These cool dips are perfect for Labor Day parties
A teacher friend from Texas started her 31st year of teaching last week. She called on her first day back and asked, “Is it Labor Day yet?”
Yes, Melanie Mason was joking, but it had been a hectic day for her. A former math teacher, she now teaches special education with its mounds of paperwork. When she called, she was trying to get her two 12-year-olds in bed and the dogs out for a walk.
I remember when Labor Day was the last holiday before school started, and I still think it should be. That may not be politically correct, but it is my opinion. Having a holiday after less than a month in school seems ridiculous.
My granddaughter went to first grade Aug. 13, and she is slowly getting back in the school routine. She likes her teachers and her “kids,” but she isn’t liking not having as much free time. To me, a break so soon is a setback in the class routine. Again, my opinion.
Labor Day, which is eight days away, for some families is a last-chance holiday until Thanksgiving. It may mean a short trip or just having friends and family for a goodbye-to-summer backyard bash.
Since the thermometer still hits the 80s and 90s, the Labor Day parties still need cool foods. Salads, dips and chips and grilled burgers or sandwiches are perfect foods to keep everyone’s cool for the holiday.
At a recent party, I enjoyed an unusual pickle dip. I thought it sounded strange but gave it a try. I was amazed; it may become my favorite dip. I am making it for a church potluck but adding boiled shrimp to the original mix. Dill and shrimp pair well.
I love salads and dips for summer parties. Sesame chicken dip could really be served as a salad since it uses breast of chicken slices, spinach and cream cheese. Serve it with rice crackers, and you have a nice salad.
Honey by the quart
“Someone was looking for honey in quart jars from Woolmarket,” said a reader named David. “I found a place on Three Rivers Road Between Highways 605 and 67. They may even sell it by the gallon, but you have to ask.”
Still looking
“My mother has been using a recipe from your column from maybe two to three years ago and has misplaced it. It was a recipe for a pasta dish that included cannellini beans, bacon, cabbage and more that we cannot remember,” said Debbie Hunt. “If you still have this recipe on file would you be so kind as to send to me? We really enjoyed it!”
I will check my files, and, readers, please see if you saved this recipe. If you did, please send it to me.
DILL PICKLE DIP WITH SHRIMP
4 large dill pickles, quartered
1/4 cup pickle juice
1/2 pound boiled shrimp
8 ounces softened cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cloves garlic, mashed
Place pickles in a food processor, cover and chop fine, but not mushy. Add boiled shrimp, pulse, but do not make a paste. Add remaining ingredients to food processor. Blend until smooth.
Note: Garlic bagel chips are great with this dip, but so is a veggie tray. Remember, to keep it cool.
SESAME CHICKEN DIP
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
3 (8-ounce) packages reduced-fat cream cheese
1 jar (10 ounces) sweet and sour sauce
2 cups chopped fresh baby spinach
1 cup thinly sliced green onions, about 8
1/2 cup chopped salted peanuts
Sesame rice crackers
Mix soy sauce, sesame oil and garlic; toss with chicken. Refrigerate, covered, at least 1 hour.
Spread cream cheese onto a large serving plate; top with sweet-and-sour sauce, spinach and chicken. Sprinkle with green onions and peanuts. Refrigerate, covered, at least 2 hours. Serve with rice crackers.
Nutritional data for 1/4 cup dip: 97 calories, 6 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 25 milligrams cholesterol, 176 milligrams sodium, 4 grams carbohydrates (2 grams sugar, 0 fiber), 7 grams protein.
– From “Taste of Home”
OVERNIGHT LAYERED LETTUCE SALAD
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, torn
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 small sweet red pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
2 cups frozen peas (about 10 ounces)
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
12 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup dried cranberries
In a 4-quart or 13-by-9-inch glass dish, layer the first five ingredients. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise and sugar; spoon over salad, spreading to cover.
Sprinkle top with cheese, bacon and cranberries. Refrigerate, covered, overnight.
Nutritional data for 1-cup serving: 206 calories, 16 grams fat (4 grams saturated fat), 19 milligrams cholesterol, 250 milligrams sodium, 11 carbohydrates (7 grams sugar, 2 grams fiber), 5 grams protein.
– From “Taste of Home”
