Happy (Late) Day of Celebrating our Country's Independence

Oh happy late day of freedom, and nothing speaks freedom quite so much as parades, protest marches, and berry saturated French toast. Becoming our Fourth of July tradition, this year I made our patriotic French toast using Italian bread. This was truly the "melting pot of the world" breakfast I had planned -- ripe and fresh from the farmers' market blueberries and raspberries sprinkled over thick slices of custardy ciabatta bread and drizzled (or doused as Shane's) in a maple crème fraîche.

Late as a brunch and hearty enough to satisfy us until my planned dinner of risotto cakes with roasted beet, walnuts and blue cheese (red, white and blue cheese, if you will), Shane and I walked to the grocery store to pick up a few necessities (cottage cheese, eggs, eight bottles of wine . . .) and happened upon the hot dog sample stand. Actually, the samples were less sample and more meal-like as we each tried half a natural, all beef hot dog, fresh off the indoor grill and into a freshly grilled bun.

"Want to skip the risotto cakes and have hot dogs instead?" I half-joked with Shane.

"Is that okay?"

You know, it was more than okay. We just added a bag of chips, buns, and hot dog mustard to the necessity list, as I found what is now my new favorite hot dog mustard -- Woeber's Mustard Relish. Hot dogs, squishy buns, mustard with built-in pickles, well, let's just say this sausage, gourmet grainy mustard, and fancy-pants beer girl was as giddy as an eleven-year-old boy at the last minute of the last hour on the last day of school.

Risotto cakes can wait until Monday.