Every Saturday I love watching the Food Network starting around lunchtime. Each show is humorous in its own way...

...Barefoot Contessa--great ideas, shocking amount of calories. Yesterday's cake featured 2 sticks of butter, 3 cups of sugar, a cup of sour cream, and was garnished with sourcream icing. That'll do for a few weeks!

...Everyday Italian--delicious, simple Italian dishes. They film one dish at a time so they can arrange the show according to themes. One of the cameras unfortunately distorts Giada fisheye style anytime she looks into it. She also pronounces her dishes super-correctly (spa-GIT-tee), slurring teenage style over the rest of her words.

...Boy Meets Grill--Bobby Flay cooks up craziness on the grill. We actually watch this show to see how many ingredients each recipe has. Recent example: Tuna Burgers with Pineapple-Mustard Glaze and Green Chile-Pickle Relish. By the time he gets done with the food, it's unrecognizable. And funny. And that's only one dish.

I was inspired yesterday to create my Fourth of July menu, sans the grill this year...

• Margarita Fajitas (my recipe) - Any margarita mix serves as a great marinade for chicken or beef. The lime juice and salt pre-cook and add a nice tang to the dish; I also put Penzy's Salsa spices in the marinade. Add garlic, salsa, sliced bell peppers and onions, and sour cream.
  
  
• Avocado Salsa - more or less this recipe
  
  
• Peach Tart - substitute peaches in this recipe, and frozen puff pastry works just fine
  
  
• Bananas Foster Gelato - available from a local organic eatery; has a fantastic stripe of rum flavored cinnamon syrup running through it. Definition of gelato.

Happy Independence Day, and happy grilling!