A Frugal Fourth: Planning a Festive Holiday Menu Without the Stress

I flipped the calendar over to the next page this afternoon and about had puppies when I realized the Fourth of July is THIS SATURDAY! I've got to make my Fourth of July menu asap. In my defense, I've been distracted with other things.

As I am miles behind, it would be easy to just hit WinCo and buy a bunch of ready made sides, a pre-made dessert, and buy something to serve for a main dish. Yep, that would be festive, indeed. Honestly, though, food prices are still so high. I'm trying to do this holiday on a budget -- yet I want it to feel special. I think that 250 years is something to celebrate.

When I plan a big meal, I try to include something sweet, something tangy, something crunchy or fresh, something savory, and something creamy. Before I actually draft my menu, I shop my fridge, pantry, freezer, and garden first, making a mental note of what I have to work with. On hand right now, I have: fresh carrots, yellow onions, 1/3 of a red onion, garlic, herbs, apples, 1/3 of a head of cabbage, eggs, two kinds of cheese, assorted condiments, a fresh batch of homemade barbecue sauce, frozen chicken, beef, Lil Smokies sausages, an 8-pack of uncured beef hotdogs, butter, baking ingredients, frozen cherries, dried beans, rice, dried fruit, graham crackers, chocolate, root beer extract, sparkling water, garden kale, garden raspberries, garden Swiss chard, and garden rhubarb.

We had baked beans two nights this week already, so I'll skip baked beans. The cabbage isn't enough for much. I made rhubarb jello for Memorial Day. So . . . I'll use the uncured beef hotdogs, one package of Lil Smokies, the barbecue sauce, garden kale, garden raspberries, frozen cherries, fresh carrots, baking ingredients, graham crackers, chocolate, sparkling water, root beer extract, mayo, the red onion, and a couple of eggs.

Here's what I've come up with so far, using what I have on hand:

• beef hot dogs
• soft scratch hot dog buns (using a refrigerator roll dough)
• Lil Smokies in barbecue sauce to have as a little snack while we wait for dinner
• a kale and raspberry salad in a sweet and tangy vinaigrette
• a scratch cherry pie
• tangy mustard-glazed carrots
• a creamy potato salad, using the mayo, the red onion, and a couple of boiled eggs
• s'mores using graham crackers and chocolate
• homemade root beer, using the extract

What I'd like to have, but will need to buy:

• watermelon
• a second package of some sort of hot dogs or sausage
• baby potatoes for a smashed potato salad
• pepita seeds for kale-raspberry salad
• marshmallows for s'mores
• one more bottle of sparkling water for the root beer

I think I've hit all of the flavor and texture profiles. I'm keeping it simple. And my grocery list isn't too long or costly. Watermelon is a classic summer cook-out or picnic fruit, and it's so affordable. Baby potatoes are more expensive than regular mature potatoes, but they will make a super easy smashed potato salad. My daughter-in-law is allergic to tree nuts. When I make a salad for which I normally use nuts, I buy pepita seeds, as I know she can have them. However, I buy just what I need from the bulk bins. I'll buy store brand marshmallows and store brand sparkling water, saving a little off of the cost of name brand. Not too bad of a shopping list -- I'll be buying 6 items for the Fourth.

By shopping what I have on hand before I make my menu, I can come up with an interesting and tasty selection of foods while still protecting my budget. At the end of the day, our family won't remember how fancy or simple our Fourth of July feast was. What they'll remember is the laughter and conversation that we shared around the fire ring. They'll remember that we all gathered together to celebrate a milestone in our nation's history. They'll remember that mom asked for a fair amount of country music to be added to the playlist. They'll remember that dad is a fierce competitor in croquet. They'll remember that we licked our fingers after eating s'mores around 10 or so. And they'll remember that we're a family that loves each other and our country.

Do you have favorite Fourth of July or summer cook-out foods? Will you do anything special to celebrate the 250th? I'd love to hear about your plans for the holiday!