Happy 4th of July...a few days late

Usually on the 4th of July, we head up to John's family cabin. It is just nice to get out of the heat and they have a few festivities up there too. It is also just about 20 minutes from Park City, so we can head over there for a few of the activities they have there too.

We had a fun BBQ with our friends and woke up and had a yummy 4th of July breakfast too.  I even made a few new treats and some old ones too.

Caprese skewers - an oldie but a goodie

Fruit and cheese skewers - new idea and it turned out great

Watermelon, feta, and basil skewers - I got this idea from the Park Silly market and they are D-Lish

Garlic, jalapeno, and lemon shrimp - spin on an old recipe - spicy and good

John's favorite breakfast casserole ever - I must say it is really good

Fruit and Cheese Skewers

• Equal parts cut up fresh pineapple, strawberries, and your favorite cheese (I used havarti)

Place on of each on a skewer - pretty simple :)

Watermelon, Feta, and Basil

• Cubed watermelon
• Feta and Basil to taste - use as much or as little as you like - start out small and add to taste

Combine all ingredients - serve on a skewer or just as a fruit salad.

Garlic, Jalapeno, and Lemon Shrimp
1.5 pounds shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 jalapeno minced
4-5 cloves of garlic
1 lemon sliced
2 teaspoons Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large Ziploc bag, combine all ingredients. Let marinate for at least 4 hours. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place shrimp on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot - and yes, these suckers are spicy!

Breakfast Casserole - I think I have given this recipe before, if not here it is!

• 1 package frozen hashbrown squares
• 1 green pepper diced
• 4 green onions diced
• 1 small onion diced
• 1 jalapeno diced (optional)
• 3 cups shredded cheese divided (2 cups for inside casserole, 1 cup for on top)
• 1 large container of egg beaters
• 2 cups of ham, cooked bacon, or cooked sausage
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Place your  hashbrown squares in the bottom of a large casserole dish that has been sprayed with non-stick spray (so they just cover the bottom). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes.

In the meantime, combine all other ingredients (except the one cup of cheese for the top). When the hashbrowns have cooked, dump this mixture on the top. Cook for an additional 35-45 minutes until the center is no longer jiggly. Remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 5 more minutes until the cheese is melty.

I am not sure what it is, but of all the breakfast casseroles I make this is John's absolute fave. You can have fun with it - add more veggies, leave them out, add more meat, whatever you prefer.

OK - so now that we are done with the food portion, here are some pics from our trip.

Mr. Moose!

Well, other than the 4th of July, I have been enjoying my time off and Spring cleaning (yeah, a little late) before I start my new job. I fly to Phoenix first thing Monday morning and I will have an insanely busy next 6-8 weeks. I'll try and keep you all updated though.

Have a great weekend!