An Easy Labor Day Dinner

Labor Day, 2023

Taking it Easy Until Next Labor Day…. 🙂

My Longaberger Pottery Pitcher with Flowers

A Gift of Labor Day to our Daughter, and Son-In-Law

It was back in the summer of 2014 that Veronica and I visited my old homestead in Rome, Georgia to visit with my mother and brother, and to pick up some things to bring home with us. One of those things was this Dinnerware. My mother was giving it to Veronica as something she can use in her home with her then boyfriend/now husband, Brian. Initially, Veronica didn’t want it. It told her to take it anyway. She will want it someday. She then reluctantly took it. I remember packing it into a suitcase I was bringing home with me. When we got home she still didn’t want it. So, I decided that I would use it until she wanted it.

It was around this time in 2023, that she informed me that she wanted it in their new renovated kitchen. And so, I gave it to them both. But, I placed food in some of the platters and bowls as a gift from me. And some flowers into an extra Longaberger Pitcher that I had from long ago, and gifted to Veronica.

This was the Gift of Labor Day!

They both work really hard and I wanted to do something special for them instead of just bringing over the Dinnerware. That’s when I decided to make them something nice to eat along with whatever main course they had in mind.

With the exception of the bacon in the Cobb Salad, this is mainly a vegetarian meal.

Gordon had just left to work overseas less than two weeks prior to this, so it was just me. I had a lot of fun putting this together for our Daughter and Son-In-Law. I knew that I wouldn’t be eating very much on my own, or doing that much cooking, so it was a lot of fun to put it all together for them.

I knew she would want it all someday! 🙂

Julie

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The Labor Day Dinner

Mexican Rice with Peas and Carrots, Left

Potato Medley with Vinaigrette, Middle

Julie’s Cobb Salad w/ Toppings

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(Don’t Forget The Sliced Cantaloupe)

This was actually a very fun and easy day.

Both Veronica and Brian loved the food and how it easily blended with their main course.

It’s fun being a mom. 🙂

Enjoy Your Labor Day!

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RECIPES START HERE

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Cobb Salad

The Cobb Salad was created by Robert Howard Cobb who co-owned The Brown Derby in Los Angeles, California in 1937.

I love a good Cobb Salad because it is great for using up leftovers in your refrigerator. Also, it’s a wonderful Salad that can also be something of a main course. It depends on how elaborate you wish to make it. A Cobb Salad is no different from any salad because of the creativity that goes into it. This is where an amateur can shine. You don’t need lots of cooking experience to create this wonderful salad. Just a great imagination.

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Frying Up Some Bacon…

Hard Boiled Eggs

Romaine Lettuce

Fresh Spinach Leaves

Rainbow Micro-Greens

My Potato Medley With Vinaigrette (Recipe Down Below)

Blue Cheese

Shredded Cheeses

My Chopped Hard Boiled Eggs

All My Greens Washed and Ready

I took the largest platter that came with the set of dishes that I am passing on to Veronica, and draped all over top the Spinach and Romaine Greens from above.

I then placed down the middle, my Potato Medley with Vinaigrette.

I sliced many small Grape Tomatoes in half.

Fresh Avocados

(Add them at the last minute and keep them spritzed with Lime Juice to prevent browning.)

Now I’m having fun with creating these great rows of flavors.

A Row of Bacon, A Row of Avocado, A Row of Tomatoes, etc.

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I Love Crunchy Salad Toppings and,

I also included a small pitcher of Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad Dressing.

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Mexican Rice With Peas and Carrots

This is easy. I love jazzing up easy rice dishes like this.

Just make the Rice according to package directions, and add some frozen Peas and Carrots during the cooking process.

When Done, Place Into A Bowl and Serve

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My Potatoes Medley with Vinaigrette

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Although these Potatoes can be eaten by themselves here, I did make them with the intention of adding them to my Cobb Salad.

Red, White, and Blue

These Colorful Potatoes are a Favorite of Mine

Washing the Potatoes and Poking Holes in them.

You do this so they don’t explode when you cook them.

Placing Them Into a Pot Filled With Water

Bring To A Boil And Cook Until Tender

Make sure a fork can pierce them, then you know they are done.

When Drained, Place the Potatoes Into a Mixing Bowl and Mash into Chunks

I then placed them into a Tupperware Container…

I also added some Garlic Basil Vinaigrette so that it would absorb in. Drizzle just a bit at first. You can always add more later on. You don’t them too soggy.