food coloring throughout the coconut and dye it a light green color. Add more food coloring if necessary to get it to a shade of green that resembles grass.

After the coconut is dyed, unwind the licorice strings and cut them into 3-inch sections to form the basket handles. Licorice strings or ropes can sometimes be difficult to find, so you can substitute any other thin candy for the strings, or use pipe cleaners as a non-edible alternative to licorice.

Once the cookies are baked, take them from the oven and immediately start pressing your fingers into the middle of each cookie to form an indentation. If the cookies are over baked this will be difficult and they might crack, so it's much better to err on the side of under baking and have soft sugar cookies. After all the indentations are made, let the cookies cool completely.

Put the frosting in a plastic bag and snip off the corner. Pipe a little dollop of frosting into the center of each cookie, just until the hole is filled.

Sprinkle the top of the frosting-filled cookie with the green coconut, until all the frosting is covered and it looks like the cookie basket is filled with grass.

Press the ends of a licorice string into the frosting to form the handle. If you're using pipe cleaners, bend them into a U-shape and stick them either into the frosting or just poke them into the top of the cookie.

Lastly, fill your Easter basket cookies with goodies! I recommend using speckled jelly beans, pastel Jordan almonds, or any small Easter candy that you enjoy.

Compliments: http://www.keyingredient.com/

4th of July

A taste of independence

Larry West is a freelance writer in the Pacific Northwest and a frequent contributor to MSN.

The first public recognition of American independence was in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, just a few days after Congress declared the nation’s independence from Great Britain. The Liberty Bell sounded from the tower of Independence Hall, summoning people to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence by Colonel John Nixon. Even though Congress had adopted the Declaration on July 4, it was not publicly announced until July 8, after the document came back from the printer.

First celebration

The first annual commemoration of American independence occurred on July 4, 1777, in Philadelphia while Americans were still at war with the British, fighting to hold onto the liberty they had declared for themselves a year earlier.

More firsts on the Fourth

The first public Fourth of July event at the White House occurred in 1804, when Thomas Jefferson was president.
The first Independence Day celebration west of the Mississippi also occurred during Jefferson’s presidency; it took place at Independence Creek and was celebrated by Lewis and Clark in 1805 while they were exploring the territory Jefferson had acquired from France with the Louisiana Purchase.
In 1778, John Adams and Benjamin Franklin went to Paris in an effort to gain French support for the United States in its war of independence against Great Britain. On July 4, they hosted the first American Independence Day celebration in Europe, with a dinner for “the American Gentlemen and ladies, in and about Paris,” according to an excerpt from the “Diary and Autobiography of John Adams.”

It’s a sign

The 56 patriots who signed the Declaration of Independence did not place their names on the document on July 4, 1776, nor did they all sign at the same time. The official signing event was on August 2, 1776, when 50 of the men signed it. The others signed at various times over the next few months.

Patriotism or treason?

The names of the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were not made public right away in an effort to protect the signers in case things went badly for the new nation. If the cause of independence had failed, their signatures on the Declaration would have marked them as traitors to Great Britain. According to British law at the time, that act of treason would have cost them their lives.

Nation building

On July 4, 1848, President James Madison, accompanied by First Lady Dolly Madison and a number of other VIPs, oversaw the laying of the cornerstone of the Washington Monument. Three years later, on July 4, 1851, President Millard Fillmore took part in laying the cornerstone of the new Capitol Building.

Red, white and green?

Red, white and blue have not always been the colors traditionally associated with Independence Day celebrations. In 1778, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, where the army was camped, General George Washington directed his soldiers to place “green boughs” in their hats to celebrate the day.
 He also issued the troops a double allowance of rum and ordered an artillery salute.

Grand old flag

On June 14, 1777, the Continental Congress adopted the design for an American flag.

 “Resolved: that the flag of the United States be thirteen stripes, alternate red and white; 

that the union be thirteen stars, white in a blue field, representing a new constellation.”

More stars were added to the flag as new states joined the union. Arizona became the 

48th star in 1912, and the 48-star flag would continue to wave for 47 years, 

until Alaska and Hawaii became states in 1959. 

The new flag, with 50 stars, was flown for the first time on July 4 of that year.

Independent states

In 1781, Massachusetts became the first state to make July 4 an official state holiday.
This occurred several months before the decisive American victory at Yorktown, Massachusetts,
where British General Lord Cornwallis surrendered his army, which effectively brought a triumphant conclusion to the American Revolution.

Independence Day

Americans began celebrating the Fourth of July as the anniversary of their national independence right away, but the term “Independence Day” was not used to describe the holiday until 1791.

Larry West is a freelance writer in the Pacific Northwest and a frequent contributor to MSN.