The 4th of July holiday is an annual reminder of how lucky we are to live in America and celebrate the freedoms and opportunities that we have in this great country.  On July 2, 1776, while colonists were already engaged in a revolutionary struggle for independence from Great Britian, delegates to the Continental Congress voted in favor of declaring independence.  On July 4, 1776 the delegates adopted the Declaration of Independence.  In response to the historic vote to declare independence, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, saying that “the day will be the most memorable in the history of America.”  He wrote, “I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival . . . it ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade . . . bonfires and illuminations (fireworks) from one end of this continent to the other, from this day forward forevermore.”  John Adams would not be dissapointed by the 4th of July festivities going on in Upper Arlington, Ohio. The rain held off enough yesterday for our legendary 4th of July parade and amazing evening fireworks display to go on as scheduled!  I decided that my contribution to parties this year would be a kid friendly dessert tray.  These two recipes are not fancy or overly impressive but I wanted to share them because they are easy and festive and look pretty for any holiday!  The cookies pictured above are made with cake mix and are often called Funfetti Cookies (click link for exact recipe — I used two 15.25 oz boxes of Pillsbury cake mix and 1.5 of the rest of the ingredients).  The Butterscotch Cocoa Krispie Treats are my own creation!  Again, nothing special but a little twist on regular Rice Krispie Treats (which I personally find a little dull).

Butterscotch Cocoa Krispie Treats

5 oz. butterscotch chips

10 oz. chocolate chips

3 Tbsp butter

10 oz mini marshmallows

6 1/2 cups Cocoa Krispies

festive sprinkles (optional)

Grease 13×9 pan.  In large pot, melt butter until it covers the bottom of the pan.  Add marshmallows and stir until melted, about 3 minutes.  Add butterscotch chips and stir until melted, about 1-2 minutes.  Remove from heat, add Cocoa Krispies to pot and stir until combined.  Put in 13×9 pan (to push down into pan, butter up the bottom of a glass and use that to push Krispies down).  Let cool for 20 minutes.  In microwave safe bowl, melt chocolate chips (10 oz will yield a pretty thick chocolate topping, use less for a thinner layer) in microwave for one minute at a time, stirring each time until melted.  Drizzle on top of Krispie mixture and spread evenly.  Add festive sprinkles. Cool in refrigerator for about an hour before cutting.  They are pretty rich so you can cut them in little pieces.