Red, White and Blue - Patina & Paint

It’s 10 on the 10th and our theme this month is Red,White and Blue! Of course, with a patriotic theme, a ton of things came to mind.

I think of long hot summer days and nights, fireflies – or lightning bugs as we like to call them, fireworks, iced cold Dr. Pepper, parades, flip flops, swimming, ice cream, cicada’s singing, picnics, sweet iced tea, BBQ, a good margarita and S’mores.

It’s one great big Texas party!

I recently had surgery so I’ve put most of my projects on hold. I’ve been taking it easy, watching our backyard pool area having the final touches put on it and taking quite a few naps.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d have much to share with you this month, however I remembered that I had ordered 2 things recently that might just be worth a share. Even if they technically aren’t red, white or blue , they sure remind me of it!

I ordered these marshmallow roasting sticks last week in preparation for the little’s upcoming visit. We put in a fire pit near the pool and I just knew they’d be perfect for making S’mores in the evening. We’ve had these roasting sticks before- many years ago- and they are a favorite in my family.

The first ones that I ever bought were found in the dollar isle at Target. Today, you can find them just about everywhere for a wide range of prices.These came in right at a little over $1.00 a piece. I purchased 8, however I’ve seen sets as large as 20 and as small as 4.

I love that you can find each skewer with a different color of collar. This is great in assigning each child, or adult, to his or her own skewer. No fighting over who’s is who’s! Also, they are telescopic. To store them they slide down to a nice compact 12″, but they extend out to about 32 inches to ensure a safe distance from the fire. And they clean up like a dream!

I like to make a S’more “buffet” ahead of time. It’s pretty and cuts down on the mess. I start with milk shake glasses or french fry holders. Fold up pretty pieces of wax paper and line the glasses or holders. Then, simply stuff each container with your S’more ingredients. Graham crackers, marshmallows, and a good chocolate bar.

I ordered these french fry holders a few weeks ago and I’m really impressed with them. At $6.95 a piece they are perfect for a s’more buffet. Of course, they are perfect for french fries, shrimp, hush puppies or my all time favorite, Mexican Street Corn. An added bonus is that they don’t break and they are an easy clean up. Just throw away the wax paper!

You can find those here.

We even have a few adults that like to crush up the graham crackers, put some dark chocolate or butterscotch pieces in, followed by a hot marshmallow.

Mix it up with a spoon and it’s the perfect summer dessert!