Memorial Day Cooking

What is Memorial Day?

Memorial Day arose out of appreciation for and remembrance of all who gave their lives defending our nation.  Although the holiday was officially proclaimed in 1868 by General John Logan, many towns and communities decorated the graves of American soldiers and gathered to honor our nation's heroes well before Memorial Day was officially declared.  God Bless All of Our Soldiers That Gave Us Our Freedom!

Here are a few recipes you can make today or all summer ~

Homemade Honey BBQ Sauce

Whatever you happen to be grilling - hamburger, steak, chicken or ribs, try this delicious homemade barbecue sauce and add your own special ingredients to it.  There are so many ways to make barbecue sauce, but I'm just providing you with one that doesn't contain loads of sugar and it's easy to make.

Ingredients:

15 oz organic tomato sauce

1 cup spring water

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup raw honey

1 T lemon juice

2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 1/2 tsp ground mustard

1 tsp paprika

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.  Season with your own ingredients to taste.  Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Watermelon Lemonade with Fresh Mint

Who does not love a glass of lemonade on a hot summer day? This recipe is naturally sweetened by the watermelon so you do not need as much sugar to balance with the lemon juice as you will find in other lemonades. All you need is half a watermelon, 4 lemons, a pint of raspberries, fresh mint, spring water and a little cane sugar. If your watermelon is ripe enough, you may not need any sugar!

Ingredients:

6 cups watermelon cubes (seeds removed)
¼ cup fresh organic raspberries
1 cup spring water
1/3 cup raw honey (optional)
½ cup fresh lemon juice
Fresh mint to garnish

Watermelon slices to garnish

Directions:
Place watermelon, raspberries and water in container of food processor and blend until smooth. Strain through fine sieve into pitcher. Stir in sugar and lemon juice and continue stirring until sugar dissolves. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Yield: 4 servings

Patriotic Pound Cake

An easy finale to your barbecue meal is this rich and buttery pound cake.  Serve it with fresh organic blueberries, strawberries and whipped cream and you'll have the perfect Patriotic Pound Cake.  It's so good, you may want to double the recipe for a large family gathering.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter (softened)
1 1/2 cups organic cane sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsps pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups organic unbleached flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch sea salt
1/2 cup organic sour cream

Directions:

Position a rack in the lowest third of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees.  Butter a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan; set aside.

Place the butter and sugar in a medium bowl and beat with a mixer until smooth.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add the vanilla extract.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients to the batter on low speed in two additions, alternating with the sour cream.

Spoon the batter into the loaf pan and bake until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, 75-85 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool.

Cut into slices and add fresh cut strawberries and blueberries.  Top with a dollop of organic whipped cream.



Have a Healthy Happy Memorial Day!

Laurel ♥