4th of July Party

To celebrate my 14-year-old son's birthday he wants a "Hot Dog Extravaganza"! So we'll borrow the menu from our "Franks N Stein" Halloween Party! Of course we'll have the ketchup, mustard, hot dog relish, Saurkraut, bacon and cheese.

One of my old time favorites: Spicy Onions (sautee sliced onions cut in half, once they are soft, add in tabascco, ketchup, salt and pepper, I don't measure just shake and taste. Should be well coated but not to saucy, simmer until desired tenderness and sauce consistancy. Sometimes, I also add a bit of cooking wine to them:)

The Chicago Dog (which we experienced last summer when visiting my brother) http://www.hotdogchicagostyle.com/chicagodog.php

mustard, relish, chopped onions, tomato slices, pickle spear, Sport Peppers (imported from Chicago), and a dash of Celery Salt on a poppy seed bun (we could not get these in NY)

Thai Dog: Thai peanut sauce, diced cucumbers and chopped scallions.

Chili Dog: mustard, homemade chili, chopped onions and nacho cheese.

Of Course we have to have my homemade Baked Beans (my neighbor Kathy's recipe):

1/2 pound Bacon, browned and crumbled

1 medium onion, chopped and browned in 1T bacon fat

In crockpot, combine 2 large cans of B&M Baked Beans, 1 can Kidney beans, 1 can Butter Beans. Add bacon and onion. Then stir in 1/2 C ketchup, 1/4 C molasses and 1 t dry mustard (Coleman's). Original recipe also called for 1/2 pound of browned ground beef or turkey, I have never felt it needed it. Cook until heated through.

We'll wash it down with Beer and Root Beer! And finish it off with Carvel Ice Cream cake:) HAPPY 4th of JULY to all!!

Hot Diggity Dog! Hot Dog Bar

Another BBQ starring Hot Dogs can be ho-hum, but a fun Hot Dog Bar is always a thrill. The great thing about it is you can create toppings and "themed dogs" to suit any taste, any style and any theme.

My husband George is loves his dogs. I mean, he really, really, really loves his dogs, so it just made sense to have a Hot Dog Bar to celebrate his 40th birthday party.

We prepped loads of toppings and even made cue cards on how to make certain types of dogs. We grouped toppings together based on what dogs they went on. It really was a huge hit!

Obviously, there is no end to the types and number of toppings you could do! Have fun with it!

Side notes: I made my Dad's chili and served it in the crockpot. My mother-in-law ordered the baked beans from George's favorite hot dog place. I rented a hot dog steamer so I didn't have to man the grill - great idea if you are having a crowd! I also made the spicy red onions (sauteed onions in a little Harissa olive oil and added ketchup and hot sauce to taste) and the corn relish (corn sliced off the cob, mixed with salsa, cilantro and pickle relish. I loved this!). Other than that, there was a lot of chopping and organizing of toppings, but it really worked perfectly!

BLT Dog
Bacon mayo, lettuce & tomato

Guacamole & Salsa
Guacamole, salsa, chopped onion & cilantro

Coney Island Style
Chili, shredded cheddar & chopped onions

Atlantic City Style
Sauerkraut & Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

Dixie Dog
Cole slaw, Dijon mustard & a pickle

Mexican
Salsa, nacho cheese sauce & broken tortilla chips

Caprese
A combination of diced fresh mozzarella cheese, fresh basil & minced garlic, drizzled with a dash of olive oil (particularly excellent on a sausage)

Southwest
Corn relish & diced bacon

Thai Spicy peanut sauce, diced cucumbers, chopped peanuts & cilantro

Fenway Frank French's yellow mustard, finely chopped onion, & green sweet pickle relish

New York City's Street Cart Dog
Special red onion sauce & deli-style yellow mustard

Chicago
Poppy seed bun, layered with yellow mustard, green relish, chopped raw onion, fresh tomato, a pickle spear, & a touch of celery salt

Hawaii 5-0 Dog Mustard, baked beans, barbeque sauce, red onion & diced pineapple

Finally, here is a link to a place called Soul Dog near my sister that does lots of specialty dogs and is one of the resources we used putting together this list.