Memorial Day- Top 10

What does your family do for fun over Memorial Day? Camping? Boating? Swimming? See a movie? Shopping? Whatever you’re planning, make it special. And don’t forget why we have a Memorial Day to begin with!

Memorial Day, which started as  Decoration Day, is a day in which we remember those who have died in our nation’s service. Traditional observance of this great holiday have diminished over the years as many American’s have forgotten the meaning and traditions of Memorial Day and believe it to be just another day off work or school. This year, remember those who have gone before us, those who were veterans, and those who are not. This is a special day to remember those who are not with us anymore, and honoring them should be included in any festivities we plan.

This is a very special day to me, as I have family members who have and are serving in various capacities in the military. It is important to me to show my appreciation to them for their service. I treasure each and every opportunity that I get to go sit by the headstones of my family members who have gone before me, and reflect on the influence they had in my life.

Despite being a more somber holiday, my family doesn’t fail to have a good time. Whether we go camping, boating, or just have a barbeque at home, it is always special. Do you have any special traditions that your family observes on Memorial Day?

Here are our top ten family activities to do on Memorial Day:

1. Visit your local cemetery and place flags on the graves of veterans.
2. Write letters to the troops, especially those from your local area.
3. Attend a minor league baseball game or other sporting event.
4. Visit a National Park. Visit www.nps.gov to find one near you.
5. Have a picnic in the park or mountains.
6. Take a road trip to a famous landmark near your home.
7. Check out all the local festivities in your area. Parades, breakfasts, parties, etc.
8. Get your family, friends and neighbors together for a barbeque.
9. Spend the day in the water. The lake, water parks, or the sprinkler at the house.
10. Do an activity outdoors with your family. Ride bikes, play tennis, or go on a hike.

How to be the #BestMomEver!

Mothers Day is only a couple weeks away! And every mother I know is always trying to do better!

I’ve discovered recently how informative Instagram can be!  I searched the hashtag #BestMomEver to find some great advice on how to be the world’s greatest mom!!

Here are our top 5 ways we found to be the #BestMomEVER!!!

1. Children really like to be licked. So bring out your inner feline and lick away! Ha Ha!

2. Give your children snacks, like cookies. But make sure to try them first. Don’t worry, they won’t notice the big bite out of it.

3. Leave love notes along with your bribes! That way they won’t notice you are bribing them.

4. When your child is crazy, act crazy too! It will make them feel better.

5. Encourage your child’s candy hoarding habit by sending them extreme amounts of sugar.

Mother’s Day

I love May, not only is it my birthday this month, but the flowers start blooming, and it starts getting warmer. Oh, and because it’s Mother’s Day! I love my mom and I think she is pretty special. To show you just how awesome my mom is I wrote a poem.

My Mom is Awesome!

My mom is awesome!

There’s many ways this is true! Need examples, here’s a few:

She is patient and kind, makes me laugh to unwind.

She loves to have fun- rain, snow, sleet, hail, or sun! 

To others she’s nice, and always gives great advice.

She loves a great deal, and can bait a fishing reel!

She cooks really great food, to feed her big hungry brood!

And why I love her you see, is ‘cause she loves me!

 

I hope that you feel like your mom is pretty special too! As you read in the poem, one of the reasons I love my mom is because she cooks really great food! I wanted to share one of her favorite recipes with you!

Cottage Potatoes

5-6 large Klondike Rose® potatoes, boiled diced and cooled

¼ lb. cheddar cheese, diced

5 slices white bread, diced

1 tsp. garlic salt

½ celery salt

2 tbsp. parsley flakes

1/8 tsp. pepper

¼ C. onion, diced

1 cube melted butter

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Dice the potatoes and boil them for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and pour into a 9×13 inch casserole dish. Add cubed cheese and bread, salts, parsley, and pepper.

Put diced onion in a microwave safe bowl, put cube of butter on top. Microwave for 2 minutes or until onions start to get tender. Pour over potatoes.

Toss potato mixture together until well mixed. Pour milk over potatoes. Do not stir. Place in preheated oven. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour.

Outdoor Cooking

I love to cook outdoors. Grilling, Dutch oven or over an open fire, everything seems to taste better out in nature. I’m not sure if it really is better, or just that I am starving, but at least it seems to taste better!

One of my favorite ways to cook outdoors is with the Dutch oven. I love its versatility and its many uses. You can bake breads and rolls, cook meat, stews, soups, roasts, chicken, ribs, or sauté veggies, and cook up a delicious au gratin potato. And did you know that you can cook up more than just a simple cobbler for dessert too? Cheesecakes, cakes, cinnamon rolls, and more can all be baked in a Dutch oven. Wow. Now I’m hungry!
Now I’m ready for summer so that I can get outside and get cooking! I am excited to cook with my Dutch oven! In order to get you started with your outdoor cooking, I wanted to share one of my favorite Dutch oven potato recipes! It’s delicious!

Dutch Oven Potatoes
1 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces
10-12 large Klondike Rose® Potatoes
3 Tbsp. Johnny’s Hunter’s Blend Seasoning Salt
1 can cream of chicken soup
3 c. shredded cheddar cheese

• When the Dutch oven is hot add the bacon and heat until fully cooked.
• Drain about half of the bacon grease, and add the potatoes.
• Add 3 Tbsp. of the seasoning salt blend. Cover and cook about 20-25 minutes stirring occasionally (or until potatoes are no longer crunchy, but do NOT overcook).
• Add cream of chicken and cheese. Heat through and serve – YUM!

My Mom Is Better Than Yours!

I am pretty sure that almost everyone feels this way about their mothers! I know I think my mom is awesome!

With Mother’s Day fast approaching, we want to know why you think that your mom is the best mom ever! Head on over to our Facebook page and tell us why your mom is the best mom ever! Then share your comment with all your friends and family and get them to vote for your comment!

The post with the most votes wins!  Posts and votes will be accepted until May 17^th. Winner will receive a prize pack for themselves and a one for their mom!

So come on over and tell us why your mom is so awesome!

Children’s Spring Coloring Contest

Do your kids like to color?

Would they like the chance to win some awesome prizes?

We are holding our first children’s coloring contest!

All you have to do is print off the coloring page here and have your kids color them. Then upload either a scan of the colored picture or a photo of it to our contest page. Easy as that! There will be 2 winners chosen from each age group! Contest is open (to upload picture) from May 1- June 30, 2013. One entry per child.

Winners will be posted on the Klondike Brands website as well as on the blog. Winners will be notified via email. Winners will receive a potato prize pack valued at approximately $35.

Print off the coloring page today! Color it, and then submit it! Click here for more details.

Age Groups/Categories

5 yrs. and under

6 to 10 yrs. old

11 to 15 yrs. old

Meal Mash Up – April!

This month’s Mash Up side dish is Paprika Potatoes and Green Beans! I absolutely love this recipe! It is a delicious combination of two of my favorite veggies, and the paprika adds a great kick! I love to use Smoked Paprika to give it another dimension of flavor!

Here are some of my favorite additions to this wonderful dish that I like to use for meals!

 

Today’s Side Dish: Paprika Potatoes and Green Beans

 

Entrées:

Grilled Tilapia

Swedish meatballs

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Bacon Wrapped Sirloin Steak

Baked Ham

 

Desserts:

Lemon tart

Chocolate Brownie Trifle

Baked Apple

Macaroon Cookies

Banana Splits

 

Which combination sounds good to you?