Bake a ham, make ahead salads like potato, macaroni, bean salad. A few bags of chips and dip. A big pan of brownies to serve with vanilla ice cream. Keep it simple and have fun.

We were invited to two parties but it appears we will have company instead. I will probably cook outside with either the grill or a couple of dutch ovens.

Wow Annie. You're a little bit crazy I think! (I'm still doing exercises for a torn meniscus that happened years ago, that I think I'll have to do the rest of my days. No surgery, so maybe that's part of it.)

Your pulled pork sounds like just the thing to go with your baked beans. As far as the ice cream goes, I'm making some to pair with oatmeal cookies, for ice cream sandwiches. I did see some Berry Shooters made with blueberries/strawberries/whipped cream on Foodgawker that looked kind of fun.

Whatever you decide, I think the easiest thing to do would be to delegate! Good wishes for a healthy holiday to you and your family.

I like muffaletta sandwiches, but you have to have the right kind of bread. If you don't have the round bread, then Italian rolls will work. I'm able to find muffaletta salad mix at the Italian deli, and it has all the ingredients for the spread, although I add extra olives.

Sorry to hear about all of the surgeries. The appendix can be scary and a lot of people used to die from appendicitis - especially soldiers who could not reach a hospital in time. I hope your knee turns out better than before! My sister just had foot surgery (My mother called it a "leg transplant"!), and she's been in a wheelchair until recently.

Do you expect any complications from Ashley's surgery? Please keep us posted. I couldn't drive for a week after my appendix surgery, and so I hope she will take it easy for enough time for the stitches to heal.

Lars

Annie, I'm seconding soonergrandmom. Bake a ham & take it easy on yourself. We don't want to hear that you've had a setback.

Happy Fourth!

Annie, best wishes for an uneventful recovery for you and Ashley.

I like making a ham for picnics as a change of pace. This is one our family really likes. It's easy but needs to be started a few days in advance.

DURGIN-PARK BAKED HAM

1 (5 to 6 pound) fully cooked ham
3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup honey
Whole cloves
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 Tbs. dry mustard

Trim the skin from the ham, leaving a thin, even layer of fat. With a skewer, poke the ham all over at 2-inch intervals. Place the ham in a large resealable plastic bag, and place in a large shallow pan. Combine the orange juice, sherry, and honey; pour over the ham and seal the bag securely. Marinate in the refrigerator for three days, turning the ham every 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the ham from the bag, reserving the marinade. In a shallow roasting pan, with the ham fat side up, score the fat in a diamond design and stud with cloves. Insert a meat thermometer, making sure it does not touch bone. Pour all but a tablespoon of the marinade over the ham.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the meat thermometer registers 130 degrees. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, mustard and the tablespoon of the reserved marinade and brush the exposed portion of the ham. Cover with a tent of aluminum foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 140. Remove from the oven and allow the meat to stand for 10 minutes; then thinly slice and serve. 10 to 12 servings.

Annie, if you're just considering it, for heaven's sake don't do it. This is the time to let someone else carry the ball.

You can BUY poundcake or angelfood cake for strawberry shortcake. Even buy the shortcake I'll bet. Just strawberries and ice cream is plenty, plenty good. Buy potato salad at the store, it isn't that bad. KISS!! And delegate! I MEAN IT!

Park yourself and Ashley on the sofa after you have baked the ham. Then have someone else pick up fried chicken, deli potato salad, deli slaw, rolls, pound cake or angelfood cake, strawberries, chips and dip, a tray of cut vegetables and a dip, extra ice, drinks and whatever you need for the sangria. That's an order, mam!

Yum, ruthanna, that sounds good and I have a ham in the freezer from last fall's pig. Plus, it could go in the little Nesco roaster so I wouldn't have to heat the house up with the oven, and it could just get sliced thinly and made into sandwiches. Could I sub something for sherry? I don't have any, have never tasted any and I'm sure I can't buy it here in town.

Delegate? Hmmmm. I have my 75 year old mother, my brother on disability with some condition tht's related to muscular dystrophy. Ashley is recovering from surgery and David just opened a new shop, he got too big to just do business out of the garage at home. Kevin is taking double shifts because Ashley doesn't get paid if she isn't working. Amanda is taking up all the slack at home plus keeping books for the shop and the kids are off school for the summer. And that's why if I don't orchestrate, there will be no family get together at all this year.

If it happens, it's going to be me, I'm afraid, so it's going to have to be quick, easy, and from ingredients readily available in White Cloud, since I can't drive the Jeep...

Although I could have Mother stop in Big Rapids and pick up a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. Everyone loves the darned things except me, and it's not like I need the calories, really.

kathleen, I can't have a setback, the doc told me that I couldn't "undo what he's done", so I should go ahead and do whatever I wanted, the pain would stop me from being stupid. I think he may be wrong on that. (grin)

Besides, it feels better now than it did before he fixed it, only the cortisone shots were keeping me on my feet before Ashley's wedding.

Annie

Annie, take it easy, will you girl? LOL

Keep us posted on Ashley's condition. Hoping she comes thru the appendix surgery okay. That's scary and I bet even scarier if you're pregnant!

Ham is a good idea, especially since you already have one!

Sue's Roadhouse Ribs are super easy and to die for, but they do require the oven.

Hope your celebration turns out to be a blast whatever you do!

Linda

Linda, she's already had her appendix out, a week ago, she's going back to work the day after the 4th!

So, it apepars that she's healing up just fine. She whined a little the first day since they would only give her plain Tylenol, but she survived it!

Annie

Your family will have fun just getting together and lots of good food can be had at ye olde grocery store in White Cloud. People do this all the time. I know, I know, you're like me, you hate to pay money to get something when you could make it cheaper and better at home. This time, let the folks at the grocery store do the work for you and stimulate the Michigan economy a little bit girl! My loved one actually is getting nostalgic for his old store bought favorites now that he's living with me! It's not that he doesn't like my versions, it's just that he is so tradition bound. Seriously, your family won't care a hoot, they will just be happy to hang out by the pool with chips and dip and soda and beer. Let them pick up what kinds of stuff they like. Be a heathen for once! :)

Annie, you have just as many, if not more, reasons than the rest of the family to take a pass.

If you are determined to do something...do the ham, and ask others to bring a dish. If they can't figure out how to help you out with a family celebration then.........but I'm sure they can and will if you just ask.

I'm with the rest about not overdoing it. The ham sounds perfect. You could probably leave out the sherry altogether, but if you wanted to add a bit of depth to the flavor, you could add some balsamic vinegar instead.

For sides, what do you have already in your pantry? Bread & butter pickles? Anything to mix with a couple of cans of different beans for a quick and easy bean salad?

Add some store-bought rolls, good mustard and corn on the cob (get the kids/grandkids to help). That and the ice cream cake and you're good to go.

A

I'm with the rest about not overdoing it.

Me too. My very active and determined mom had a knee replaced a couple years back and was told she was hindering the healing process by working it too hard.

If the party's that important to everyone they'll pitch in. Either financially with store-bought stuff or by assuming your typical role in the kitchen. Relax!

Relax? annie when there's a party? Not gonna happen!
Annie buy a bunch of chicken pieces and do cornflake chicken. Everyone loves it, it's dead on easy and any leftovers will keep.....but ti does heat up your kitchen.
Make a crumb mix of crushed corn flakes....with some garlic salt...dried parsley, a bit of chili powder and a fair amount of black pepper. Dip the chicken in buttermilk or in evaporated milk, roll in the crumb mix lay on cookie sheets and put into a 375 oven until the juices run clear.....about 25 minutes, repeat with the other 2 cookie sheets!
Everyone I have ever served that 2 loves it....it's easy...it's not burgers nor brats, you don't have to turn it.....and it's great with potato salad, slaw and beans!
Another grand baby, eh!! What fun!!!
Linda C

Ummm, run away to Chicago? I got room!

Think outside the box Annie...make reservations.
Just this once. It sounds like everyone could use a tiny break.

And if you can't, I like the pulled pork default.

Pork Sandwiches
Veggie tray
Chips/Dip

Whiz some strawberries and vanilla yogurt together and make Fruitsicles.

I know they probably all expect the home cooked goodness you've spoiled them with, but take care of yourself for once. It really, really IS about the people, not the food.

Deanna (the menu planning freak...)

Peppi, I'd love to, but it's not happening yet, I can't drive the Jeep so I can't even get myself to the freakin' train station, LOL.

Besides, I'm figuring if I feed them, they'll clean the pool, I have ulterior motives!

So you all are thinking that I shouldn't go pick a couple of quarts of strawberries at the local U-pick for shortcakes, is that what you're trying to tell me? (grin) OK, I won't do that.

Dave says he'll grill anything I have, but I'm still leaning toward the ham, so I can get it out of the freezer. Mother says she'll bring dessert. Amanda will make pasta salad. Ashley says she can.....um.....bring Coke? You can sure tell who the baby of the family is, can't you? (grin)

I suppose ribs AND ham would be too much pork?

L, you've been in White Cloud. You know we don't have much of a deli, just lunch meat and pre-made sandwiches. Heck, I can't even get a rotisserie chicken without going out of town!

Annie

I vote for stick with the ham. Since Dave says he'll grill, you might as well have some dogs and burgers too, in case the kids would prefer that. Your Mom's dessert, the pasta salad. You could do some deviled eggs or potato salad. Baked beans done the day before in the Nesco? I do most all my cooking sitting down, so those two things are good for sitting work. Hey, ya need Coke,, even if it's from the baby...lol.. We don't have much around here either out in the sticks. I could travel, but.........

Although I'm a pulled pork fan, the ham sounds great too. Maybe some scalloped potatoes if you could do it easily. Got an extra Nesco? :)

Dessert in the 90s? Fruit and whipped cream sounds refreshing to me. Mixing some blueberries and strawberries will even give the red, white and blue if you're into that.

Have someone bring some good bakery buns to put the ham on, and with pasta salad, beans, possibly even a green salad would make a fine meal and perfect for the warm weather conditions.

Take it easy. Force yourself. And have a good time.

I love the ham idea, and use a splash of that left over wine instead of sherry. Pulled pork would be easy and good too.

Congrats to Ashley, take care of yourself, and let everyone bring something! Even if it is bakery rolls.

Have a fun and safe 4th and make time for Annie to relax a little :-)

Alexa

You mean to tell me they don't have potato salad in a plastic container in the refrigerator section in White Cloud? And canned baked beans? And ice cream?

If you had a spare crock pot handy, how about ham, potato and green beans. It can be made with canned beans, but I had a bounty of pole beans that were blanched and subbed. It was simmered for several hours, and the family loved it.

The shortcake could be the "old fashioned" Bisquick type - less fattening and can be a made ahead.

I like the idea of lots of side salads - potato, cole slaw, carrot, raisin, pineapple - to balance out the heavy foods.

Good advice to take good care of #1. Have a happy 4th, and send some of the sunshine our way - my toms are shivering, and was hoping to get enough to make some of your fab "Annie's Salsa."

Bejay

Golly gee, we're even more alike than I thought: "And yes, I'm using disposable plates, just this once."I hate plastic and paper stuff!

You can take other shortcuts this time. It's ok! You have our permission. And you can delegate too. They've offered help, so just let 'em "sis".

Happy 4th everyone!

-Robin

Annie, I'm glad you're doing so well after the knee surgery & you're right...doctors are doing so much today they couldn't even 10-15 years ago.

But, remember as you're contemplating July 4...

A manager's skill is judged not by how much they can do themselves but by how competently they can delegate. :) lol

If it's necessary because of White Cloud's limitations, request somebody else drive out-of-town to purchase a package of hamburger buns & a couple pints of potato salad.

/tricia

Annie, good thoughts for you and Ashley..

Watermelon for dessert. Ham. potato salad beans. sounds like an easy plan to me! Don't over do it and have fun!

Tami

Hope you and the imaginary daughter heal up nice.

: )
lyra

Thanks, Michael/Lyra! (grin) she's darned expensive and time consuming for an imaginary child, sheesh.

Nope, L, no plastic containers of potato salad in the refrigerated section. I suppose I should be grateful, I did find a plastic container of that ground up bologna and pickle with mayonnaise "sandwich spread" once.

The grocery store originally had a small bakery and deli, with rotisserie chickens, but apparently those items spoiled before they could be sold and became a big loss, so now I can get a cold pre-cooked chicken on the weekends, donuts only from Sara Lee and sliced lulnch meats and cheeses. They have a small "hot" section" at lunch time, usually chicken strips, corn dogs and pizza rolls.

I can get canned Bush's baked beans, though, and ice cream. Two brands, either Country Fresh or Hudsonville.

tricia, I never said I was a manager. I'm a Mom and a farmer and at work I'm "Angela, The Pitbull". My employees know their jobs well, so I don't delegate very much, they just do their jobs and I make sure they get paid. I spend most of my time doing legal research, drafting briefs and motions and trying to make sure the criminals get locked up, while simultaneously trying to wipe the images of their abused wives/battered children out of my brain, along with the memory of the autopsy photos and the drunk driving victims. I'm not good at delegating, I'm good at doing whatever needs to be done to help those who need it.

That, and I'm good at cooking, so i do what I'm best at. At least I enjoy the cooking!

Annie

Oh, sorry Annie. I thought you'd once mentioned that you were "office manager". I'll blame it on my Sjogren's "Brain Fog". :)

/tricia