Remembering Good Times with Memorial Day Recipes

Memorial Day is a very busy and sometimes sad day ,what with visiting so many grave sites but also includes a celebration of those loved ones who are remembered during our gatherings. Putting just the right flowers on graveside to show appreciation and love of those who have passed. We have always included the flags, prayers, tears, flowers, storytelling and of course; the exceptional food and conversation that were the highlights.

Let me start with the joy I have in Picnic Foods because they are tied with the memories of being at reunions with family and friends that perhaps we have not seen or heard from in the past year. All the foods are beautifully displayed without any fuss and aptly nicknamed after the loved one who "invented" them such as my Aunt Mary's Red Potato Salad, Mama'sMixed fruit , Granny's and Daddy's Secret Meat Rubs, and of course the excitement of Family desserts.

PICNIC FOODS: Tips that make them so delicious is of course the preparation for the weather of Plan's B & C; indoor or tents with plastic tarps. The glory of welcome company you have but also the easy cooking' tips of the one in a life time smells, the beauty of color and texture, and of course disposable dishes for easy clean up.

AUNT MARY'S RED POTATO SALAD-This is written just as she would have said as she taught us to make it.
1. " Now honey just take ya 5lb of clean little red potatoes and soak them for a couple minutes in some lukewarm salt water. Rinse them and pat them dry. Don't ever peel them but cut any little bad spots out.
2. Now, steam your red potatoes until tender. Here is how we do it; make a double pan; The bottom pan is your steamer deep pan with 1/4 to 1/2 full of water and place it on the grill or stove or in the oven. The second pan is the top potato pan and would fit into the bottom pan like a make shift double boiler pan. Grease the top potato pan that will fit over the bottom pan with real Land O Lakes butter and put the clean potatoes that you have cut into halves in that pan. Now season those potatoes with some salt and pepper, a little garlic powder and of course some paprika. Now cover that potato(top pan) with aluminum foil tightly and place it on top of the bottom pan. Be careful! Make sure the very hot water in the bottom pan does not overflow or splash on you as you put the top pan on it.
3. While the red potatoes are steaming; make your dressing and then chill it it real good. When the potatoes are tender to the touch of a fork then set them a aside to rest and dry. Dressing is easy just use what you love. We use Olive Oil to lightly coat potatoes, diced green onions, mix sour cream and our favorite chip dip together with a little sugar and chopped Italian parsley. Fold all them together with the red potatoes and chill .The amounts are up to you of the ingredients ;add a little at a time until you get the consistency that you enjoy. "SIMPLE IS BETTER".

MAMA'S MIXED FRUIT SURPRISE- This was always a surprise because Mama always used unusual combinations that tasted great together. Mama always bought pre-made baking shells of different sizes and shapes and then added her favorite combo's of fruit and various snack foods to satisfy our favorites.

1. She made little fruit surprises of our favorites so we could have our own and made pie shell sized ones for her centerpiece on her section on the table. Here are some of my favorites:
2. Chocolate and Strawberries: Clean strawberries and trim the tops and leave some whole and some halved. Pour honey on them. chill. pick out your favorite baking shell size. Bake according to package directions.Next shave white and dark Chocolate candy bars on top of them and add sprinkles of powdered sugar.
3. Pineapple Pretzels: Trim a whole pineapple top off neatly and cut pineapple in half. Crush or roll out your favorite pretzels. set aside. Next scoop out the pineapple in one of the halves and crush it real good or use canned crushed pineapple and mix it with the crushed pretzels and use the juice from the pineapple that you mix with cream cheese until all pineapple,pretzels, and cream cheese is blended and put it back into the half of the pineapple. For the other half of the pineapple ,cut it into small bite size pieces sprinkle Cinnamon and crushed pretzels , add a little orange zest , mix in miniature marshmallows; mix well and place that back into the second pineapple halve and drizzle a little Carmel ice cream topping over it.

GRANNY AND DADDY'S SECRET MEAT RUBS: This was always fun because they competed for the best and most secret rubs from their families each year. Each year a new secret ingredient winner. Here are a few of my favorites:
1. Hamburger Seasonings: Mix dried tomato and onion flakes with crushed peppercorns and soak them in olive oil and honey mustard. Stick a piece of ice into each hamburger patties and rub the above seasoning on the patties. First sear both side of the patties in real butter that has a little oil mixed with it so it does not burn but locks the meat juices in it and then put a lid over it and let it cook until done to your taste.
2. Rib Seasonings: Dark Brown Sugar, Garlic Powder, Cinnamon, Basil, Oregano and Dry Chili and Onion Soup mix; add a little lemon juice to moisten, blend real good and rub on the meat. Refrigerate it and make sure its chilled. Cook to your taste
3. Chicken Rub. Mix Chicken dry soup base with dry mustard and honey and kosher salt, and paprika. Rub these seasonings onto the chicken, dredge into flour, let dry and chill. Fry in a little olive oil until completely done.
4. Hot Dog Rub. We used those huge fat beef hot dogs and we soaked them in chili sauce in the refrigerator overnight and then let them dry out before we fried them; I did not eat a boiled hot dog in my life. We always used split sub buns that were coated with honey butter and then fried. We always had home made Chow Chow to go on them.

Everybody's Exciting Desserts:
1. We always had a Texas sheet cake with butter cream icing that was decorated as a beautiful flag. No one ever knew the recipe ;so my guess is the bakery made it -but no one ever confessed to ordering it instead of making it but always put it in their favorite pan.
2. We also rushed to eat the marshmallow creme and peanut butter mini sandwiches. They were on mini buns and had gobs of gooey marshmallow creme, shaved white Chocolate. and the best creamy jar peanut butter could buy.
3. Pineapple upside down cupcakes with extra spice was always a hit.
4. The elders always made home made ice cream for us and mix our favorite flavors up in a cup just for us with all the little sprinkles of delightful candies that they crushed a head of time.

Great memories, some sad for missing others but remembering their ways and stories and of course the food we shared, giving thanks to our soldiers for protection, and always so blessed to be alive to celebrate together in memory of family traditions of Memorial Day.