Love My Philly

These cheesecake bars are so charming! This just gave me a nifty idea for the kids to do to celebrate the patriotic holiday. I can pre-make cheesecake bars and cut them using the star shaped cookie cutters and have various sprinkles, jells, and other toppings! If you’re serving for a bigger crowd (more than 12 people at least), you can cut the cheesecake into 24 bars instead of the star shapes. This method will make 24 servings, 1 bar each.

Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 3 hr 50 min Makes: About 1-1/2 doz. stars or 16 servings, about 1 star each Nutritional Information

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted 3 Tbsp. sugar 3 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 3/4 cup sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 3 eggs 3 Tbsp. red, white and blue decorating gels 3 Tbsp. red, white and blue sprinkles

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 13×9-inch baking pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan to form handles; set aside. Mix graham crumbs, butter and 3 Tbsp. sugar; press firmly onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking pan.

BEAT cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and the vanilla in small bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Pour over crust.

BAKE 30 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Remove cheesecake from pan, using foil handles. Cut into shapes using a medium star-shaped cookie cutter. Decorate with gels and sprinkles as desired. Store in refrigerator.

While you’re grilling those beef franks on the barbecue pit this 4th of July, save some franks to make this Beef Frank & Cream Cheese Bagel. I’m sure there will be plenty of hot dogs sizzling this weekend. What most people don’t know is that beef franks on a bagel, with PHILADELPHIA Chive & Onion Light Cream Cheese Spread tastes incredible. Give this bite a surprise by substituting the sour cream with KRAFT Horseradish Sauce.

Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 13 min Makes: 1 serving Nutritional Information

I’ve got a feeling that this Corn-Chipotle Spinach Dip will be a marvelous opening for the Stuffed Fiesta Burgers. Serve this creamy dip with crackers as the burgers are cooking on the grill to keep your friends and family happy. For hectic events like Fourth of July, it’s always a good idea to make as many items far in advance as possible. This dip can be made ahead. Just cover and refrigerate the dip up to 24 hours. When the party is almost near, uncover and bake as directed just before serving.

2 Tbsp. KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing 1 small onion, chopped 1 bag (10 oz.) spinach leaves (about 8 cups) 1 cup frozen corn, thawed 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, finely chopped 1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed 1/4 cup BREAKSTONE’S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream 1/4 cup KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese RITZ Crackers

PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Heat dressing in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add onions; cook and stir 3 to 5 min. or until tender. Add spinach, corn and peppers; cook and stir 2 to 3 min. or until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. Add cream cheese, sour cream and Parmesan cheese; mix well.

SPOON into 9-inch pie plate.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Serve with the crackers.

What’s a party without cheesecake!? Cheesecakes are great for any type of occasion. The best part is that you can get really creative with them. Take a look at this Fourth of July Cheesecake for instance. Isn’t it cute? The star pattern on the cake is done by using star-shaped cookie cutters and drizzling warm strawberry jam around the cookie cutters. Very creative! If you’re in a hurry to light up the fireworks and want to rush the process of thawing the COOL WHIP, it is best NOT to thaw in the microwave, but rather, to place the unopened tub of COOL WHIP in the refrigerator for 4 hours.

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 2 cups powdered sugar 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed 1 cup strawberry jam, heated 1 pt. (2 cups) blueberries

MIX crumbs, butter and granulated sugar. Press firmly onto bottom of 13×9-inch dish.

BEAT cream cheese and powdered sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Gently stir in whipped topping. Spoon over crust. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

PRESS assorted sizes of star cookie cutters lightly into top of cheesecake. Drizzle jam over surface of remaining cheesecake; spread gently to completely cover area around the stars. Carefully remove cookie cutter. Arrange blueberries around edge of cheesecake. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator.

One of the things I love about the 4th of July, besides the pretty firework shows, are the great parties! Luckily, this year the 4th of July lands on a Saturday so it will be perfect to bring your friends and neighborhood together for a great time!

I made this list will help you get organized in throwing a great block party (or smaller scaled party) without a hitch.

INVITATIONS - You will want to send your invitations either by dropping it in the mailbox, or getting up close and personal with your neighbors and hand deliver them to their front door in person. You should be able to go to a local store and find 8 1/2 x 11 paper with flags, fireworks or a red/white/blue theme and get them out to your guest list in a red envelope.  You can probably find something online or make it yourself and just print them out or email them.

Be sure to note on the invitation that dress will be casual, the type food you will be serving, and if you would like for your guests to bring something. You can even refer them to the site

DECORATIONS – For starters, you can line your driveway with little American flags so people will know where the party is.

Get patriotic tablecloths and table accessories. Here’s a previous article on how to make a fun 4th of July table setting. (link)

FOOD - Our menu is vast and foods can vary but hamburgers and hot dogs along with potato salad, baked beans would be an acceptable menu for your Fourth of July party.  Check out our list of tasty recipes that you can use. (link)

Also, you don’t have to make all the food yourself, ask some of your neighbors/friends to bring a little something.  If your guests would like to bring something, don’t be afraid to say, “Yes, thank you!” Make it easy on them… tell them about our site

ACTIVITIES

Make homemade cheesecake, and hold a cheesecake tasting contest. Tell your guests they can bring their recipes and ingredients (we have some great cheesecakes here) give the winning team a door prize.

Make a horseshoe pit and play horseshoes.

Play an old standard game like Freeze Tag or TV Tag –with the adults and children.  I remember playing these kinds of games in teams with adults vs. children, those were some good times!

Fireworks - BE SAFE. We want to make sure we’re having fun without hurting ourselves or anyone else, right? They can be dangerous if not done properly, DON’T break any local rules for your own firework display.

GOODY BAGS - You may want to go to a party supply store and get some party favors - postcards of an American flag, patriotic pens or pencils, cheap sunglasses, red/white/blue bandanas stuff that the kiddies would like.

If you follow these steps, you’re well on your way to making an awesome 4th of July to remember.  Great food and great people always make for great memories, so have fun and be safe out there this weekend!

The smell of tasty Burgers and beef franks will be in the air this weekend. Gotta love it! I’m sure the line around the grill will be long since everyone will want to get their hands on these Stuffed Fiesta Burgers. The salsa and taco seasoning mix is what sets this burger apart from all the others. If you want a variety of patties, try using thawed LOUIS RICH Pure Ground Turkey instead of the ground beef. Also, try having different salsas available for you and your guests to try with this scrumptious burger. Mix it up with roasted corn salsa, green salsa or even a fruit salsa.

Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 33 min Makes: 4 servings Nutritional Information

MIX meat and seasoning mix; shape into 8 thin patties. Mix cream cheese spread and Cheddar; spoon about 2 Tbsp. onto center of each of 4 patties. Top with remaining patties; pinch edges together to seal. GRILL 7 to 9 min. on each side or until burgers are done (160°F.) FILL buns with burgers, salsa and avocados.

My holiday celebrations are always full of variety. It’s got a little something for everyone. These Pork Burritos are for my pork fans. Whether you’re at the park waiting for the fireworks display to start, or if you are at your favorite 4th of July Day parade, these burritos are portable. Take them with you, and enjoy them while you wait.

Prep Time: 20 min Total Time: 20 min Makes: 6 servings Nutritional Information

The birth date of our grand nation is this Saturday and I am definitely looking forward to it! Besides the barbecues that we’ll be having, the day will be well spent with a lot of fun and games and not to mention the fireworks display at the local park! Most of the celebrations will most likely take place in the outdoors, which means we’ll need plenty of cool treats. This Patriotic Quilt “Cake” not only sports our country’s flag colors, but it’s also a great tasting, cool delight. This “cake” is definitely a must-have for any 4th of July celebration.

4th of July is a great way to get friends together and have a great festive bash. Planning can be tough, but with these great ideas,
setting the right mood to celebrate our nation’s independence should be a breeze!

First thing you need to do is drape your table with red or blue tablecloth. These are pretty easy to find, and I know that going simple is the best way to go.
All that lacy stuff is a bit much, especially if men are going to be around. I’ve found this stuff at the dollar store, so it’s good to stay under budget.

The centerpiece really makes the table stand out. A tall white vase filled with red carnations. Add a little greenery, some blue star picks, and
a few flags for that finishing touch. You can even make little “firecracker” looking centerpieces that kids can help with.

For the “firecracker” centerpiece grab an an empty paper towel roll, red or blue wrapping paper, star stickers, glue or tape.
Wrap red or blue paper around the paper towel tube. Cut off the excess paper and tape or glue it in place. Place star stickers around the tube.
Then, glue or tape the bottom to the table. Tada! Now you will have an exploding table!
You can even add glitter around the table to add a shinier more explosive effect.

Be sure to use red and blue plastic dinnerware. Mix and match them to get more of that 4th of July look out of the table.
Do the same with the plates and disposable napkins and you’ll be having one fun looking table!

Now all you’ll need is the delicious food right off the grill! Enjoy your fun and safe 4th of July!

Go easy on the sugar this Fourth of July and take some time to dip your RITZ Crackers in this Grand Old Flag Cheese Spread. Top the cream cheese with stripes of salsa and olives as its stars. I can so picture my relatives taking pictures of this patriotic spread before relishing it. This spread is a great starter to keep your family and a friends happily chewing before the barbecue is ready. For a sweet twist, substitute the cheddar cheese with walnuts, about 20 small blueberries in place of the olives and strawberry jelly for the salsa.

Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 15 min Makes: 12 servings, 2 Tbsp. spread and five crackers each Nutritional Information