Memorial Day has always held a special place in my heart since I have uncles on both my mom’s and dad’s side of the family that served in different wars, and now we have a son who serves in the Arkansas Army National Guard. He has deployed twice to Iraq, and presently is away for a few months in training for his Afghanistan deployment, which is coming up soon. This makes us even more thankful and appreciative of the soldiers and veterans who have so heroically fought for our country and its freedoms. During your celebrations this coming Memorial Day, don’t forget those who served or are now serving – they deserve our respect and praise.
If you are celebrating with a family get-together, take it outside and enjoy the fresh air. You don’t have to have anything fancy to have fun. Schedule a get-together in your backyard, or at a park. There is almost always a park not far away, and it really doesn’t need to even be expensive – fry up some chicken, or even less worrisome, make some P&J sandwiches for the kids.
Well, my article is short this week so I could give you all the recipes below, if you are planning a more elaborate celebration. Enjoy them and have a safe and fun holiday!
And to all of you men and women who have served or are presently serving in the United States Military, thank you sincerely! May God bless and keep each and every one of you safe. And for our friends and family that are no longer with us, you may be gone, but you are not forgotten. We will be visiting a Military Cemetery this May 30.
Garlic Marinated Steaks
1 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring pinch cayenne pepper
4-6 rib-eye steaks
Mix all ingredients, except steaks, in medium bowl. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish, pour on marinade, and turn to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for one to two days. Preheat grill for medium-high to high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks to desired doneness. Discard leftover marinade.
Tender Grilled Corn
This recipe calls for corn with the outer husks still on. You can use peeled back husks for handles when eating.
10 ears fresh corn with husks
1 quart beer
1 bag of ice
Wash outer husks of corn as much as possible, peel back slightly and remove silk. Snugly close husk back around cob and place in an ice chest. Pour beer over top and then dump ice over the corn. Place the lid on the cooler, and let sit eight hours, or overnight. Preheat smoker to 250 degrees. Place corn in the smoker and close lid. Cook for one to two hours, turning every 20 minutes. Kernels should give easily under pressure when done. To eat, peel back the husks and spread garlic butter liberally.
No-bake Strawberry Trifle
1 (11-ounce size) frozen pound cake, thawed
16 ounces of fresh strawberries
2 small pkgs white chocolate pudding
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
Wash, cut green tops off and pat dry the strawberries. Slice about 12 to 15 berries and set aside. Pick out some for garnish.
Break the pound cake into chunks. Set aside. Prepare white chocolate pudding as directed on package. Allow to cool.
Place a layer of cake in bottom of trifle dish. Cover with pudding then a layer of strawberries. Repeat with a second and third layer. Cover refrigerate until cool.
Whip 1 1/4 cups of the whipping cream and 1/4 cup of sugar until soft peaks form. Spread on top of trifle, then garnish with berries.
On cutting board, finely chop the chocolate and place in a measuring cup. Pour 1/4 cup of whipping cream over the chocolate and microwave for 15-second intervals until all of the chocolate and cream are combined and hot. Allow the ganache to cool slightly. Drizzle on top of each serving. Reheat if necessary.