The Fourth of July is our national holiday. In many cities around the country it is accompanied by parades, fireworks and picnics.

Although 1776 is the year of our country's birth, it wasn't until 1781 that the first official Fourth of July celebration occured in Massachusetts. Then as now the festivities included parades, picnics and fireworks, generally in that order.

Patriotism is the key to a good parade. Flags and marching bands are meant to recall Williamsburg, Virginia. Our forefathers celebrated the colonists' victory with military parades the loud "boom" of cannons!
A Big Slice is proud to present our very own wine tasting kit, the Bacchus Box, a complete evening of fun in one rosewood box! Challenge your friends to a taste off. May the best wine win! No one, not even the host, knows the identities of the selections. Observe, smell, taste, rank, vote. Was yours the nectar ...or the salad dressing? A relaxed and fun way to discover new favorites. And remember, there is always a next time with the Bacchus Box. Includes everything you need (except wine and glasses) and a free 12 minute instructional DVD. Great gift! To check out the Bacchus Box, click on the bar above. A Big Slice is a very large website (including over 200 recipes!) that is organized thematically. But if you know what you are looking for, just click on the bar above and it will take you to our search page. Type in the term, or recipe in the space provided and it will take you directly to that page. If any links appear to be broken, please let us know at:

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Click above to return to the A Big Slice homepage. From there you will be able to visit our wine and international dinners sections. Plus we have a recipe and craft archive so you can quickly find what you are looking for. If it is contact information that you seek, that is also on the homepage - near the bottom. Thousands have already signed up for our newsletter. In 2009 we are focusing on the monthly holidays in a different way. How about a Mardi Gras Fais Do Do? Or a hearty St. Patrick's Day Irish Breakfast. We include holiday trivia and history, table settings, napkin folds and of course recipes. All we need is your email address. Click on the bar above to sign up. Thank you!
Click on the above link to return to the main entertaining page. There you will find complete menu, decorating and craft ideas for every month of the year. Summer is here! get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather with a summer cookout. Click on the bar above to view all of our cookout recipes as well as other summer ideas.
On June 7, 1776 Richard Henry Lee called for the Continental Congress of the United States to sever ties with the British. A document was needed to express the sentiments of the nascent country. Luckily for us Thomas Jefferson was was given the task of creating this important statement. The result was one of the world's greatest edicts, the Declaration of Independence. It was adopted by Congress on July 4th. And even though not all delegates were present (New York didn't vote until July 9th) and one signer, Thomas McKean, didn't actually put pen to paper until 1781, July 4th became recognized as America's Day of Independence.

The history of fireworks owes its birth to a twist of fate. Legend has it that a Chinese cook, working in a field kitchen, mixed charcoal, sulphur and saltpeter together. No one knows what he was trying to make, but when it was compressed into a bamboo tube, it exploded! Marco Polo brought gunpowder back to the west in the 13th century. The Europeans developed gunpowder for military use. The Italians were the first to use gunpowder for fireworks. The English were absolutely fascinated by these firey displays. So much so that William Shakespeare mentions them in his works. China is still the main producer of fireworks in the new millenium. But the style of the beautiful explosions has been strongly influenced by the buyers. Flowers have given way to flags and patriotic phrases. These day you can't even say Fourth of July without thinking of fireworks displays.