Martha Stewart

The Fourth of July is America’s Independence Day. It is a special day in the minds and hearts of patriotic citizens of this country and there are many ways we celebrate that patriotism. If you are looking for a little something extra to add to your Independence Day menu try some of the ideas below. Remember that the red, white, and blue of the American flag can be excellent color additions to your fabulous fourth menu and make it definitely firework worthy.

It is fairly safe to say that for most of the country the weather on the fourth of July is going to be a little bit on the warm side. While there are exceptions to every rule this is the general rule of thumb. For this reason you should prepare your menu according to that and avoid foods that are going to melt quickly or will not look as appealing in warm weather. You should also take proper precautions for storage and keeping things from spoiling by leaving them out in the elements too long. Store as much of the food as possible until it is time to serve.

This may somewhat limit your offerings but opens the door to other offerings. Rather than have chilled pies for dessert choose cake that can be stored at room temperature. There are sure to be a few chilled recipes or dishes that are best served and/or stored chilled. Be sure to have plenty of cold gel packs or ice on hand and plenty of ice chests and other appropriate containers, especially if you are going to be camping or cooking out away from home, on hand to take care of at least the amount of food you are contributing that needs cold storage. (more…)

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There is no one on earth quite like dear old dad. He has given hugs, offered advice, picked up the pieces of your broken heart, and been the source of many twenty-dollar bills finding their way into your pockets unexpectedly for gas or a new pair of shoes. This man has meant so much to you throughout your life. Do you honor him on his special day with a trip to some nameless restaurant where he is little more than table number 23 or do you cook him a feast fit for the King her really is in your heart?

A little hint, most dads prefer home made food (provided of course you have a firm grasp on basic cooking skills) to a restaurant menu almost any day of the week and twice on a day that should be sacred for family. For this reason it is a great idea to prepare to put on a fest for your dad whether you are planning for your family and mom and dad or bringing the entire family to the table you need to plan carefully and prepare as much of the food as possible ahead of time.

Be kind to dad too and his health. Avoid laying out a table of his favorites if they are all completely off the charts for his dietary and health restriction needs. Chances are that you can find low fat, low cholesterol, or low sodium versions of most of his favorites if you do a thorough search online. You can also find plenty of recipes for sugar free treats that are delicious and friendly to those who either have type II diabetes or those who need to shed a few pounds because of other health concerns. Of course you do want dear old dad to live a little and enjoy the foods you prepare but do try to keep some of his dietary needs in mind and offer choices that fit in with his needs as well as his favorites. (more…)

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Memorial Day is a special holiday for Americans, particularly during times of war. We celebrate this day to honor those before who have served their country and those who serve today. Brave men and women have dedicated their lives to the service of our great nation, some of them at the cost of those lives. For this reason it is important that we dedicate one day each year to remember and honor their sacrifices. One way we celebrate, as decent red blooded Americans is by gathering together with friends and family and having picnics, barbecues, and bonfires to commemorate those who now serve, those who have served in the past, and countless others that we will never know.

The downside to our Memorial Day celebrations is a menu that lingers with us in the form of calories well beyond the festivities of the day. If you’re looking for a great way to enjoy the day without feeling deprived and still avoid some of the heavy hitting calories that we consume far too many of on a normal Memorial Day there is help to be had. Keep reading to discover some excellent methods for cutting calories from your Memorial Day feasts.
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This is something that traditionally gets left off the menu. So many families either go out to dinner on mother’s day, because Mom typically does all the cooking or resolve to barbecue because that is often the only meal that dear old dad is comfortable preparing. While barbecuing in and of itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if it works like barbecuing in my house it ends up being more work for mom because dad wants mom to hold things, find things, fetch things, and bring things. By the end of her Mother’s Day barbecue mom is typically tired and face with a huge mess to clean. Not that mom doesn’t smile, thank everyone, and then go about the business of cleaning her kitchen back to it’s pre mother’s day state but a day off with no dishes, no fetching, and no clearing is quite often the desired treat.

That being said there are ways you can go about cooking the perfect mother’s day meal and creating very little mess for mom to clean up if you are willing to put a little bit of effort into the planning phase. In fact, even the most cooking impaired among us have options for creating a grand feast worthy of mom with very little mess when all is said and done. The perfect plan some may say and mom might be inclined to agree. Even better you won’t find yourself on a waiting list and jostled about by others looking to get a good seat at your favorite restaurant on this day that is often one of, if not the, busiest restaurant days of the year and no it isn’t ordering take out from said restaurant. (more…)

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Those who live in the American southwest have experienced the fan fare and celebrations of Cinco de Mayo a little longer than perhaps many other states across the U. S. though the exposure is most definitely growing. As a result more and more people of various ethnicities are joining in the celebration and adding Cinco de Mayo to their list of favorite holidays. Whether it’s the music, the dancing, the drinks, or the food that is most enjoyable about this holiday no one is really sure. However, when you combine them all you have a holiday that is difficult to match in gusto and fun. But for some of us, the food is most definitely the draw.

Mexican food is becoming an almost Americanized version of itself in many restaurants across the United States. One reason is because it’s just that popular. Even small towns are beginning to have as many Mexican restaurants as they do Chinese or Italian. This is good news on one hand as it indicates a growing desire on behalf of Americans to try the cuisine of our neighbors. It has also managed to get us accustomed to the wonderful flavors of Mexican cuisines and we are beginning more and more often to bring these cuisines into our own homes.

If you are looking for some great foods to cook for your family on Cinco de Mayo then you’ve definitely come to the right place for ideas and inspiration. My personal favorite is spicy chicken enchiladas with cheese sauce. This was something I had never heard of until I found a great Mexican restaurant in my neck of the woods called Carlos O’Kelly’s. It is now one of my favorite Mexican dishes of all times. It isn’t easy to prepare however, so that is the one major drawback.

If you are looking for something fun and festive try creating a taco or fajita bar that lets everyone add their favorite ingredients to their tacos and/or fajitas and keeps the favorite sides such as black beans, refried beans, and Mexican rice close by to complement the meal. This is an excellent idea if you are situated in a manner that allows for buffet style serving of family, friends, and honored guests. It’s a lot of fun and you can generally get people to help out or pitch in on the preparations and bringing their favorite toppings along. Be sure to have plenty of everything and refills that need to be chilled on ice and those that need to be kept warm in containers that allow for proper food safety.

If you need something that is a little more portable, especially if you have little ones that tend to wander around with their food, then quesadillas may be the perfect solution. They are delicious, they are easy to walk around with if you have them cut properly, they are fun to make and they do not require a good deal of difficulty in the preparation – especially if you make the $20 investment in a good quesadillas maker. You put one in at a time and let them cook until they are ready. Clean up is a snap and you have a lot of happy campers with full bellies.

Keep the music upbeat and Mexican inspired to further the tone of the party and the food will digest so much better if you get up and dance around a bit. Enjoy the spirit of the celebration. In other words, have fun. Don’t spend the entire day in the kitchen fretting over whether you’ve made enough or if you need to make more. Have a few options available for one and all and leave it at that. If they are still hungry they can always make a run for the border (old Taco Bell slogan) though I’m quite certain that one and all will agree that your food was far superior to any fast food offerings in town.

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