I feel like I say it every year, and every year it's true... this summer is flying by! In preparation for 4th of July parties (I can't believe it's coming up so soon!) I tested out a recipe for a "red wine and blue" pie made with cherries, blueberries, and a little bit of K-J AVANT Red Blend. I also crafted an easy DIY trivet using leftover wine corks, which I glued together in the shape of a star.

Both were super easy, so I'm passing the instructions along! Something to make, and something to bake to celebrate Independence Day!

DIY Cork Star Trivet

1. Slice leftover wine corks into thirds. I found a straight razor blade works best for this.
2. Lay out your corks in the shape of a star, then superglue them together (don't use hot glue--it'll melt under the heat of hot dishes!).
3. Let the glue dry fully. I was a little worried that the trivet would be too fragile, but the superglue holds it together really well.
4. You can also add a little acrylic paint for color if you want--I did red, white, and blue for the 4th. If you're thinking of painting some corks, you might actually want to paint before you glue them together.

That's it!

Red Wine & Blue(berry) Pie

Now, the pie. I've been adding bourbon to pecan pie for years, but I've never tried adding red wine to a fruit pie. I love how this turned out! The wine mostly cooks out, but it gives the pie a rich depth of flavor and makes it not too sweet. Give it a try!

Happy 4th of July, everyone. Let me know if you try either of these ideas!