Easy Entertaining for Beginners

Memorial Day is the day we honor those who have given their lives in the military to defend our freedom and our country. Getting together with family and friends for an afternoon of great food and socializing adds wealth and quality to life! It is important to not only look back and remember, but also to look forward and celebrate life and freedom. In today’s posting, find Memorial Day weekend decorating ideas, traditions and activity ideas.

Easy, Budget Friendly Decorating Ideas:

a. Fly the flag at your front door! Many discount and drug stores carry inexpensive flags with mounting hardware in one kit.

b. Give each guest a poppy to wear (with pin or sticky tape) in honor of those who have fallen in battle. This tradition started after WWI to honor those who had died in battle.

c. Decorate the table in red, white and blue. Purchase a white or blue checked tablecloth and patriotic disposable tableware. Have a low vase of beautiful poppies or red and white anenomes in a pitcher on the table and purchase small flags at a party supply store and put them in festive containers like aluminum galvanized or enamel buckets in sand. Or use patriotic banners for decorations on your serving table. Use a clean wheelbarrow or child’s red wagon with ice to chill drinks.

1. Start a tradition:

a. Take a few moments to share a story about a fallen veteran (family member or any soldier). This puts the focus on honoring and celebrating a real hero’s life and sacrifice.

2. Activities:

a. Make homemade vanilla ice cream with an old fashioned crank ice-cream maker. Let the kids help!

b. Pull out the badminton, volleyball or have a family softball or basketball game. Play games like three-legged race, balloon toss, sack race.

c. Visit a national park during Memorial Day weekend. Many national parks observe Memorial Day weekend by parades, memorial speeches, reenactments and living history demonstrations, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags.

d. View a parade: Go to: http://www.vetfriends.com/memorial_day_parade/index.cfm to find parades in your area.

Happy Memorial Day!
Patricia Mendez

Easter is right around the corner. I have put together this quick and easy entertaining menu that is appealing to both kids and adults alike. Invite your family and friends and if you have kids in attendance host an Easter egg hunt. Prepare about 8-10 eggs per child with toys and treats and hide them around your yard or house. Let the kids use their Easter baskets to gather the eggs and hide them in more obvious places for very young children.

Place Easter candy in different sizes of glass containers in a grouping for a fun and festive table centerpiece. Use robin eggs, marshmallow chicks, foil-wrapped chocolate eggs, jelly beans and other colorful candies. Use a sunny yellow or vibrant pink tablecloth or runner and white dishware, if you have it.

If you want more munchies, ask a guest to bring deviled eggs and/or fruit and veggies plus dip.

Have fun and don’t forget to take lots of photos!

Traditional Ham with Honey-Orange Glaze
Serves 8 – 10
1 – 4 to 5 pound ham
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup orange juice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake ham for 1 hour 15 minutes. Spread glaze over ham with a barbeque brush and bake an additional 30-45 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes, slice and serve. Warm any leftover glaze in small saucepan and serve with ham.

Gruyere Herb Mashed Potatoes
Serves 8-10
2 pounds potatoes, Yukon Gold, peeled, chopped into 1” cubes
2 tablespoons butter
1 – 1 ½ cups half-and-half or whole milk
2 cups Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon oregano, chopped, fresh
1 tablespoon flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, chopped, fresh
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender, 18-20 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and place in large bowl. Add the butter, half-in-half or milk. Mash with a potato masher or electric mixer. Do not over mix. Stir in the cheese and herbs and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Walnut Green Bean Salad
Serves 8
1 pound green beans, fresh, trimmed & cut in half
2 cups good quality croutons
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
½ cup walnuts
½ teaspoon oregano, fresh, chopped or ¼ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon parsley (Italian) fresh, chopped
Zest of 1 lemon

In a medium saucepan, blanch the beans in boiling water with 1 teaspoon salt for 2-4 minutes. Drain in colander and immediately run cold water over the beans to stop the cooking process. Drain well.
In a 325 degree oven, toast walnuts on baking sheet for 2-5 minutes and cool. Make dressing.
In a large bowl, toss green beans with dressing. Add lemon zest, Parmesan, croutons and walnuts. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

Dressing:
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup walnut oil
¼ cup sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white onion, chopped finely or grated
½ teaspoon garlic, chopped finely
¼ teaspoon salt
Whisk ingredients together in a small bowl and add to green beans.

Strawberry Cream Squares
Serves 9
1 (16.5 oz.) roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
4 cups strawberries, fresh, sliced
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ cup water
Pinch salt
2 (1/4 oz.) envelopes unflavored gelatin (baking aisle)
1/3 cup cold water
1 cup whipped topping or whipped cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Press half of the sugar cookie dough into the bottom of an 8 x 8 inch square baking pan. (Use the other half for cookies). Bake cookie crust for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Cool.
In a small saucepan, bring strawberries, sugar, ¼ cup water and salt to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water; let thicken for 1-2 minutes and stir into strawberry mixture. Simmer until gelatin dissolves (about 1 minute) and remove from heat.
Cover and refrigerate until completely cool, 2 hours. Fold in whipped topping or whipped cream, refrigerate 1 more hour and spread over cookie crust. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. May be made one day in advance.