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There are fireworks in a neighboring town on Friday night.

A parade also is held there on Saturday morning.

We prepare special foods that have become a family tradition, including a barbeque. 

If the weather is good, we also may hold a yard sale this weekend.  Yard sales have become traditional over summer holiday weekends in our town.

I’ll see what photos and memories I can find from my childhood, my daughter’s and the grandchildren.  I should begin compiling them into a scrapbook/journal. 

When I was growning up, my mother’s family always gathered on July 4th.  In later years, as the older generation passed away, my parents established traditions at our home.  I shouldn’t let these family heritage memories disappear into the past.

What do you do to save Fourth of July memories?

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Happy Fourth of July – Saving Memories

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(From your knowledge of American history, do you recognize these patriots’ names or the event?)

1. Clay’s Choice
2. Lincoln’s Platform
3. Little Giant
4. Old Tippecanoe
5. Union Square
6. Union Star
7. Whig Rose
8. Democrat Rose
9. President’s Wreath
10. Alexander Hamilton’s Quilt
11. Burgoyne Surrounded
12. Yankee Pride
13. Fifty-Four-Forty-or-Fight

Do you have favorite patriotic quilt patterns…those of yesteryear or today?

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Thursday Thirteen – 13 Patriotic Quilts

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• Record the memories
• Jot them down
• Pull out pictures and have the patient tell you about them (if they’re able)
• Make some scrapbook pages with these memories
• Involve the whole family so they can have memories of doing this with  the Alzheimer’s family member
• Take the patient to July 4th events if they’re capable
• Prepare foods the family member did or enjoyed on these occasions in earlier years
• Join in any July 4th activities at the nursing home, if your family member resides there.

What do you do to remember the Fourth of July as you parent your parent?

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July 4th for Alzheimer’s Parents

Memphis’ Rendezvous serves up a great dry rib. Folks from Alabama will argue that Dreamland is the best. I prefer Rendezvous to Dreamland. I especially like eating at Rendezvous restaurant because they give you get a complimentary bowl of Red Beans and Rice and no matter how much you beg they will not give you the recipe.

My ribs are far from award-winning, but my husband and son love them and that’s all that really matters to me. Cooking ribs can be an involved process, but I’ve learned a few things that make them a bit more mom-friendly You’ll want to allow about 2 1/2 to 3 hours for cooking and resting and about 30 minutes for prepping.

Here’s my recipe and why Moms may prefer it:

I prefer St. Louis ribs. They cost more – much more – but you get what you pay for, right? Baby backs are my second choice. The spare ribs are just too … eh.

Rub your ribs. You can do store bought brand according to your taste, or make your own. Mine is fab, if I do say so myself. I’m one of those palm-measurers, but I think this is how my rub would measure out:

• 4Tablespoons Smoked Paprika
• 3 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
• 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
• 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper
• 1 Tablespoon White Pepper
• ½ Tablespoon Chipotle Chili Pepper

We like a lot of spice, so we use a whole recipe of rub per slab, but that’s a bit much for the average person. Once you have your slab perfectly slathered, wrap the ribs in aluminum foil. If you’re not ready to cook, store them in the fridge. Take them out and let them rest on the counter for about 30 minutes to an hour before you’re ready to start cooking.

Meantime, preheat the grill. Some fanatics will argue that one should use a charcoal grill and maybe add chunks of hickory or mesquite. But if you’re chasing around a kid or four then you have little time to nurse a fire. So I use gas. You’ll want to turn on all burners and let the grill heat to about medium, or 350, if you have a temperature gauge. When the grill is ready, turn off the burners on one side. (The temperature will drop during the cooking process so don’t be alarmed.)

Keep the ribs sealed tight in the foil. This is another piece of mom-friendly advice. You can sit by the grill and baste the ribs in a mixture of melted butter, vinegar and lemon juice every 30 minutes or so (which is how my FIL made his fabulous ribs), or you can wrap them in foil and allow them to baste themselves, which is what I do.

Place the rib-foil packs on the side of the grill with the burners turned off, and close the lid. Let the ribs cook in this indirect heat for an hour, opening the lid only if you have to.

After an hour, take the ribs out of the foil packet and place them directly on the “off” side of the grill. Let them cook another hour or so. You know they’re ready when the meat is tender and starts to pull away from the bone. (It may start to pull away before you take the ribs out of the foil.) That charring is from the brown sugar so don’t freak.

When they’re done, place the ribs in a casserole dish or baking sheet. Completely cover with heavy-duty foil and let rest for at least 30 minutes. You can also put them in a 200-degree oven until you’re ready to serve them.

If you want to glisten them with barbecue sauce, then do so no. Place them on the grill and paint with sauce. Or, just serve the sauce on the side. We’re a sans-sauce family now, though. And it’s somewhat easier on the child-cleanup side.

Enjoy!

Photos, JWJourney

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How to BBQ Mom-Friendly Ribs

July 4th - Image: sxc.hu

What are you doing for this holiday weekend, which in our tourist area of New Hampshire, constitutes the beginning of the summer season?

What family memories are you creating?

How are you recording these memories for your family history? 

• Scrapbooking,
• Making photo CDs
• Journaling,
• Taking videos
• Developing special traditions
• Incorporating family members of all ages into these activities

Share with us your Fourth of July traditions!

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Fourth of July – Theme of the Week

 In the United States, we’re celebrating Fourth of July, or Independence Day. There are parades, fireworks, community activities, and for many a weekend off from work.  You may be involved in a craft or quilting show since come towns often feature such events.

When I was growing up, we couldn’t take a day off from the dairy farm. However, we usually visited relatives for a holiday meal, a family reunion type of gathering, then returned home for the evening chores. Then as dusk descended, we watched fireworks from the “Big Hill,” a hay field on a hill top from which we could see for miles. Bursts of fireworks were visible in the darkening sky.

How do you celebrate Fourth of July?

If you don’t live in the United States, do you have a similar holiday? Share with us.

(Amazon image)

(c)2008 Mary Emma Allen

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Happy Fourth of July from Quilting & Patchwork