The red, the white, the blue + my menu for you!

This weekend we have friends coming in town from DC and it's of course Fourth of July...
two very good reasons to spend and hour or two in the kitchen.

On the Menu:

Grilled Corn-and-Red Potato Salad
I found this recipe in my Rachel Ray Magazine, my sis-in-law (only 3 more months until this title is official) got me a subscription for Christmas and it just may be my favorite present ever.


Honey-Chipotle Baked Beans courtesy of Cooking Light, one of my favorite recipe resources.


I think these are going to be the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. Yum, yum, yum!

Ginger-soy-lime marinated shrimp, I've made this recipe before and they're incredible...but then again so is anything that Mr. Bobby Flay comes up with.


Grilled Vegetables with an herb balsamic vinaigrette, this recipe comes from one of my idols, Mrs. Giada De Laurentiss.


Last, but certainly not least, I'll be making VaNIENIElla Cupcakes.
I received this recipe from the lovely Brooke of Conversations with a Cupcake after donating to the Nie Recovery fund last week.


Friends, food and fireworks.
It's going to be a good one.