Make Your Memorial Day Barbecue Completely Memorable with This Fun Menu and Easy Recipes

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember those soldiers who have fallen in war to protect the freedoms and values that our country holds dear. It is also among the first events which can be observed outside after a long, cold winter. Memorial Day is often celebrated with a barbecue. At our house, it's no different. Anyone can make hotdogs and hamburgers, but we like to start out the barbecue season with something special.

My favorite Memorial Day barbecue menu starts with Healthy Ham Kebobs. They're healthy because they use turkey ham instead of pork, and incorporate fresh pineapple for a hint of sweet and sour flavor.

Next, we add a generous side of creamy mustard-style potato salad. My potato salad combines the soft, grainy texture of russet potatoes with the crispness of fresh green onions and celery. Garnished with spiral-cut radishes and sprigs of curly parsley, it's a pretty, as well as tasty, addition to the picnic table.

No cookout is complete without fresh corn on the cob. Grilled instead of boiled, our corn has a flavor that cannot be beat. It perfectly complements anything you may wish to put on the grill.

Last, but not least, is a refreshing drink that will be enjoyed by kids and adults alike. By combining an all-natural lemon-lime soda with strawberry juice, you get a redpop that will tempt your tastebuds all summer long.

This Memorial Day, make your barbecue special with this fun and easy menu plan. The recipes below will serve about 6 to 10 people depending on how hearty their appetites are.

Healthy Ham Kebob

About 2 lbs fully cooked turkey ham
½ Fresh pineapple
½ jar Maraschino cherries
¼ cup brown sugar
Cooking spray
Bamboo kebob skewers, soaked in water and drained

Cut ham and pineapple into 1 ½ to 2-inch pieces. Place pieces onto skewers, starting with ham, then pineapple and cherry. Alternate this way until skewer is full, ending with ham. Spray rack of grill with cooking spray and place over hot coals. Arrange kebobs across the grill and cook about 7 minutes. Carefully turn kebobs once, lightly sprinkling brown sugar over the top. Grill another 7 minutes and carefully remove to serving platter. Cover and keep hot until ready to serve.

Potato Salad

5 pounds russet potatoes
1 cup mayonnaise style salad dressing
¼ cup prepared yellow mustard, more or less according to your preference
6 green onions, finely chopped, with the greens included.
4 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
Salt and coarse black pepper to taste
3 large radishes, cut into a spiral
1 or 2 springs of curly parsley

Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized cubes. Boil potatoes until they can be pierced with a fork but not so long that they fall apart. Drain and cover with a clean towel until completely cool.

In a large bowl, combine salad dressing, mustard, onions and celery. Carefully fold in cooked potatoes, using a rubber spatula. Be sure not to smash the potatoes. Transfer to a nice summery serving dish. Garnish by inserting the parsley sprig into the center of the dish and then arranging the radishes in such a way that one end of the spiral is near the parsley and the other is pulled out toward the edge of the dish. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Add salt and pepper to taste, once potato salad is served onto individual dishes.

Grilled Corn on the Cob

10 ears corn on the cob
Butter or margarine
Salt to taste

Clean corn, being sure to remove all the silk. Spray grill with cooking spray and place corn across the grill, over hot coals. Grill, turning frequently, until corn is a medium brown color. Remove to platter and cover until ready to serve. Serve with soft butter and salt.

Sparkling Strawberry Redpop Punch

1 2-liter bottle of all-natural lemon-lime soda (like 7-up), chilled
1 quart 100% pure strawberry juice (this is available from Juicy Juice brand), chilled
Ice trays or disposable cups
Plastic wrap

Pour about half the strawberry juice into ice trays or disposable cups. If using cups, only fill about one inch of the bottom of the cups. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until solid.

When ready to serve, pour chilled soda and juice into a punchbowl. Add frozen juice cubes. Serve immediately, while it still sparkles.