A Laborless Labor Day!

There are many reasons to love Labor Day, the main one being that there is no work!  But, there is also barbequing and celebrating outside with friends and family.  I love barbeque food, but this time I decided to do something different (especially since I don't have a grill!)  This dinner would be perfect to bring to a picnic and celebrate the end of summer.  Plus it's all really easy - there's no laboring away in the kitchen on Labor Day!

Drink...

Pineapple Upside Down Cake Cocktail

*recipe from Pinnacle Vodka
I'm not gonna lie...I mainly chose this drink because I had all the ingredients in my apartment.  However, I will say that pineapple juice does remind me of summer and it was an easy, delicious drink that would be perfect for a labor day party!
Ingredients:

• 2 oz Cake Vodka
• 4 oz club soda
• splash of pineapple juice
• Maraschino cherry

Directions:

1. Mix the first three ingredients in a glass full of ice.
2. Garnish with a cherry.

Dinner...

BLT Pasta Salad and Fried Pickles

What's better than a pasta salad and some fried food for a Labor Day party? Maybe a hamburger would be better (if you know me, you know I am obsessed with hamburgers), but I can't always make a burger, so this is a great second best :) Plus, Doug was out of town this weekend, so I was trying to take advantage of that and make things that I know he doesn't like and wouldn't eat if he were there.

BLT Pasta Salad

*recipe from: A Bird and a Bean

Pasta salad is a classic side dish for any picnic or barbeque.  This time, the pasta salad can be the main dish.  If you like a BLT, you will like this pasta.  I would add a little more bacon, because more bacon is always a good thing!
Ingredients:

• 12 ounce corkscrew shaped pasta
• 1/2 cup milk
• 12 ounces lean bacon
• 3 medium ripe tomatoes, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup mayo (you could use 1/4 cup mayo and 1/4 cup greek yogurt)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons chopped chives
• 5 heads Bibb lettuce, quartered, or 5 cups chopped romaine hearts

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water as the label directs. Drain and toss with the milk in a large bowl; set aside. 
2. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Discard all but 3 tablespoons drippings from the pan. 
3. Add the tomatoes, thyme and garlic to the pan and toss until warmed through; season with salt and pepper.  
4. Crumble the bacon into bite-size pieces; set aside 1/4 cup for garnish. Toss the remaining bacon and the tomato mixture with the pasta. 
5. Mix the mayonnaise, sour cream and 3 tablespoons chives with the pasta until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper. 
6. Add the lettuce; toss again to coat. 
7. Garnish with the reserved bacon and the remaining 1 tablespoon chives. Serve at room temperature.  

Fried Pickles with Chipotle Mayo Dip

*recipe from Paula Deen & Modern Mrs. Cleaver

I am somewhat new to fried pickles since I have only had them a few times.  But, the times I have had them, I LOVED them!  These pickles were good, but I think I'll stick to getting them at restaurants rather than making them at home.  If you do make them (and don't get me wrong - they were good, I ate all of them!), I might leave out the cornmeal and I would definitely make the chipotle mayo again.  But watch out, because the chipotles can be really spicy!

Ingredients: 

for the pickles:

• 1 24-ounce Jar Kosher dill pickle spears or slices
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup Louisiana hot sauce (I like Texas Pete)
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 gal peanut oil
• Uncle Bubba's Fry Mix
• 6 cups self-rising flour (If you can’t find self-rising flour, use 6 cups all-purpose flour plus 3 tablespoons baking powder and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt)
• 1 cup self-rising white cornmeal (If you can’t find self-rising cornmeal, use 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons white cornmeal, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper 

 for the dip: 

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 chipotle pepper (from the can with adobo) 
• adobo sauce (from the can of peppers) 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 1/3 cup honey
• 5 drops Worcestershire sauce

Directions: 

for the dip:

1. Combine all the dip ingredients in a food processor or blender. For the adobo sauce, I used all the sauce in the can, but maybe start with a little and work your way up. Blend it all together until it’s thoroughly combined, then place in a bowl and chill until serving.

for the pickles: 

mmm...fried food

1. Make the fry mix by combining all the ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Drain the juice from the pickle jar and refill the jar with the garlic powder, hot sauce, and buttermilk. Marinate the pickles for at least 30 minutes. 
3. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the oil to 350 degrees F. Drain the pickles. 
4. Put the fry mix in a large mixing bowl, and toss the pickles to coat thoroughly. Shake off the excess mix by tossing lightly in a strainer and deep fry the pickles in batches for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the spears.
5. When golden brown, remove the pickles from the oil with a clean strainer or slotted metal spoon and place on paper towels to drain off any excess oil. Serve immediately. 

Dessert... 

 

Lemon Brownies

*recipe from: Rita's Recipes
These are soooooo good.  I almost ate the whole pan at once.  Mine turned out really thin, so they were more like soft lemon cookies.  But still, soooo good.  And, if you want them thicker and more like a brownie, just use a smaller pan the correct size pan (oops - see my note below).  They are also really refreshing which is perfect for a hot Labor Day party.  Mmmm....if you like lemon, make these - you will be so happy!  I think I'm going to go eat one right now :)
Ingredients:
for the brownies:

• 3/4 C flour
• 3/4 C sugar
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 stick butter, soft
• 2 eggs
• juice from 1/2 lemon (about 1T) *I added WAY more because I like it very lemony.  Taste the batter and add more lemon to taste*
• zest from 1/2 lemon (about 1t)*I added more of this too - zest of 1 whole lemon*

for the glaze:

• 1/2C powdered sugar
• 1 T lemon juice *I used way more!*
• additional lemon zest

Directions:
for the brownies:

1. Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a large bowl.
2.  Mix in the softened butter.
3. In another bowl whisk the eggs with the lemon juice and zest.  Add to the larger bowl and mix well.
4.  Pour into prepared 8X8 brownie pan. (ohhh...whoops - I used the 9x13 pan which I now see is for the doubled recipe)
5.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
6. You can double the recipe and bake in a 9X13 pan for 30 minutes.
7. Remove and let cool, then glaze.

for the glaze:

1. Stir all ingredients together. 

Summer's Last Hurrah - A Perfect Labor Day Picnic Meal

With Labor Day comes the sad ending to summer. As a teacher I have to go back to work and everyone starts getting ready for the cooler weather. However, everyone enjoys a long holiday weekend and hopefully this Labor Day meal will help you enjoy it even more! Get your grill ready...or your stove if you live in an apartment like me :)

Drink...Shandy
It's still summer, so I decided to make a light, refreshing drink that tastes great on a hot day.
Shandy originates from the United Kingdom. It is simply beer mixed with carbonated lemonade. How much more refreshing can it get?
Ingredients:
(makes 2 drinks)

• 2 12oz bottles of beer (I used Paulaner Hefeweizen because it is a light wheat beer that goes well with citrus flavor. However, my beer expert, Doug, thinks a Belgian wheat beer would go better in this. Ex: Hoegaarden)
• 8oz of sparkling lemonade (I used Trader Joe's brand, but I think other brands taste much better. Try using San Pellegrino.)
• Raspberries for garnish

Directions:

1. Pour each 12oz beer into a glass.
2. Add 4oz of sparkling lemonade to each glass. Stir.
3. Garnish with a few raspberries floating on top.

Dinner...Grilled Brats with a Savory Beer Sauce
*recipe taken from http://www.bratwurstpages.com/bratrecipe1.html
Everyone knows bratwurst is delicious and a great picnic food. This recipe improves upon traditional American bratwurst by adding a sauce. 
Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

• 4 bratwurst
• 2 12oz bottles of beer
  (Use a dark, flavorful beer. I used Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout.)
• 1 onion
• 1/2 a green pepper
• 7 oz (1/2 a can) of stewed tomatoes
• 1 tbs brown sugar
• 1 tbs flour
• 4 brat buns
• mustard

Directions:

1. Cut 1/2 of the onion into slices and place in a skillet.
2. Put the bratwurst in the skillet with the onions and pour one of the bottles of beer over the brats and onions.
3. Parboil the brats for 20 minutes. (Do not let the beer boil or the brats will burst...just a light simmer)
4. While the brats are cooking, begin making the sauce in a saucepan. Chop the other half of the onion and the green pepper and place in a pan.
5. Add the stewed tomatoes, brown sugar, and the other bottle of beer to the onion and green peppers. Simmer the ingredients together for 15-20 minutes. Do not let it boil. After the sauce has cooked for at least 15 minutes stir in the flour to thicken it.
6. When the brats are done parboiling, pour out the beer and either grill the brats, or if you don't have a grill, cook them in a pan until all the sides are golden brown.
7. Place the brats in the buns. Top with the sauce and mustard.

Corn on the Cob with Smoky Lime Butter
*This recipe was created by Doug 
This is a great twist on the original corn on the cob. The lime flavor makes it extra summery! 

Ingredients:
(serves 4)

• 4 ears of corn
• 4 tbs butter
• 1 tsp of ground cumin
• 2 tsp of chili powder
• 3 tsp lime juice
• Salt

Directions:

1. Cook the ears of corn. (You can boil the corn, but I use a method I learned from my Grandad - microwave it! Wrap the ears in Saran Wrap and microwave for 2 minutes or until hot. Surprisingly, they come out just as crisp and delicious as when they are boiled...as long as you don't microwave them too long.)
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan.
3. Add the cumin, lime juice, and chili powder and mix well.
4. Pour over the ears of corn.
5. Salt the corn before eating.
   

Dessert...Cheeseburger Cupcakes with Sugar Cookie Fries
These are perfect for a picnic. They taste delicious and look so real they even fooled one of my friends who thought she was biting into a real cheeseburger, but was pleasantly surprised with a cupcake!
Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate cake mix + ingredients listed on box to make cake
• 1 box yellow cake mix + ingredients listed on box to make cake
• 1 tub of vanilla frosting (divided and dyed green, yellow, red, and tan)
• 1 log of refrigerated sugar cookie dough

Directions:

1. Bake the chocolate and yellow cupcakes according to the directions on the box.
2. After cupcakes have cooled, remove liners and cut the tops off the chocolate cupcakes and discard, or eat :)
3. Slice the bottoms of the chocolate cupcakes in half horizontally so you have thin round cakes that look like hamburger patties.
4. Cut the yellow cupcakes in half horizontally (this will be the top and bottom of the bun).
5. Place the bottom of a yellow cupcake on a plate, then put the sliced brown cupcake (hamburger patty) on top of it. Add green, yellow, and red icing around the top of the patty to represent lettuce, mustard, and ketchup.
6. Place the top of the sliced yellow cupcake on top of the patty and icing. Put dots of tan icing on top of the bun to look like sesame seeds.
7. Roll the sugar cookie dough out until it is flat and 1/4 inch thick. Bake the dough according to package directions. You will probably need to add extra time since you are baking it as a whole large cookie.
8. Get ready to move fast because you must cut the "fries" out while the cookie dough is still hot or they will crack and break! As soon as the cookie dough is done baking, remove from the oven and use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into small strips for the fries.
9. Let the fries cool and place them around the hamburgers. You can even add a little cup of red icing as "ketchup" to dip the fries in.

Happy Labor Day!

Now you have a summer meal to help celebrate the long weekend, so, grab some friends, a picnic basket, and find a patch of grass to relax and enjoy a holiday meal without doing too much labor!