Celebrate Labor Day

  On Labor Day, many people gather for a traditional picnic or bbq to celebrate. Celebration can occur on your porch, patio, park, seashore or lakeside. The tantalizing aromas of chicken or steak, the sizzling sounds of hot dogs and hambugers, the glistening glow of the coals and the humming sounds of happy voices. It definitely adds up to fun for everyone.

Salads are a welcoming addition to out door eating. What’s a better compliment to a sizzling steak than a zesty and tangy tossed green salad! And having fried chicken, isn’t a picnic without a creamy summer potato salad.

Quick and Easy Recipes

Here are some of our family’s favorite quick and easy recipes:

Crispy Herb Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces of chicken

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup homemade bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon tarragon leaves

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic

Directions:

Mix ingredients together and coat chicken pieces. In a large pot, heat peanut oil to 400 degrees. Fry chicken pieces until golden, approximately 10 minutes, turning and cook until browned and tender.

Kids Slow Cooker Chili

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds of ground beef or turkey

1 pound pork sausage

1 28 oz. can of canned tomatoes

1 30 oz. can kidney beans

1 15 oz. can garbanzo beans

1 15 oz. can Ranch style beans

1 15 oz. can baked beans

1 large yellow onion

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon Southwest seasoning

1/4 cup Cowboy barbecue sauce

Directions:

On medium-low heat cook ground beef and pork sausage in a skillet until brown, drain and set aside. Chop onion into small bite size pieces, set aside. Rinse kidney and garbanzo beans. To your slow cooker, add diced tomatoes with juice and all your beans. Add ground beef and sausage mixture. Add onion, chili powder, Southwest Seasoning and Cowboy barbecue sauce. Mix well. Cook on low heat for 8 hours. Serve as a side dish at a barbecue or as a main dish with cornbread. A simple Chili recipe your kids will enjoy!

 Cowboy Barbecue Sauce

In a saucepan mix 1 cup tomato juice, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tablespoons brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper. Simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thickend.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Ingredients:

1 9-inch baked pastry shell

2 pints fresh strawberries

3/4 cup sugar

3 Tablespoons corn starch

2 Tablespoons Strawberry flavored gelatin

1 cup water

Red food coloring

Whipped Cream

Directions:

Remove stems and wash strawberries. Drain thoroughly on paper towels. Place berries in pie shell, arranging carefully, placing biggest berries on top. In a saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, gelatin and water. Cook , stirring constantly, until thickened and clear. Add several drops of food coloring to make a rich red color. Cool 15 minutes. Pour over berries, making sure to cover all berries. Refrigerate 5 hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream.

   Happy Labor Day!