Happy Birthday America!

I love this great country and feeling so appreciate and proud to call it my home.  This year, we did not travel as we always did on the Independent Day, there is no reason not to party, cook and eat seriously.

Yes, this IS, our brunch. Did you ever enjoy BBQ in a three-digit-temperature day?! I remember we always BBQ when weather was cold like fall and winter when back in Asia. The typical BBQ season here from Memorial Day to Labor Day is a dual cooking experience: medium rare for ribeye, medium rare for me. 

Oh while, who does not like ribeye? I mean, my ribeye!  Pair with a very juicy sweet summer corn,  a meal is just alike a life: simple, fresh then good enough.  

 My way to say Happy Birthday in a hot summer day, and a bit healthy way.

When it will getting dark?! They are counting all treasures and putting them displayed all around the house. Good centerpieces. 

We decide to invite couple neighbors come over for a noodle party before head out to the golf hill in the back yard to enjoy fireworks. The most popular drink: my herb & citrus flavored water! 

 Drinks and snacks. They go well with Noodle theme :)

 My Cucumber Salad. Kids like to call them cucumber dragons. Cute and yum!

Bitter Squash pickled with plum sauce. A hot summer go-for all the time. I always keep a big jar in fridge. It's healthy and helps to kill summer heat. I guess I am getting old: when you are young, you just never interest with nor enjoy eating bitter stuff. 

You know one reason my teenager boys love me a lot? I do emphases green and healthy on a daily base, but for party or when their friends come, I cook very ridiculers delicious "none-brain" thing: like curly fries pizza. 

Dang! Dang! Dang! Home made noodles! (Lucky I have this picture took days before. It's almost a tradition I must miss lots of pictures when party and cook *_^ )

 I made two types. Flour, and rice noodles.

 Three choices of sauce. #1 healthy: grounded turkey with tomato and basil sauce.

 #2, traditions beef tendon and beef brisket soup.

#3, don't look at it if you are on diet, but it was the most popular and almost all gone: pork belly stew. 

Condiments: home-made long bean pickles, bamboo shot, roasted peanut, cilantro, green onion, hot sauce, pepper oil. 

And we do have something green as well. 

The best part of a noodle bowl is that you can fix your own bowl whichever way you like. And every bowl could be different. 

Fruit tray. 

My home-made cheesecake with fresh strawberry sauce. The texture is getting better this year I add some sour cream and modify a bit on recipe. One more try then can keep it in my recipe collections. 

Without fruit. Add chocolate syrup. Very simple and classic. Whip cream was getting a bit too warm... ops....

Chinese clear jello with brown sugar syrup and mint oil. Typical summer drink when I was young. 

I even find time to polish my nails and wait them dry beautifully before party begins :) 

Fireworks are hard to capture (not like food). But the moments we wow and ahhh together are always unforgettable. Happy Holiday all! Have fun <3