PICNIC TIME

By Diane Forrest

I used to dream of having a wonderfully romantic picnic beside a stream, sitting on a red checkered blanket under an old oak tree, with my guy laying his head on my lap as I read romantic poetry to him until he drifted off to sleep.  Sadly, I never had that romantic lunch by the stream, but there are many other types of picnics you can experience.

A picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors, ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape. Picnics are often family-oriented but can also be an intimate occasion between two people, or a large get-together, company picnics and church picnics. On romantic and family picnics a picnic basket and a blanket are usually brought along. Outdoor games or some other form of entertainment are common at large picnics. Formerly, picnic meant a potluck, an entertainment at which each person contributed some dish to a common table for all to share.

Picnics are extremely popular all throughout the spring summer and fall but during the month of July you see picnics everywhere and I do mean everywhere! One of the reasons why picnics are so popular in July is because a large number of families take their vacations in July and spend much of their time outdoors enjoying the warm weather and having picnics out of a basket or having outside picnics while grilling BBQ on the grill.

A friend of my was from a large Italian family, and every Sunday after church his family would meet by the lake and share lunch, play games and send homemade boats into the water to race against other family members.  He remembers fondly these Sunday picnics and wishes to share these experiences with his grandchildren some day.

July is National Picnic Month, you still have plenty of time to pack a sandwich in a bag and sit on a park bench, or plan a romantic outing with a picnic basket filled with wine, fruit and cheese, or even a family day out with some fishing poles, a grill and some hot dogs.  It doesn’t matter what you have, or  where you go, the important thing is the memories you make that will last a lifetime.

[Photos from Google] 

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches – Yum!

By Chef Diane

My grandfather went to Mississippi State University, as did my father, my brother, and my son.  I was the black sheep of the family I suppose, but they didn’t have a nursing program.  What they do have is studies in Agriculture, and that includes raising cows for dairy, and making cheese.  In fact it was originally known as The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science.  The sell the cheese they make only once a year by mail order, and being the strong supportive alumni my father is, he orders several boxes each year for Christmas gifts.  I am usually given a round ball of Edam Cheese, a nice mild flavored cheese, my son gets a hot, spicy cheese, and my parents get some Cheddar cheese.  They are all made in molds, and dipped in wax.  They are all delicious, but a little difficult to slice.   This year I decided to take my cheese to the local grocery store and asked them to slice it for me.  I had no longer brought it home from the store, when my father asked me to bring some over to my mother.  Apparently my father had given away all the Edam cheese, and she didn’t even get a taste.  I took her half the ball of sliced cheese, and in return, my father gave me a block of cheddar.  I took it to get sliced, and brought it home and made a grilled cheese sandwich.  Words cannot describe the deliciousness.  How I make them is to melt the butter on a frying pan, then put a piece of white bread to coat with the butter, pull it out and lay another piece in, making sure it is coated too.  Then I laid a slice of the cheddar on top of the piece of bread in the pan, and covered it with the previously coated bread.  I cook it on medium heat, just to melt the cheese and keep the bread from burning.  After a few minutes I flip it to brown the other side until both sides are golden brown.

I was in heaven!  It was so good, that when anyone came over, I offered to fix one for them!  Since the block is really large, I took half of it back to my daddy so he could share in the wonderfulness too.  Normally, a block of cheddar would last him a while, however since this was sliced for him, he went through it rather quickly, and luckily had another last block of cheddar, which he offered to split with me if I took it to get sliced.  The second time the slices were thicker, which worried me, but it actually made them even better!

According to punchbowl.com, the classic American grilled cheese sandwich emerged in the 1920s when inexpensive cheese and affordable sliced bread became available. It is now a staple in cafés, diners, and school cafeterias across the country.  Chefs today try to improve on the grilled cheese sandwich.  Click here for some different takes on their recopies:  http://www.womansday.com/food-recipes/10-greatest-grilled-cheese-sandwiches-71411

For me it’s just a simple white bread and cheddar or American slice of cheese, and maybe a side of tomato soup.

This month is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich month, so you have plenty of time to enjoy this great sandwich any time of the day for a whole month!

(All images from Google) 

National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

Could there be any more perfect treat on a hot summer day than a delicious Ice Cream Sandwich?  You have Ice Cream, and a chocolate cookie and smile on your face.

Today is National Ice Cream Sandwich day.   An ice cream sandwich is a slice of ice cream, commonly vanilla although other flavors are often used, sandwiched between two wafers, usually chocolate and rectangular.

Pictures taken from the Jersey Shore in 1905 show that Ice Cream Sandwiches were popular then and sold for 1 cent.  The current form was invented in 1945 and was sold at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, Pa.  Since that time there have been other variations of the Sandwich.  Mainly with the wafer.  Chocolate Chip cookies and Ice cream sandwiched between oatmeal cookies dipped in chocolate, and crispy marshmallow wafers are used along with different flavors of ice cream. 

Ice Cream Sandwiches are also popular in other countries such as Australia, Singapore, Wales, England and Scotland.

My favorite way to eat an Ice Cream Sandwich is to let it get a little soft, then lick the ice cream around the edges.  Then I mash the wafers down until more ice cream oozes out.  I continue this process until the wafers are flat against each other and I have licked off all the ice cream.  Then I gobble down the wafers. I always like to eat layered things a layer at a time, to make it last longer, and irritate family members...which is always fun.

So on this hot August afternoon, treat yourself to an ice cold Ice Cream Sandwich in honor of National Ice Cream Sandwich day and remember the summers of your youth, or make some new memories.