Red, white & blue — flag cakes with lines of blueberries and strawberries will adorn picnic tables all over the nation this weekend. As much as we love this classic Independence Day dessert, we were also in search of other, more creative ideas. We took a spin around the food blogosphere and found some delicious red, white & blue treats, from all-natural fruit pops to layered parfaits, to an amazing flag cake with all the color inside instead of on top. Come peek at all 15 treats! More

Looking for a cocktail to cool off with over the Fourth of July weekend? Something simple and not too fussy that can help max out your chillaxing time? Here are 20 quick-and-easy ones from our archives, each made from no more than three simple ingredients. Perfect for these lusciously lazy days of summer. More

Happy 4th of July! Is the grill fired up yet? We're taking the day off, but we still have a few summery goodies for you, including a great guest post. Watch for those later this morning. We hope that you're having a splendid summer holiday, full of good food, good company, and relaxation. Happy Independence Day! More

July 4th weekend and Thanksgiving are the two times in the year when I insist on serving only American wines. Every year the array to choose from grows, and can become mind-bogglingly confusing, especially if you want to stray from your habitual wines and venture into something different. Read on for some delicious suggestions to get your July 4th party going. More

There are times when you want dishes that are shiny and new, a little out of the ordinary. And then there are times when you want food that's familiar, that you know everyone will like, and makes you feel good just sitting down to eat it. In other words: classic. And that's exactly what we want this 4th of July. More

We've been on a real popcorn kick lately (you might have noticed). One of our recent discoveries has been a vendor at a local market selling several different varieties of popcorn. It's just a coincidence, but we happen to have red, white, and blue kernels stocked in our cupboard this holiday weekend! More

Salads at 4th of July cookouts and summer picnics tend to fall into a few worn-out categories. Mayo-laden potato salad. Greasy pasta salad. Maybe a tomato salad if you're lucky. Salads and side dishes get short shrift next to the blazing grill and charcoal taste of those cheeseburgers, or the splendor of the blueberry flag cake. Well, that shouldn't be so. Here are 15 summer salads that offer delicious summer taste, and something fresh, something new for your summer picnic table. More

Don't worry, we're going to get to the traditional flag cake. It's a classic! And so easy and festive. But first, how gorgeous is this patriotic layered cake? It's from Bree at Baked Bree, and we think it's stunning. More

It is officially the summer, school is out, the barbeques are all fired up, and it is July 4th weekend. The US wine industry just keeps growing and growing, and it remains the largest in the world. So on this most American of occasions why not be patriotic and make a point to drink wines from the USA? More

Q:  My husband are throwing a 4th of July party for our friends. I am a vegetarian and my husband is not very good with the BBQ, nor does he want to cook during our party. It seems that everyone expects BBQ at this type of thing, but there's got to be something else. I don't mind hard work in the food preparation and I don't mind ideas with meat (I just won't eat it). Can anyone recommend ideas?

Sent by Allison More