Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner: Memorial Day

Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts

Let Us Honor Memorial Day, and Kick Start Summer with a Cucumber, Mustard and Dill Salad

Get out your white shoes, and let's celebrate the start of summer by honoring our nation's veterans!

Let us pay tribute to all veteran's who have given their lives to our nation's wars...

Gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery decorated with American flags on Memorial Day

On Monday ~ Memorial Day ~ according to the "The National Moment of Remembrance Act," passed in December, 2000, we Americans are encouraged to pause wherever we are at 3:00 p.m. local time, for a minute of silence to remember and honor those who have died in service to our nation.

It's a way we can all help put memorial back into Memorial Day.

Now for the cucumber salad...

It's super quick, super easy and, you guessed it: super good and tasty!

You won't find a fresher-tasting salad than this simple stunner.

It's a Cool, Refreshing, Summertime Salad!

Cucumber, Mustard and Dill Salad

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large seedless cucumber, peeled
1 small white onion, sliced thin

2 tablespoons chopped dill

Method:

Whisk together vinegar, mustard, salt and sugar.

Add oil in a slow stream, stirring constantly.

Halve cucumber lengthwise, cut halves crosswise into ⅛"-thick slices.

Toss cucumber with onion, dill and vinaigrette.

Serves 4
Printable recipe

Enjoy!

Here’s wishing you all

Safe and Happy

Memorial Day Weekend!

Classic Strawberry Shortcake for Memorial Day

Three years after the Civil War ended, on March 5, 1868, John A. Logan, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, established Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of the war dead with flowers.

He declared that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30. It is believed that date was chosen because flowers would be in bloom all over the country.

This poster from 1917 shows the name change and honors the memory of the dead from the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War.

Known commonly now as Memorial Day, it’s the day for us to reflect, honor and acknowledge those who gave their selfless service and the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

It’s also a time to remember our present veterans and those in service now. To them all, we owe an unplayable debt. Here’s Bill, my favorite veteran, my husband:

Home from Basic Training, 1965, Private

Bamberg, Germany, early 1967, Sergeant


Machine Gun Instructor 1st Engineer Training Brigade Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo Fall 1967 Sergeant E5

Here’s a little Memorial Day Trivia for you:

* Red poppies are known as a symbol of remembrance, and it’s a tradition to wear them to honor those who died in war.

* President Bill Clinton signed the National Moment of Remembrance Act on Dec. 28, 2000, designating 3 p.m. local time on Memorial Day as a National Moment of Remembrance. Television and radio stations play the “Taps” to give Americans pause during their busy Memorial Day.

* The crowd that attended the first Memorial Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery was about the same size as those that attend today’s observance: about 5,000 people.

* It has been often reported that “Taps,” the most famous bugle song came from a Civil War captain who discovered his long lost son in a field of Confederate bodies, but this is nothing more than an urban legend. In fact, the bugle song comes from Union Brig. Get Daniel Butterfield during the Civil War. He didn’t care for the “customary firing of three rifle volleys at the conclusion of burials during battle” and wanted a softer and more somber bugle song to honor his fallen soldiers.

* More than 150 years later, the Civil War remains the United States’ deadliest conflict. More than 620,000 people died during the war. Many of the casualties occurred as a result of disease, rather than as a direct result of injuries. The second deadliest conflict was World War II, in which more than 400,000 American soldiers lost their lives.

* Memorial Day is now the second-most popular holiday (after the Fourth of July) for a sun-baked barbecue: 53% of people grill on the holiday, according to Hearth, Patio and & Barbecue Association.

* And, to wrap it up: The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council notes that on Memorial Day, Americans will consume a stomach-busting 818 dawgs per second. That’s just a few wieners short of 71 million in a day. They’re not sure how many packages that equals, but they’re betting the equivalent number of bun packs would fall short by, oh, 1.3 million or so.

Memorial weekend also ushers in summer.

Woo hoo!

My favorite time of year!

It’s also the beginning of strawberry season. And what better way to give a nod to it than classic strawberry shortcake!

Here you won’t find any of those little sponge discs that look like sofa casters that you see displayed by the strawberries at the grocery store. I always pass on them as they taste like I suppose foam rubber would.

This is all about serving the juicy strawberries over rich, flaky buttery homemade biscuits made with cream and a touch of sugar, topping it all off with whipped cream, of course!

Classic Strawberry Shortcake
Printable recipe

Ingredients:

1½ pounds strawberries, hulled and sliced, tossed with 2-4 tablespoons sugar; set aside.

For the shortcake:

2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoons baking soda
2 tablespoons sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ cups heavy cream
Whipped Cream, recipe follows

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar and salt.
Add cream, mix until just combined.
Place mixture in an ungreased 8-inch pan.
Bake until golden, about 18 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, while shortcake is baking, place a metal bowl and beaters in the freezer.
When shortcake is baked, remove from pan and place to a rack to cool slightly.
Cut into 6 pieces and split shortcake in half horizontally.
Beat all whipped cream ingredients in the metal bowl with chilled beaters about 1½ to 2 minutes, until peaks form.
Spoon some strawberries with their juice onto each shortcake bottom.
Top with a spoonful of whipped cream and the shortcake top.
Place a couple of strawberries over all and an additional dollop of whipped cream for garnish.

For the Whipped Cream

1½ cups heavy cream, chilled
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Makes 6 servings

ENJOY!

Here’s to Memorial Day

summer

and

strawberry shortcake!

Honorable Memorial Day

Here's to you:

I will be off to the:

Looking for my missing blogging mojo…

Have a safe, happy holiday!

A Pause for Memorial Day’s “National Moment of Remembrance”

To many of us Americans, Memorial Day is the kickoff to a fun-filled summer. It means it’s time to fire the grill up; and hot dogs, baseball, and a three-day weekend. For some, it’s an emotional time as they watch uniformed veterans marching, or riding in antique cars, along the parade route down Main Street.

Arlington National Cemetery

Originally called Decoration Day, Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives in our nation's service. Memorial Day was officially proclaimed by General John Logan on May 5, 1868 and was observed later that month, on May 30, when flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers, who were buried at Arlington Cemetery.

Therefore, as we contemplate our welfare and the blessings of our lives, it’s time to remember those members of the Armed Forces who stood up for our country and died while defending our nation:

In honor of them all, and in accordance with the “National Moment of Remembrance,” we are to pause for one minute, at 3:00 p.m., on Memorial Day. It can be as simple as placing your hand over your heart, saying a prayer, or bowing your head ~ it’s an act of national unity, for us Americans, in which we honor those who died for our freedom…

Here's wishing you all a safe, happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day Tribute

Memorial Day is a time for us Americans to take a moment and reflect on the sacrifice and honor shown by our men and women in military uniform ~ this day is for ALL who served this great country.

Memorial Day strives to stir the patriotic sentiments of every American citizen and remind us that we owe our freedom and liberty to the finest of young men and women who laid down their lives for us ~ they paid the extreme price for the freedom we enjoy today.

Here’s the love of my life and my favorite veteran, Bill:


Home from basic training as a Private ~ 1965

Bamberg, Germany ~ early 1967 ~ Sergeant

Instructor at 1st Engineering Training Brigade

Ft. Leonard Wood, MO

fall of 1967 ~ Sergeant E5

God Bless all service members and God Bless the U. S. A.!

Have a happy, safe Memorial Day, everyone!

Remember Memorial Day

Here’s to taking time off to observe one of our most sacred holidays. It is the day to reflect on the sacrifices and services of the American soldiers and veterans. From Arlington National Cemetery to all the other national cemeteries; not only in this country, but on foreign soil also, where soldiers fought and died for freedom.

Memorial Day strives to stir the patriotic sentiments of every American citizen and remind us that we owe our freedom and liberty to the finest of young men and women who laid down their lives for us ~ they paid the extreme price for the freedom we enjoy today.

Bill, my favorite veteran: