True Great American Adventure

"Never underestimate the talents of a grill!  You can put your entire outdoor menu over glowing hot coals.  Many say grilling outside is the true great American adventure." 

This is from The Complete Holiday Cookbook, from the 1960's. It is one of only a few I have that include Memorial Day. It mentions the history, how it dates back to Civil War times, and also the dates for the Confederate Memorial Day. Nice.

There are three different menus for this day in here:  Memorial Day Picnic (pictured), Sandwich Supper and Patriotic Repast. While I was intrigued by the Kraut and Frank Poor Boy on the Sandwich Supper menu, I thought you all may enjoy:

Peanut Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup corn flakes
3/4 cup salted Spanish peanuts
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix ingredients in order listed. Drop from teaspoon onto cookie sheet.  Bake in 350-degree oven for 10 - 12 minutes. Yield:  36 - 48 cookies.

I hope none of you are eating anything like this:
Meal-in-One Salad
1 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup water
1 package lemon gelatin
2 cups cottage cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
Heat chili sauce with water.  Dissolve gelatin in heated mixture; beat in cottage cheese and mayonnaise.  Chill until firm.
(Any recipe that puts chili sauce, lemon gelatin and cottage cheese together can't be good. But wait, there's more...)
Fruit and Vegetable Layer: 
2/3 cup pineapple juice
1 cup water
1 package lemon gelatin
1 cup diced celery
1 cup crusted pineapple
1 cup cooked carrots, diced
1 cup cooked peas
1 small can pimento, cut fine
1 cup crab meat
1/2 - 2/3 cup salad dressing or mayonnaise
1/2 -1 cup whipped cream

Heat pineapple juice and water together; add gelatin.  Stir until dissolved.  Add remaining ingredients except crab meat, salad dressing and whipped cream; chill until partially set.  Pour over first mixture; let set.  Place crab meat on top before serving.  Spread with dressing made of salad dressing and whipped cream.  Yield:  8 servings.

That layer sounds ok by itself. But combined?

For years my husband and I put on Civil War clothes and were in parades on Memorial Day. We've taken a break since adopting the boys, but there was something fun about wearing the hoop skirt and bonnet and waving at people. What are you doing to honor the day?