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Perfect recipes for the long weekend, celebrating Memorial Day with friends and family, and kicking off the start of summer!
Anyone out there have fun plans for the weekend?
We do! We're keeping our two youngest grandkiddies while our son, Nick and his wife, Lindsay enjoy a little anniversary get away. We'll join them mid weekend for some family fun.
If you're not located here in the U.S. you might not be aware that it's Memorial Day weekend, which is a special holiday weekend in this country. Each year, as a country, we set aside the last weekend in May to remember the brave men and women who've died serving us in the armed forces. It's also the official kickoff to the summer season so there are lots of reasons to celebrate. Just like everywhere else in the world, we like to celebrate special occasions with lots of fabulous food so I thought I'd share a few of our favorite Memorial Day recipes. I'm calling them Memorial Day recipes for two reasons - one is obvious as it's Memorial Day weekend but they're also all super delicious and will be sure to create some delicious memories for friends and family.
Red, White and Blue Salsa - this fresh, delicious patriotic-hued salsa is awesome with corn or pita chips as a healthy, fun appetizer but it's also wonderful spooned over grilled chicken or fish, pork, etc.
Mexican Street Corn - this stuff is CRAZY GOOD! It works double duty too, as a side or a scrumptious dip!
California Avocado Western Burgers - these delicious burgers are some of our favorites, loaded with great southwestern flavor and topped with soft, creamy avocados. There's a fun trick for cutting avocados too!
Chicken, Zucchini and Fresh Corn Burgers - move over hamburgers, these are a fantastic alternative and much healthier! It's an Ottolenghi recipe which are always winners. I've gotten lots of emails and comments from readers who have tried these flavorful, unique burgers and fallen in love with them.
Blueberry Salad with Honey Lemon Dressing - a colorful, fresh, delightful salad that's not only good to look at, but delicious and good for you too! Don't expect to bring any more if you take this to a picnic or potluck!
Spinach Salad with Poppyseed Dressing - a delicious, classic salad everyone seems to go crazy over. The recipe's from a renowned, special-0ccasion restaurant here in Raleigh, NC. It's another lick-the-bowl-clean salad!
Toffee Cowboy Cookies - I love it when someone shows up for a picnic or potluck with a big container of cookies (really good cookies). An old classic recipe with a few fun twists, these wonderful cookies are loaded with chocolate chips, sweet toffee bits and crisp toasted pecans.
Strawberry and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta - silky smooth vanilla bean-flecked panna cotta layered with fresh strawberry gelatin. This one always elicits oohs and aahs
There are lots more recipes that would be wonderful for your Memorial Day celebration. Feel free to peruse through our salads, salsas, cookies or summer recipe archives for lots more ideas!
Wishing you a happy and delicious Memorial Day! And thanks from the bottom of our hearts to those amazing men and women who have, and continue, to serve us in the Armed Forces!
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I am having so much problem getting to and printing the recipes that look wonderful, but you obviously have too many ads popping up to make this sit workable and enjoyable for me. I would think it’s my computer but I do not have this problem with other sites that you reference. It’s just too frustrating to deal with.
Hi Eli, I'm sorry you're having trouble. Ads are the way we afford to run a website, purchase expensive equipment, pay our employees and earn a living. But most of all, ads are how we can offer well-tested recipes to our readers for free.
There is a JUMP TO THE RECIPE and a PRINT button at the top of every post. So you shouldn't have to scroll through the ads. The PRINT page is without ads so that shouldn't be a problem.
Again, I'm so sorry you're having difficulty.
We did plenty of entertaining over the holiday weekend and I'm still trying to get caught up! Wish I would have seen these beforehand but we'll be doing much more entertaining this summer so will be pinning these 😉 Hope you had a great holiday weekend too!
I'm loving all of these ideas, I'm definitely going to do the panna cotta for the 4th of July!
What fabulous recipes, but I'm totally intrigued how you got the avocado sliced that way. Must go check it out!
Great round-up of festive food, Chris 🙂 Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!
Both the burgers are really speaking to me Chris - all the recipes look perfect for the weekend! Hope you and your family have a wonderful Memorial Day.
You've got the perfect party laid out right here for everyone, Chris! How fun that you get your little grandchildren to yourselves for a couple of days. I want to taste every single dish! Happy Memorial Day to you and yours 🙂
Everything looks fantastic but if I could only have one it would be the chicken burger.
just wondering where you are getting all the fresh blueberries at the end of May??
Hi Nana,
I've actually been getting really pretty,super sweet berries for the last two weeks at Aldi for 1.79 a pint! I have a couple bushes as well and they're just starting to bear. I know it will be a while if you live farther north for local berries but I think it's already a bumper year in the south!
The red white and blue salsa is crazy beautiful! And that bowl sets it off perfectly. The Panna Cotta. is also stunning. Too pretty to eat!
Thanks Ginny, it's so fun to have fruit in the color of our flag!