With Memorial Day quickly approaching I am looking for some quick and easy recipes.   Monday morning I will be going to a friends house. Everyone brings a dish so we have some great food while watching the parade.  Last year I made cheese danish~ the year before it was my daughters birthday, so I made cupcakes.

Anyone have a good idea for me?

You can make spaghetti.  Saute onions until crystallized. Add ground beef. Stir and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add black mushrooms (sliced and soaked in hot water for about an hour). Stir. Then add your favorite spaghetti sauce. Put some ketchup. That's it. Pour over cooked pasta. Sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top. 

Too late, I missed Memorial Day. How about something fruit or vegetable next time.  I love to take cut up veggies and dip to parties.  This way I know there is going to be something healthy.  Also great when it's warm out.

Other times I will make brownies and pick up ice cream. Brownie sundaes.

I went very quick and easy this year.  I made rice krispy treats.  They were totally gone when the parade was over, so I guess it was a good choice.

We have a lot of picnics in our family. I usually like to make a fruit tray. I use watermelon, cantelope, grapes, and strawberries. I slice them up and make a pretty platter out of them.

We have a lot of picnics in our family. I usually like to make a fruit tray. I use watermelon, cantelope, grapes, and strawberries. I slice them up and make a pretty platter out of them.

Excellent idea, fruit works very well in summer, and a neatly arranged platter of fruit looks so nice. Another thing one can do is fruit salad. I am not big on them myself, but others seem to enjoy them, so it would be a good option.

Very good lilbit, that idea is very nice. I will tell you a small recipe. Take one cup of rice powder and add one cup of coconut power, mixed those items with water and cook in steem method. Add with suger and surve it.

I love the fruit idea too.  I am going to make Fruit Ka Bobs for the 4th of July.  The kids love to eat them too!  It is great if you can get the kids snacking on helathy foods rather than all the junk that comes out during family gatherings.

No kidding Antk... healthy eating when there is a bunch of junk food to choose from.  My daughter loves fresh fruit. So if she grabs the ka-bobs and only 1 brownie then I think we have a win/win situation.

I usually take a vegetable tray to most events.  That way I know there will be something healthy to eat too.

Banana bread! I love this when you want something of a treat, yet something that will kind of fill you up. If it was for a labor day gathering, I would say zucchini bread since we all have zucchini coming out of our ears  by labor day!

Hi guys...
last time my family picnic enjoy the fruits :P

Hi guys....quick and easy recipes very used for short time picnic :-\ my family picnic more enjoy one reason my mother prepared some foods :-\

With the economy the way that it is everyone has had to cut their budgets in some ways.  For a lot of people their cut backs were in their food budget. Weather it is cutting the portions or cutting things out totally. Being a mother of soon to be 5 I have found ways to cut the budget on the food and not on the size or nutrition. Here is a recipe that all of the family will enjoy, especially the kids.

Mini Meatloaves

Ingredients
1 – 6 or 8 oz box of stuffing (Any type will do)
1 egg
1 cup of water                         
1        lb of ground beef , turkey or anything that you want.
Method
Mix stuffing and water in a medium bowl making sure that it is  mixed thoroughly, and set a side . (May still be slightly dry still that is okay)
In another bowl mix your egg and your 1 pound of meat . When mixed well add your stuffing mix.
With clean hands mix all together. When that is done get a muffin tin spray lightly with a cooking spray or you can use margarine if you do not have the oil .
Spoon mixture in the holders till they are filled to the rim.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake for 20 to 25 minutes . Depending on what type of oven you have it may take a little longer
These are great for the main dish , or as a side dish you decide that . Makes approximately 8 Mini Meatloaves .
Health Tip

If you are watching what you are eating . Or you are using the food pyramid or anything like that to monitor what you are eating in this recipe there is:

2 Proteins
1 Grain

Quick and easy summer pasta salad.

During the hot summer months this is a good salad to have for family reunions or if you have a company picnic . It is cheap easy and it goes over really well .

Quick Italian Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1 or 2 pounds of spaghetti noodles
3 Roma tomatoes
½ Green Pepper in to strips
½ Medium purple onion
1Small cucumber
1 bottle of Zesty Italian dressing
Method
Boil spaghetti like you would normally.
While that is cooking quarter your Roma tomatoes and cut your green peppers in to small strips .
Put the tomatoes in a large bowl.
When noodles are cooked run them under cold water to cool them . Then put the noodles in with the tomatoes.
Cut your onion in to rings or strips
Cut your cucumber in circles to the thickness that you would like it .
Mix all that up and add your bottle of dressing to finish it off .
Refrigerate
Make sure that you mix it up again before you serve it , if you are going to take it to a picnic or reunion




Health Tip

If you are watching what are you eating or follow the food pyramid in this recipe there are

3 Vegetables
1 Oil
1 Grain

Whenever we go for a picnic i will prepare lemon juice with ice. That will be good during travel and be good for stomach upsets. The ingredients for lemon juice are lemon juice, sugar, salt(small amount), ginger juice(1 tabel spoon) and ice cubes. Just mix all the ingredients and fill it in a container.

i can suggest if u want meat, you can marinate the meat with lemon juice,soy sauce, seasoning powder flavor night before the occasion, then the next day you can fry it, then hmmmm, i am sure it will taste good.. ;)