There’s one town in central New Jersey that celebrates in a very patriotic way on the actual day of 4 th of July, Milltown, NJ.
Many events take place starting at 6:00 in the morning is the fishing derby. A one mile Fun run at 7:45 am, $12 entry fee. Firecracker 5 K run is at 08:10 am w/ $30.00 entry fee. Early bird pricing has ended.
The annual parade starts at 10:00 am. This years theme is celebrating the 125 Anniversary of the Raritan Railroad. Afterwards, the local town park is open from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm with Water bouncy slide, food vendors, musicians in the gazebo. Hotdogs and select soda for everyone. Bring a lawn chair to sit and enjoy the festivities.
Fireworks take place between 9:00 and 9:30 pm the same evening.
I’ll highlight with the photos of the annual 4 th of July parade, and the festivities afterward.
“A” is for “A time to Remember” , a float at the 4th of July parade in Milltown, N.J.
While this past weekend was filled with a birthday party and visiting the family, Monday was a day to focus on Patriotic explorations.
a patriotic door on the Morven house, former Governor's residence
First we took a drive to Princeton, to take part in the celebration at the Historic Morven house and museum and gardens. A July 4th Jubilee Celebration was taking place on the grounds. Volunteers
were milling about in period costumes. You could run into “George Washington” and have a chat , and “Molly Pitcher”. There were display tents set up representing Early Domestic arts including leaf print making, 18th century games, 18th century ice cream making, and spices of the same period- we used our olfactory sense to sample mace, and other unheard of spices in today’s times.
a patriotoc lecture on Molly Pitcher, and the lives of the women who "belonged to the army " during the American Revolution.
during the Jubilee, you sign the Declaration of Independence.
Everyone could hold a feather pen and “sign the Declaration of Independence; not the real one, of course.
Inside the Morven house, we went to the second floor to explore the current exhibit called “the Stars and Stripes, Fabric of the American Spirit” . This was from the Pearce collection of the American Parade Flags. There was a time when our ancestors used to write on our American flag. Here, you could trace the history of our national emblem from it’s beginnings in 1777 into the twentieth century.
sample of American Parade flags
American Parade flags
The arrangement of the stars on the American flag was not defined for almost 100 years!
The first official Columbus day- 1892 marks the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America.
48 Star Red Cross Nurse Flag- carried in 1918 at the end of the World War I
patriotic American flags in the courtyard of Morven
WISHING A HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL. HAVE A GREAT GRILLING WEEKEND!
FOR MOUTH-WATERING GRILLING RECIPES, SEE BELOW.
LYRICS:
“ OUR COUNTRY ”
By JOHN MELLENCAMP
Well I can stand beside
Ideals I think are right
And I can stand beside
The idea to stand and fight
I do believe
There’s a dream for everyone
This is our country
There’s room enough here
For science to live
And there’s room enough here
For religion to forgive
And try to understand
All the people of this land
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country
That poverty could be
Just another ugly thing
And bigotry would be
Seen only as obscene
And the ones that run this land
Help the poor and common man
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country
The dream is still alive
Some day it will come true
And this country it belongs
To folks like me and you
So let the voice of freedom
Sing out through this land
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country
From the east coast
To the west coast
Down the Dixie Highway
Back home
This is our country
RECIPE :
COLA BARBECUE SAUCE
1 tABLESPOON EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/2 TEASPOON GRANULATED GARLIC
1/2 TEASPOON PURE CHILE POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN
2/3 CUPS KETCHUP
1/3 CUP COLA
2 TABLESPOONS SOY SAUCE
2 TABLESPOONS CIDER VINEGAR
1/4 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1/8 TEASPOON MESQUITE LIQUID SMOKE
DIRECTIONS:
IN A MEDIUM SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT , WARM THE OIL.
aDD THE GARLIC ,CHILE POWDER, AND CUMIN. cOOK FOR 30 SECONDS ,STIRING OCCASIONALLY.
ADD THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS, WHISK THEM, AND ALLOW THE SAUCE TO SIMMER FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES.
MAKES ABOUT I CUP :
RECIPE :
TARRAGON-CITRUS MARINADE
1/4 CUP EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
1/4 CUP ROUGHLY CHOPPED FRESH TARRAGON
ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 ORANGE
ZEST AND JUICE OF 1 LEMON
2 TABLESPOONS SHERRY VINEGAR
2 TEASPOONS KOSHER SALT
1 TEASPOON MINCED GARLIC
1 TEASPOON GRATED GINGER
1/2 TEASPOON PREPARED CHILE POWDER
1/2 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
IN A MEDIUM BOWL, WHISK THE INGREDIENTS.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP.
SPANISH CHICKEN BREASTS :
MARINATED IN CITRUS AND TARRAGON
1. MAKE THE MARINADE ABOVE. ( CITRUS TARRAGON MARINADE)
2. PLACE THE CHICKEN IN A LARGE, RESEALABLE PLASTIC BAG, AND POUR IN THE MARINADE. PRESS THE AIR OUT OF THE BAG AND SEAL TIGHTLY. TURN THE BAG SEVERAL TIMES TO DISTRIBUTE THE MARINADE, PLACE THE BAG IN A BPWL, AND REFRIGERATE FOR 3 TO 4 HOURS.
3. REMOVE THE CHICKEN FROM THE BAG AND RESERVE THE MARINADE. POR THE MARINADE INTO A SMALL SAUCE-PAN, BRING TO A BOIL, AND BOIL FOR 1 MINUTE.
4. GRILL THE CHICKEN, SKIN SIDE DOWN FIRST, OVER DIRECT MEDIUM HEAT UNTIL THE MEAT IS FIRM TO THE TOUCH AND NO LONGER PINK IN THE CENTER, 8 TO 12 MINUTES, TURNING AND BASTING WITH THE BOILED MARINADE ONCE. SERVE WARM.
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
COOKBOOK:
WEBER’S REAL GRILLING BY JAMIE PURVIANCE
RECIPES:
LAST MINUTE RIB-EYE STEAKS :
PREP TIME: 5 MINUTES
GRILLING TIME: 6 TO 8 MINUTES
RUB:
1 TEASPOON GRANULATED GARLIC
1 TEASPOON KOSHER SALT
1/2 TEASPOON GROUND CUMIN
1/2 TEASPOON PURE CHILE POWDER
1/4 TEASPOON FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
4 RIB-EYE STEAKS, ABOUT 12 OUNCES EACH
AND 1 INCH THICK
EXTRA VIRGON OLIVE OIL
1. TO MAKE THE RUB: IN A SMALL BOWL, MIX THE RUB INGREDIENTS.
2. ALLOW THE STEAKS TO STAND AT ROOM TEMPERATURE FOR 20 TO 30 MINUTES BEFORE GRILLING. LIGHTLY BRUSH OR SPRAY THE STEAKS WITH THE OIL. SEASON THE STEAKS WITH THE RUB, PRESSING THE SPICES INTO THE MEAT.
GRILL OVER DIRECT HIGH HEAT UNTIL COOKED TO DESIRES DONENESS, 6 TO 8 MINUTES FOR MEDIUM-RARE, TURNING ONCE [ IF FLARE-UPS OCCUR, MOVE THE STEAKS TEMPORARILY OVER INDIRECT HIGH HEAT ]. LET REST FOR 3 TO 5 MINUTES. SERVE WARM.
Kaaren of the blog “The Painted Quilt” is hosting a 4th of July Giveaway.
The deadline to enter is today, July 3rd,2009. I’m not sure what time zone.
She is a design artist and since retiring, her hobby is quilting.
When you comment on her blog, please tell her which of the four choices that you want to be entered in.
1. Americana Themed “8 x 4 ” papier mache box, with the top as a pincushion.
2. Ameicana themed needlecase 4 x 6 inches with detachable pin cushion
3. A pillow that is 12 “x 12 “with applique elements to cotton background
4. A painted wooden reproduction antique untensil box. It is painted with an original design.
While typing up this post, I must say that Kaaren of the Painted Quilt blog has beautiful and relaxing songs on her playlist. Stop by her blog and have a listen.
I wish I could put a music playlist here on my blog, it doesn’t take the music playlist.com.
Her instructions: 1. Leave a comment on her post.
2. Post the giveaway button on your blog and a link back to Kaaran’s blog and you get five additional entries for the same item you choose.
Life Is Beautiful-La Vita e Bella Weblog 