Memorial day is upon us. It is one of my favorite weekends of the year. The tradition of us hosting a crawfish boil started in 2016 when Lillian was baptized on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. A crawfish boil was the perfect way to celebrate with our friends and family. We decided to keep the tradition alive and host a boil every year, and it’s the official start of summer for us.
I love hosting parties, but just don’t do it enough since the girls are still so little. I am dying for a fancy dinner party, but the idea of having toddlers running around during cocktail hour ruins the mood for me, so for now we stick to mostly day time events. Having all of our family and friends in our home just makes my heart happy. It is a ton of work to pull off a bigger party, but it just leaves me so fulfilled to see everyone in our backyard.
An added benefit to this annual party is that it forces us to have an annual cleaning day in the backyard. We pressure wash all the furniture, plant new flowers, wipe all the pollen off every surface it is caked on, and I can usually upgrade at least one thing I’ve been meaning to replace. This year, I am in the market for a new coffee table for the back porch. Not only is the backyard clean and refreshed for the party, it’s ready for the long summer days ahead where we’ve been known to be outside from breakfast to dinner.
But just in case you aren’t in the deep south where crawfish boils are common place, I wanted to share some recipes you could make this weekend to kick off summer. Even if it’s just you and your family, it’s a great weekend to kick back and enjoy some downtime together.
For Snacking
Buffalo chicken dip is probably my favorite thing ever, so any excuse to have it is fine by me. This is the best classic recipe.
Baked brie is another one of my favorite things to make, but this grilled brie looks amazing! I may have to add this to my crawfish boil menu this weekend too.
My step mom almost always brings these for any party we have. She always tells me they are so the kids have something to snack on, but the adults always end up eating the most of them. I think it brings us all back to our childhoods.
The biggest hit on our last vacation was sliced watermelon by the pool. I think my girls consumed about 3 whole watermelons in two days. It’s simple and easy and keeps the kids hydrated in the summer heat. And the sticky juice goes away with a dip in the pool or a run thru the hose.
On the Grill
Burgers are always a favorite around here and if I were to type out how I make them, it would be this recipe exactly. I never measure anything for burgers, I just season the meat until it doesn’t smell like raw meat anymore. That’s the sweet spot for me.
Anytime we fire up the grill this is a must for me. It is my all-time favorite way to eat veggies. I always have Matt grill about double the amount that we need and I eat it all week. They are the perfect leftovers for pizza toppings, salad toppings or just snacking.
If you are looking for ribs, these look amazing. And these chicken kabobs would be a hit too.
On the Side
Blue cheese coleslaw is always a favorite of mine. One of my best girlfriends makes it and it’s my most favorite thing ever, I always hide away part of it in the fridge for me to eat after the party. It is one of my guilty pleasures. But this one looks amazing too, I love a spicy side dish.
Something Sweet
Nothing screams summer to me more than a warm cobbler with vanilla ice cream melting on top, it is probably Matt’s favorite dessert too.
If cobbler’s aren’t your thing, this pie looks to die for. And of course you can never go wrong with a cake like this for Memorial Day or 4th of July.
Memorial Day is meant to remind us of those who have given their lives fighting for our freedom, so let us all take a few moments to really be thankful to those men and women. So, whatever you end up doing for Memorial Day weekend, I hope you are surrounded by the people you love and get to enjoy some down time.
