Pick Up Everything You Need For A Memorable Memorial Day!

Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start of summer, so what better way to celebrate than holding The First Official Picnic Of Summer!  Check out some of our Memorial Day memorable ideas and tips.  What to serve?  We make it easy!  If you're looking for a patriotic theme, create a fruit flag, with watermelon, jicama and blueberries.  Or, bake a flag cake.  Use blue curaçao liqueur to make patriotic margaritas or daiquiris.  Freeze whole blueberries, white grapes and raspberries, then throw a few in your glass of white wine for tasty ice cubes that won't melt.  Let our fabulous Deli and Bakery do all the work for you, with delicious prepared meals, party platters, side dishes and fabulous desserts.

Be sure to display your American flag.  And take time to reflect on what this holiday is really about.

• Here's a memorable party favor-give guests tree seedlings (available at your local agricultural extension office) to plant at home.
• A roll of red or blue striped awning fabric makes a great stain-resistant tablecloth that can be used again, picnic after picnic, year after year.
• For tidy picnic transport, pack each guest's meal, utensils, napkin and glasses individually in a colorful shopping bag.  And be sure to bring along waterproof totes or plastic garbage bags for carrying recyclables home.
• Use wooden baskets filled with fresh summer produce as centerpieces.  For instance, a big basket of just-washed strawberries looks gorgeous-and the berries are delicious for snacking!
• To be ecologically friendly when you picnic, invest in sturdy recyclable plastic cups, plates and utensils.  Tote everything home again for washing.
• Bandannas make great festive napkins, and wash wonderfully well.
• Why not fill a basket with "picnic essentials" so you can be ready to pick-up-and-picnic at a moment's notice all summer long?  Some items to include: tablecloth, paper plates, utensils, wet wipes, trash bags, sunscreen, insect repellent and a disposable camera.

Fruit Flag

Create a Fruit Flag for a patriotic, healthy dessert!  Simply slice watermelon and jicama (a Southwestern root vegetable with a slightly sweet taste and an apple-like crunch) into strips that are 3 inches long by 1/2 inch thick.  Use a shallow rectangular tray or serving dish to hold your "flag."  Create a 2-inch-wide stripe of watermelon along the bottom edge of the tray.  Follow with a stripe of jicama and repeat until three-fourths of the tray is covered.  Continue making stripes to the top of the tray on the right-hand side, to resemble the American flag.  Fill the left-hand corner with blueberries.  Cut a few pointed stars of jicama and arrange them on top of the blueberries.  Serve with a salute!

Flag Cake  

Simply frost a rectangular sheet cake with white frosting.  Add rows of raspberries to create stripes.  Arrange blueberries in the upper left-hand corner, leaving some of the white showing through to create the stars.  Hail to the Chef!