June 27, 2026

WEEKLY MENU 06.28.26

Celebrating a REALLY Big Birthday during the Weekly Menu 06.28.26 ~

The United States of America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in the Weekly Menu 06.28.26! The Declaration of Independence was announced on July 4th, although the signing didn’t occur until August 2nd. The colonies voted to accept it on July 2nd. So, the long, extended holiday weekend makes sense!

Here’s some fodder for themed conversation at the picnic.

Morbid but interesting…

Three American presidents have died on the fourth of July. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died on the same day, in 1826, just hours apart. They had been rivals in everything, even about who would live longest. Adams’ last words were about his long-time foe: “Thomas Jefferson lives!” In fact, Jefferson had died just five hours earlier, but Adams hadn’t gotten the message. The two actually became friends in their later years, with extensive correspondence. Their letters to each other are published in several books.

James Monroe is the third president to die on July 4th, but he died in 1831.
Farmers Almanac

Some other slightly obscure but wonderfully fascinating facts about the Fourth:

Thomas Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence.
John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence.
An estimated 2.5 million people lived in the nation in July 1776. (The current population of the United States is estimated to be 347 million)
The Liberty Bell hasn’t been rung since 1846, but it is tapped 13 times every Independence Day to honor the 13 original states.
Calvin Coolidge was the only president born on the 4th of July.
Our national anthem wasn’t ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ until 1931.
There have been 27 different versions of the U.S. flag.
Americans eat around 150 million hot dogs each Independence Day.
Coney Island hosts a famous hot dog-eating contest every July 4th. The Nathan’s Famous 4th of July hot dog-eating contest began over a century ago.

Sport?

We always try to watch the Nathan’s Hot Dog Contest on the Fourth of July. It’s absolutely disgusting, but I can never look away. And I don’t understand the whole “sport” of competitive eating. How do all of these people not weigh about a million pounds? Of course, we enjoy a fabulous lunch of hot dogs while the contest rages in the background. I usually cap it at two, but I’ve been known to go back for a third dog. Hot Dogs on the Blackstone are slightly reminiscent of gas station dogs that run around and around on their rollers, but much, much healthier. At least from a cleanliness and timeliness standpoint.

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Weekly Menu 06.28.26

We’re starting the Weekly Menu 06.28.26 with an easy meal. Baked Fontina will get us primed for the main course of classic Pork Milanese. We have a lively debate every time pasta is on the menu. Bert prefers angel hair, but the boys love regular spaghetti or bucatini. I’m a fan of pasta in any iteration, so I generally rotate through it. On Sunday I’m skipping the debate entirely – we’re having penne.

We’re sticking with comfort foods throughout the Weekly Menu 06.28.26, starting with Cheesy Chicken. I created the recipe when I was in my “low-carb” phase and it became a family favorite. Now I serve it with rice and carrots, two decidedly un-low-carb-like sides. Mexican Meatballs are crazy simple if you use the frozen variety, although I’m planning on making them from scratch on Tuesday. The corn chips in the mix take these to a whole nother level.

4th of July Menu

The grand finale of the Weekly Menu 06.29.25 is on Saturday this week (we’ll be eating leftovers for days). It’s over the top, honestly, as all good celebrations should be. Luckily, Bert will be cooking all the protein, and that’s where most of the variety is. Sliced Ham, Burgers, hot dogs, sausage, and maybe even some chicken mean that he’ll need to use the grill AND the Blackstone. He’ll be in his glory.

And all the sides are make-ahead, which is how I roll when entertaining. We’re starting out with multi-layered red, white and blue mocktails, cheese spread, and homemade Chex Mix. Then we’re going for salads galore – Classic Potato, Broccoli, Cheddar Bacon ranch, and a Watermelon Berry concoction. Sign. Me. Up.

LOOKING FOR SOMETHING LESS CLASSIC THAN BURGERS AND DOGS? CHECK OUT THIS MENU: