Memorial Day is the first day of summer.

Oh, I know…I know that “officially” it is June 21 but… Memorial Day always did it for me. It is usually the first day the public pool opened, the first day my Dad would let me go swimming in our pool… ( growing up in Pennsylvania… well May was NOT what it is in Texas). It signaled that it was now o.k. to wear white shoes and clothing…and it was the first cook out of the year for my family.

If that doesn’t say summer, what does??

Sometimes the reality and the meaning of the  holiday gets lost in all of the celebration and food. Bear with me a moment while I play homeschool mom and tell you a little bit about this important holiday.

Memorial Day was officially proclaimed on 5 May 1868 by General John Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. The first observance was on May 30 of that year when people put wreaths on the graves of both the Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery . It is interesting to note that the South refused to participate or recognize Memorial Day until after World War I. I am assuming it was because it was Yankee inspired. :::: grin:::::

After World War I Memorial Day was changed to honor all those who had died in the defense of their country.

In the years since Memorial Day has lost meaning for many, if not most Americans. This year President Obama will skip the traditional presidential  speech at  Arlington National Cemetary.. which I think is not only sad, but as a veteran (and the daughter of a veteran, and the mom of a man serving in the military) I think it is a slap in the face.

On Monday, while you are pinching that pie crust, and stirring that barbeque sauce, take a few moments to reflect on the sacrifice that millions of men and women throughout the history of this country have made for the freedoms that we  take for granted.  Not just the ones that died but the moms, dads, wives, husbands, and children that were left behind.

Millions of men and women are away from their families this weekend as the rest of us cook out, picnic, swim, laugh, and eat. A large percentage of those men and women are in danger as you are reading this.

Can this be the Memorial Day where we finally get serious about what it takes to maintain the freedom that we enjoy?  In the year 2000 Congress passed a resolution called The National Moment of Rememberance. It calls for all Americans to pause at 3 pm on Memorial Day, “To voluntarily and informally observe in their own way a Moment of remembrance and respect, pausing from whatever they are doing for a moment of silence or listening to ‘Taps.”

Now, if you have stuck with me this much… are you ready for some surfing?

• Chili Cheese Fries Apple Glazed Baby Back Ribs
• Watermelon Blueberry Margarita from No Fear Entertaining
• Peanut Butter Brownie Cups from the Sweets Life
• Baking Bites Churros con Chocolate
• A Whisk and a Spoon Black Raspberry Ice Cream
• More Than Burnt Toast Fire Seared Antipasto Platter
• Spicy Tunisian Breads My Kitchen in Half Cups
• Daring Bakers Croquembouche Passionate About Baking
• Smitten Kitchen Strawberry Brown Butter Bettys
• Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie Cake or Death?

Have a great Memorial Day… and spend a moment in gratefulness. It’s a good thing.

Every year I make just about the same things for Memorial Day. Isn’t that part of the whole holiday fun? Maybe it is just my family but we seem happiest with the same foods year after year.

Thing is? Many of these foods are the same foods MY parents served on Memorial Day! My dad used to make a killer basting sauce for burgers..it was honey and I have no clue what else but I never figured it out..and by the time I thought to ask him he didn’t know what I was talking about.

I think some of this need to eat the same foods for holidays is that need to connect with our pasts. I mean, I am 50 years old and I still get swept back 40 years when I take a bite of my mom’s recipe for macaroni salad… We had a pool when I was growing up and so summer holidays revolved around the pool… long days turned into velvety summer nights; dotted with fireflies and seemingly endless. Even when I fell asleep to the sounds of my parents laughter and the clinking of ice in the tea glasses I was aware of the importance of these celebrations in my life. They created permanence and security for me.
Those feelings are still stirred up by traditions. I often will put my own twist on a dish but the essence of the dish is there and it still pulls those old feelings from the depths of my mind.
Over the past few years I have posted many of my favorite recipes for Memorial Day. I am listing these, as well as some recipes that I just think are worth considering for your celebration.

One more thing…make sure that your kids know what Memorial Day is about. No matter how you feel about the military, war, or political agendas take a few moments to honor the millions of men and women that have laid down their agendas and their lives so that we could have the freedom that we enjoy today. It is about more than hamburgers and potato salad…

• Hamburger or hot dog buns
• Oven Smoked Brisket
• Coffee Chipotle Meat Rub
• Quick homemade catsup
• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
• Southwestern Potato Salad
• Philly Mexican Dip
• Honeydew Salsa
• Triple Chocolate Merlot Cake
• Peanut Butter Oreo Cheesecake
• Quadruple Chip and Pecan Cookies
• Cherry White Chocolate Coconut bars

That’s it for now. There are other recipes but the list could go on for a long time… If you are looking for something particular just use the search feature on the blog, or message me on twitter or face book. I mean..it isn’t like I am not on the computer 24/7.

images: Marye Audet

Summer is the time for cook-outs for sure. When you can make homemade, delicious (soft!) hot dog and hamburger buns in less than an hour why in the world would you buy them?

Did I say less than an hour? Yep!

These freeze well so you can make them ahead of time. If you have a regular baking day, or OAMC weekend make up a few batches of these for the month and freeze them for quick meals anytime.

Most of us do not consider how many chemicals we take into our bodies. We watch fats, and eat healthy, but when you are buying prepared foods, like bread, you are getting all kinds of things that are unpronounceable. Even if you are not eating organic (and I really encourage you to do so as much as you can) making your own foods will keep many chemicals out of your family’s bodies.

And just because I am on a soapbox here….

Rant:Americans, for the most part, spend the least percentage of their paycheck of anyone in the world  on groceries. We would rather have cable t.v. and a new car than high quality foods. What has happened in the last 50 years is that we have lost flavors! We are used to eating so bland that fresh foods taste too intense sometimes. You cannot buy a two week old carrot from Kroger and expect it to taste like a carrot picked fresh from your garden. You cannot buy beef that has been raised in stressful factory conditions, pumped full of hormones and antibiotics and forced to be cannibalistic, ground up and then pumped full of stuff to make it red, and expect it to taste like beef that has been pastured and allowed to be raised in a humane and ethical manner. It amazes me that people will pay 4.00 a gallon for gas so they can run to the mall and yet will gravitate toward the 1.99 a lb stuff at wal-mart. End Rant

Give these a try, even if you aren’t used to working with a yeast dough. They are super simple!

Homemade Hot Dog or Hamburger Buns

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix)
1 package instant yeast
1 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, room temperature

Heat the milk, water, honey and butter until butter is melted. Check temperature. Depending on the temperature, let cool to 120F. Carefully beat in egg.
Mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix into the milk mixture. Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.
When the dough pulls together, (it will form a soft ball) turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes.
Divide dough into 12 -16 equal pieces. This will depend on the size you want for the finished bun. Shape into smooth balls, flatten slightly, and place on a silpat covered baking sheet.
Let rise for 30 to 35 minutes. When buns have almost doubled bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
If you are making hot dog buns I find it easiest to roll the dough out into a large rectangle and cut into smaller rectangles. Let rise with sides touching.

You can brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse sea salt, or whatever you like. You can add dry onion soup mix for onion rolls. These are very versatile!
Makes 12-16

Image: Marye Audet

Do you think you have to use convenience foods laden with icky ingredients in order to have food on the table quickly? No way. Here are some great ideas for Real Food Real Quick! Each of these meals takes less than 40 minutes, and each is made with real food. No need for cream of whatever soup in a can… or an envelope of this or that.

Check it out!

My entry is a spicy citrus chicken. I paired it with couscous pilaf and a fresh tomato salad and still came in at 40 minutes…even with taking pictures!

Sarah from What Smells So Good? makes not only a great pie filling that you can freeze ahead but grilled vegetable sandwiches to go with it. Yum!  I can tell you this pie filling works… mine is very similar. The trick is the type of thickener you use.

Renee from Flaming0 Musings uses a great freezer technique for a quick, easy meal that has minimal clean up. Gotta love Elegant Freezer Chicken.

Paula from Dragon’s Kitchen makes a fantastic looking dish, Spaghettini with Brown Butter, Olives, and Feta.

That’s it for this week..but some great ideas, don’t you think? This will be a weekly roundup so check back next week for more real food real quick.

This is my own entry for Real Food… Real Quick (or real fast..I keep changing it..sorry!)

1g0

I did a complete meal, including two sides and bread, in 40 minutes. I think it would have taken less time but I was taking pictures as well. One of the most important things about real food..real fast is that you have to have a plan. You can’t take precious time deciding what you feel like cooking..you have to know.

Chicken breast cooks fast. One thing I like to do is to cut it in half horizontally to make thinner pieces. It is easy, makes the chicken go farther, and helps it to cook quicker.

This chicken has sort of an Indian flavor but sort of a Caribbean flavor, too. It is fresh and tangy with a spicy touch that takes it out of the ordinary. One way you are going to save time is to begin cooking the chicken before you sauce it. So step one is to prepare your chicken, salt and pepper it, drizzle a bit of olive oil on it, and put it in a casserole dish and pop it in a 375F oven. For this recipe I used 6 thick, boneless chicken breasts and sliced them to make 12.

Now…The sauce. Add a little olive oil to a pan.

Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1-2 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped, more if you want more heat or use spicier peppers
• 1 large bell pepper or 3 or 4 small sweet peppers, chopped
• 1/2 bunch of fresh mint, chopped
• 1 cup of organic chicken broth
• juice of 1 lemon, plus grated zest
• Juice of 1 lime, plus grated zest
• Juice of 1 clementine plus grated zest
• 2-3 Tbs honey
• 2 -3 Tbs prepared Masala paste (organic preferred.)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbs organic cornstarch (non-GMO)

1. Saute the onion and peppers until the onion begins to be transparent, about 5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes.
3. Pour in the chicken broth, the citrus, citrus zest, mint, honey, and Masala
4. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Pour over chicken and continue baking until done, about 15 more minutes.
6. Remove chicken from oven, keep warm.
7. Pour off the sauce into a pan.
8. Whisk in the cornstarch and simmer until thickened.
9. Pour over chicken and serve.

Serves 12

Cous cous is a good side when you are in a hurry. It takes less than 5 minutes to make and you can easily do it while the chicken and sauce are baking.

Couscous is simply small grains of semolina flour, like pasta. It is a great substitute for rice and can be totally ready in less than 10 minutes.

For my pilaf I used equal parts of organic chicken broth and couscous. I added 1 cup of frozen organic peas, and chopped red pepper. A few tablespoons of butter finished the dish.

Just bring your chicken broth to a boil, add the rest of your ingredients, cover, and set back off the heat until ready to serve. Just before you serve it fluff the couscous lightly with a fork.

When you are using fresh foods, try to get them in season. The cherry tomato salad was a no brainer and took less than 3 minutes to prepare. I mixed two types of cherry tomatoes with marinated artichokes, Greek olives, Feta cheese, dry bread cubes, mint, salt, pepper, and a drizzle each of olive oil and balsamic. There is just no way to get more flavor than this.

I then added olive bread from the bakery for a complete, fresh, delicious meal.

images: marye audet