I was tracking down recipes to bake a treat for everyone at work - most recipes I find use, cake mix, ground up store bought cookies, or so much red and blue food dye, I would not want to make them. So I've decided (taking an idea from some cookies I saw) to make the Black & White Brownies from KAF and substitute red, white and blue M&Ms for the dark chocolate chunks. If I find them, I'll use red,white and blue sprinkles on top.

Anyway, this got me thinking. When I was a kid and well into my 20s before my dad sold the house, there was an annual 4th of July clambake where we lived - it was always at the beach at the Point (the end of a small peninsula that jutted out into the bay). After the clambake, we would all pile into boats and head across the harbor to the other point to anchor and watch fireworks. And, then head home. Later, while our kids were growing up, the fireworks moved to the public beach a block from our house, so we would invite everyone for hamburgs and hot dogs so they didn't have to worry about getting stuck in traffic.

I forgot to add that we had a wonderful, traditional parade in the morning with floats from local organizations, bands, and always the fire engines from the area at the end including the forest fire truck - my older son hated the sound of the sirens.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by cwcdesign.