Here are some tasty ideas to help celebrate the Fourth of July with a fabulous party for family and friends:

• Marinated butterflied leg of American lamb, grilled to perfection, feeds a crowd deliciously. It's easy. Try Mint-Raspberry Marinade to complement lamb's rich flavor. Combine Z\c cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint and 1 minced garlic clove.

• Sweet Northwest cherries, available June through August, are nutrient dense and loaded with important antioxidants. Choose firm, plump, shiny cherries and store in the refrigerator, ready for healthy snacking or to toss into a salad for a flavor and nutrition boost. Cherries can even be grilled (see recipe below)!

• A star-shaped pan and cookie cutters instantly say Fourth of July. The pan does double duty for baking (or freezing if it's ice cream) and serving. Cookies become "pop stars" when sticks are attached to the back. Use red, white and blue sprinkles, sugars and picks to give desserts that star-spangled sparkle.

American Lamb Grilling Guide

• Butterflied Leg (4 to 7 pounds), 40 to 50 minutes

• Loin Chops (1 inch thick), 9 to 10 minutes

• Cubes for Kabobs (1-inch pieces), 7 to 12 minutes

• Lamb Patties (Z\x inch thick), 5 to 12 minutes.

Marinate leg, chops or kabobs, covered, in refrigerator 2 hours up to 24 hours.

Grill lamb about 4 inches above medium coals; turn occasionally.

Allow lamb to "rest" before serving so juices can settle — 5 minutes for chops; 10 to 15 minutes for larger, thicker cuts. As lamb rests, internal temperatures rise 5 to 10 degrees. Serve leg, chops and kabobs at an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees (medium rare) and burgers at 160 degrees (medium). For most accurate results, use a thermometer to check temperature.