I love cookbooks. I don't always cook, but I love to flip through cookbooks and drool over all the fabulous meals I could make. Hmm... Maybe I actually only like the idea of cookbooks and all the possibilities. 

Anyway, I recently subscribed to Taste of Home magazine. Some of their desserts for 4th of July look divine. We're going to visit my mom for the weekend and go to a party at a high school friends' house. It's potluck and I want to take my famous beans and a dessert (to go along with the red, white, and blue jello shots).

I thought I'd share some of the easy dessert recipes I found in case you need ideas for something to take to your party this weekend. I think I'm going with the pretzel rods and the shortcake squares. How about you? What are your plans? Are you making anything special?

Red, White and Blue Dessert

Stars and Stripes Forever

Lemon Nut Star Cookies

Shortcake Squares

Patriotic Cupcakes

Pretzel Sparklers

Berries 'N' Creme Torte

Patriotic Trifle

*I got my subscription from She Speaks. Neither they or Taste of Home asked me to write about this. And I hate that I have to qualify that to appease the masses. Being helpful shouldn't require a disclaimer.

Happy Fourth of July

I went to a country bar (I know!) for the first time last weekend with one of my best friends, A. We met a young man stationed at Pt. Magu.

We were in that alcohol induced hazy, lovey, you're so great stage (you know the one). He was talking about being in the service and I said "thank you for what you're doing, here's to you." [insert bottle clink].

This young man was really well spoken and intelligent (despite the haze) and he said "You don't have to thank me. I'm doing this for me."

Well [insert name here if I remembered what it is] I beg to differ. You may have signed up for you, but in doing so, you signed up for me, my family, my friends, my neighbors and everyone else who will spend today in the company of loved ones.

By you signing up voluntarily, you made it possible for Phil to be here with us, planning tonight's burger fest and brewing his own beer.

Thank you to all the men and women both stateside and deployed who will not get to be with their families today.

Thank you to all the family members left behind. May your loved ones return to you safely and soon.

And to our friend G, who is in Iraq for his third tour, we miss you! Tyler needs his Wii Boxing partner. We've got the grill lit and beer on ice.

Photo credits via Worth100.com top to bottom: Bored Str8, Coool Jazzz, BrownTrout, eDorie