Edible Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sundaes!

Did you ever eat raw cookie dough??

I can remember my mom telling me NOT to gobble up her yummy cookie dough
as she was busy baking cookies...it was so tempting!!

Edible cookie dough is all the rage right now... it's an edible cookie dough craze!

My kids are all about the edible cookie dough...and we have paid top-dollar for scoops of this culinary delight while out on the town...and guess what??

We created this terrific recipe and it is as good as the "best" cookie doughs out there...and ours is homemade--and very easy to make!  Simple ingredients and you can customize it!!

The key to making the cookie dough safe to eat-- there are no raw eggs... and the flour is heat-treated...which is a fancy way of saying baked.  We bake the flour (a raw ingredient) to the temperature of 165 degrees.  This process will eliminate microbes that could harm you... we don't always think about flour being a "raw" ingredient...but it is.  Food safety is always important and the quick step of heating the flour to 165 degrees Fahrenheit is super simple!!

Heat the flour on a baking sheet (I love to use parchment...it makes pouring the flour into a bowl a breeze!)  Heat the flour to 165 in a 350-degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the flour registers 165 degrees.  Yes, you can also accomplish this step in the microwave too!!

Let the flour cool... if small clumps of flour form, break them up with the flat bottom of a measuring cup...easy.

This cookie dough is super-delicious just as it is, or you can dress it up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or some fun add-ins.  Make it your own taste sensation!

For July Fourth, we added mini red, white, and blue candies... how sweet!!

Here's our recipe:

Watermelon Basket

Happy July!!

Do you LOVE a great table??  Extras??

I'm so glad...

I do too!!!

I'm extra, or so I've been told... at first I wasn't sure whether this term was, in fact, a compliment... after doing a little research on the matter, I'd say you can take it either way...  I'm taking it as a compliment, at least that is what I choose to believe.  "Extra" according to my definition is as follows:

  ex·tra (adjective) 

1.  describing a person who celebrates in an over-the-top manner more or beyond what is usual or expected or typically deemed necessary.  2. the exuberance, joy, and enthusiasm for the mundane or basic, satisfied only by adding details (ie: sprinkles, menus, coordinating paper products, place cards, confetti, hand-lettering, baubles, flower arrangements, party favors, candles, design elements, coasters, ribbons, garlands, centerpieces, tiered trays, baskets, place-settings, napkin rings, and or other visual celebratory enhancements that create an inviting and beautiful aesthetic. 3. one who achieves satisfaction and enjoyment from creating memorable events, meaningful holidays, and beautiful opportunities for family, friends, and acquaintances to enjoy carefully curated details. "Karri Perry is extra, and she wears it like a badge of honor as she adds sprinkles to her cupcake."

Always define who you are on your own terms 

and never be fearful of rewriting the 

definition when necessary.  

Xo. -Karri Perry

I cannot help myself when it comes to going the "extra" mile for holiday celebrations...I love all the little details.  The table... it's the main event... where our meal will take place...so I love to decorate the table too!!

 I began my July 4th table with a gorgeous paper runner from Hester and Cook.  Navy and white stripes laid a great foundation... I followed with fresh flowers, flags, super cute picnicware from Walmart.  The plates are from the Better Homes and Gardens line and are melamine...so perfectly picnic-ready!!  I made the napkin rings from paper towel tubes and ribbon...with the help of my hot glue gun.  Finally, we have bottled root beers for every guest... and to add to the fun... my Watermelon Basket!!  How extra is this?!

Speaking of details, this watermelon basket is the little extra detail that just makes me smile!!

Five Reasons to Carve a Watermelon Basket THIS Summer:

1.  It's so darn cute... it's extra, I'm extra and it will be extra cute on your buffet, or picnic table.

2.  Economics. Summer fruit is in season...especially melon, my watermelon basket was under $10!

3.  EASY.  Takes about 30 minutes! Using basic kitchen tools...you can transform your fruit!

4.  Healthy.  Extra fruit is always a good idea.

5.  It's FUN and not a "regular" fruit tray... and melon balls are somehow more delicious too!!

Get the recipe and directions here:

Fire Crackers and Creamy Cool Cucumber Dip

Firecracker, Firecracker, Boom, Boom, Boom!!
I seem to vaguely recall a childhood jump-rope song that had those
"Firecracker" lyrics in it...
Isn't it so funny, all the little things we retain from our childhood?

All these years later and I can tell you half a poem about firecrackers and
a few of other odds and ends...
I can tell you how much an extra long ice pop from Gil's cost in 1984.   10 cents.
I can tell you that my elementary school felt like a scene from The Wonder Years... and how grateful I am to have grown up in a small-ish town.
I can you how long --exactly to the minute-- it took to ride my bicycle home from the city pool to be home in time for dinner.  We had to leave by 4:40 and not a second later... if we planned to arrive home by 5pm. (It was an uphill ride (both ways), with a sopping-wet towel and pruney-feet...just some of the details my 10-year-old self had to factor into my travel planning)

I can also tell you what we ate every Fourth of July (I really can) because... for most of my childhood we celebrated with family friends.  Every year, the same plans and every year was always fun.

Many of my July 4th memories include swimming in the hot and humid sunshine, a rope swing, basement roller skating, and a deluxe homemade fireworks extravaganza (an entertainment experiment put on by the parents). I recall mosquito bites, lightning bugs, and the memory of always leaving the party completely worn out... I was living my best life...

And still today, July Fourth doesn't feel complete unless there are frosted chocolate brownies, a big bubbly casserole of cheesy potatoes, homemade chip dip, and of course, plenty of grilled burgers and hot dogs.

July 4th has always been a favorite of mine...lots of reasons why... I love that it's a no pressure, non-gift-giving holiday, a fun family day, good food, music and a day to spend together...
I recently received some great advice from my grandmother. She's 93 years young and waiting very patiently to visit with all of her family and friends again.  We were discussing the current Covid-19 situation...and she said, "Make sure to celebrate the same...it's so important to keep family traditions going if you can."  She's right...   It's so important to celebrate... I'm trying to keep the joy present and spread the lighthearted feeling of summer wherever I can.  -It somehow feels better to carry on and celebrate... and I do think it will keep our spirits up.

Will this year be different for all of us??  Yes, to some degree July 4th will not be the same...but we can still celebrate and we can still keep our traditions alive.  We can make delicious foods and make a point of making the most of the day... because one day...the memory of this difficult time will be part of the story we share with our grandchildren... the now we are experiencing, will become the "I can tell you how much gas was in 2020..."  or "We had the BEST Fire Crackers that July 4th of 2020...did you ever eat a Fire Cracker??"

Which brings me to this Southern staple of parties and picnics... the Fire Cracker!  How perfect for July 4th... the recipes for this appetizer/snack certainly varies from town to town and from church gathering to neighborhood block party... but, essentially, it's saltine crackers, that are lovingly soaked for a few hours to overnight in a slurry of spices and seasoning, and coated in either oil or butter.  The crackers are then baked in a single layer, until toasty and crisp.  Our family loved them!!  They'll be a new addition to our picnic spread this year...

I'm so curious if you have a Fourth of July favorite??  What will you be bringing the picnic this year?

If you need a super easy and very crowd-friendly snack, this is it.  These crackers are great on their own or served with cheese, veggies, or this creamy cool cumber dip... see below.

These Fire Crackers definitely bring a little smoky heat to the party...so the cucumber dip is the perfect addition if you need to cool off!!

Enjoy this new "old-fashioned" favorite... may it become one of those traditions, those delicious recipes, that family will look forward to for years to come.

Enjoy the recipe: