4th of July with The Pioneer Woman

Provided by Ree DrummondThe Fourth of July is the time for an annual celebration at our house -- a time when we put aside all the work of the ranch, get all the mowing and weedeating accomplished, and welcome friends and relatives for a big summer meal and a night of colorful, explosive fireworks.

Our tradition began over ten years ago, just after my husband and I moved into his childhood home on the ranch. The property has a huge concrete slab (it used to be a tennis court but is now used for rollerblading and bicycle tricks), so when that first Fourth of July holiday rolled around, we decided to buy a few fireworks (we live in the country, where no one cares what you blow up!) and invite a handful of friends over. I made a big pitcher of lemonade, and the guys grilled burgers as the little kids ran around and played. After dinner we spread out a couple of blankets on the grass and watched as my husband and his brother lit the skies on fire. The fireworks took over an hour -- a disproportionate display, I reflected at the time, considering there were only ten of us.

The following year, the same friends came back. Only this time, they brought some friends with them -- and everyone brought a covered dish to complement our burgers. Because of the increased number of guests, we filled a couple of galvanized washtubs with beer and bottled water, then dumped ice over the top. I picked up some miniature American flags at our local dollar store and stuck them in coffee cans filled with sunflowers. And just as we'd done the year before, we finished off the evening with a bang. An hour-long, deafening bang.

Word began to spread, and each year our Fourth of July celebration grew. Today, it's as much a part of the local tradition as the annual Cattleman's convention or the Cavalcade street dance. We start getting ready for the bash around the middle of June; in fact, that's what I'm doing right now!

In case you'd like to start a Fourth of July tradition in your neck of the woods, let me share some of my favorite elements of our celebration.

Scroll down to get a peek at Ree's 4th of July party!

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Pioneer Woman Cooks, Ree Drummond began blogging in 2006 and has built thepioneerwoman.com into an award-winning website where she shares recipes, showcases her photography, and documents her hilarious transition from city life to ranch wife. She lives on a working cattle ranch near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, with her husband and their four ranch hands.