Picnic’s

PICNIC

Labour Day, 1955

(A.K.A. Labor Day. I guess we dropped the “u.”

That is very American of us to drop those extra letters we don’t need.) 🙂

Found The Perfect Picnic Spot

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Backyard Picnic by the Magnolia Tree

For this particular Labor Day I wanted to do an homage to old Picnic’s of the past with my Grandparents and Great-Grandparent’s. In the slider photo above for this post, from the movie Picnic, the older ladies just remind me of the lovely ladies I grew up with. They were either reading their poetry books, knitting, or creating beautiful needlepoint designs.

My Great-Grandmother’s Poetry Books

My Great-Grandmother Honnie’s Picnic Basket

Me, with my Vintage Southern Caramel Cake

(Recipe Down Below)

Nellie Mae’s Needlepoint

My Grandmother’s that I have of hers that she never completed.

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PICNIC

Starring Kim Novak and William Holden

(And a cast of many more.)

(I love the Chinese lanterns)

A handsome drifter arrives at a small Kansas community just in time for a nice Labo(u)r Day picnic and apparently causes quite a stir with a few of the local’s.

My mother’s friend Judy Ballard Dempsey would always tell me that this is the movie she watches every Labor Day.

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Even though the movie was filmed in 1955 and I wasn’t born until 1961, it still hearkens back to me of those picnic’s past when I was a young girl growing up in the south. The linens, the clothing, women wearing pretty dresses, men wearing white suits, the ladies working on their needlepoint in between tending to everyone where the food and drink are concerned. The lake, the boats, the bank, the levy, the picnic baskets, the picnic thermos, the picnic foods, the cakes, and my grandmother scolding me because I had kicked my shoes off and I was running around barefoot in my pretty dress and according to her ‘ladies don’t act that way’.

I Had This Magnolia Planted in Honor of my Great-Grandmother Keith

I was also still required to ‘ sit up straight’ even when eating at a picnic table.

I miss those days. Not just the picnic’s but the beauty of the south. The ladies sitting in the shade underneath those beautiful trees fanning themselves on that hot Georgia day. Hearing them holler at the boys for getting their britches dirty with that red Georgia clay. They knew that stain wouldn’t come out. The boys either had their britches stained with grass or that beautiful red Georgia clay. As for me, you could always find me wading in the water skipping stones.

To me a picnic isn’t just about the food. It’s about finding the right picnic spot. Using the prettiest linen’s. Usually hand embroidered by my Great-Grandmother Honnie. Playing in the creek. It never mattered to me how cold the water was. I could stick my barefeet into freezing cold water and I was happy just to be splashing around and finding pretty rocks.

Iced Tea Always Played an Important Part in Every Outing

These Plates and Cups Also Belonged to My Great-Grandmother

A picnic to me is a trip back in time visiting those that have long gone, but are never forgotten. As long as I am alive they will be too. So, would you like to go on a picnic?

Load up the car. I’ll be along in just a minute……

Julie

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OUR LABOR DAY PICNIC’S

Julie’s Vintage Southern Caramel Cake

(Caramel Cake Recipe Down Below)

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Let’s Start First With This Dessert

Here is a Special Cake of Mine

Julie’s Red Velvet Stuffed Cherry Cake with Vanilla Frosting and Cherries, Flowers

Judging by my pride above you’d think I was the monkey presenting Simba to all the African animals from the hilltop in The Lion King.

Isn’t it pretty? Well, I obviously think so.

I am no cake maker or decorator. I use a ready made Betty Crocker cake mix. And up until my 40’s I honestly thought that was the definition of cooking from scratch…..

All of my cake pans are different sizes. I just use what I have and to dress it up I’ll add this or that. I always start out trying to make it perfect and then it just sort of unfolds into something a 7 year old would do. So, I decide to just please that 7 year old inside of me and I make it a bit tacky. Because to me tacky is beautiful!

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I remembered the White Chocolate Bark with Cherries

I had forgotten to add them.

Makes the Cake Look More Decadent

Delicious!

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Our Labor Day Watermelon Cocktail

Ingredients: (for 1 Drink)

~ 8 Ice Cubes

1 shot Tequila – Camarena Brand

1 1/2 Cups Watermelon Fruitscato – Barefoot Brand

Garnish:

Watermelon – Sliced and Cubed

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Slice the watermelon in cubes and place them in the glass.

Add about 8 ice cubes to your large shaker.

Now, add one shot of Tequila to your shaker.

Then add about 1 1/2 cups of your Watermelon Fruitscato to your shaker.

Shake all the ingredient in the shaker until your hands are ice cold and pour the mixture into your glass. Enjoy!

Garnished With Watermelon Wedges

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This is One of Our Labor Day Picnic’s

I Wanted Lots of RED

Red Tablecloth, Red Plates, Red Bowls, Red Spoons….

I Also Wanted Lots of Salads

Red Tomatoes

Red Grapes, Condiments, Salads and Bread

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Our Salads

Gordon’s German Potato Salad

Julie’s Ham Salad

Julie’s Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

Julie’s Deviled Ham Deviled Eggs with Bacon

Our Homemade Condiments of Dill Pickles, Pickled Brussel Sprouts, and Corn Relish

(With some of my Souvenir Spoons)

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Different Breads to Choose From

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Recipes Start Right Here

Gordon’s German Potato Salad

Ingredients:

4 lbs. Red Potatoes

1/2 Red Onion – diced

1 Shallot – diced

1 Tbsp. Parsley – chopped finely

Chives – Chopped thinly

10 Slices of Thick Sliced Bacon – cooked and crumbled (save the bacon fat)

1/4 Cup White Wine Vinegar

1/2 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Tbsp. Tarragon Mustard – Homemade

Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper to Taste

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Place all your potatoes in a large pot of cool water then turn the pot’s burner onto high. When the water starts to boil, turn it down to medium-high heat and continue to boil.

Here are the chives and parsley we had growing in our garden, washed and ready.

We cook our bacon using this special large clay cup specially made to be used in the microwave. We cooked it for around 10 min. or until crispy.

Slice then dice your onion… more to follow.

Cook the potatoes until fork tender.

Slice your onion in half then into fine sections…

then make a few diagonal cuts and lastly slice the onion into a small dice.

Here you can see how this bacon cooker works keeping the bacon fat away from the bacon.

Once your potatoes are cooked, cool them down with cold water to stop the cooking process.

In a large saute pan, add about 3 Tbsp. of your bacon fat to the pan then add your diced onions and shallot. Bring the onions and shallots up to medium heat.

Stir the onion mixture while cooking. When the potatoes have cooled, drain them in a colander.

The Potatoes are Ready, the Onion and Shallots are softening.

When the onion have mostly cooked and turned translucent, add your white wine vinegar.

Stir in the vinegar and continue to cook the mixture. Then add your chicken stock and continue to cook the mixture over medium heat.

Add your Mustard to the pan and stir all the ingredients well. Then add some Freshly Ground Black Pepper.

Slice your potatoes into small rounds as shown and place them in a large bowl.

Cook the onion mixture until the liquid has reduced by ~1/4.

Nice close up of the cooked red potatoes Julie!

Slice your chives and parsley as shown.

Once reduced, add your onion mixture to the sliced potatoes.

Ready for the Bacon!

Then add your sliced herbs and bacon crumbles to the bowl.

There’s Always Room for Bacon 🙂

Fold all the ingredients together keeping the potatoes nice shape. Serve cool!

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Setting out some of our Homemade Pickles

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Julie’s Ham Salad

This was so good and easy to make. The ham that you see is fully cooked. I just needed to warm the ham through about 25 minutes in a 350F oven.

Here I am Chopping the Ham into Chunks

Placing the Ham into a Bowl

Next I am Adding our Homemade Mustard and Chopping our Dill Pickles

I just eyeball all of this. I added some Mayonnaise and some Hard Boiled Eggs, along with some Freshly Ground Black Pepper. And a few drizzles of our Pickle Juice from the jar.

I wish I had some of this right now! 🙂

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Julie’s Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans

Chicken Salad is one of my favorite’s. I love it because it is not only tasty and a great lunch or picnic lunch, but it goes a long way in our household. When I do make it I like to use an entire chicken, light and dark meat together. When you have a mix of the two it is just more delicious. So, I start with a whole chicken.

First, place a large pot onto the stove top and fill it with water. You can salt the water. It speeds up the cooking process but it will also add some flavor to the chicken that will be cooking.

The pot on the left are all of my eggs for my Deviled Ham, Deviled Eggs, and for my Chicken Salad.

I just place the chicken into the water and put the burner on high. As it starts to boil I do reduce the heat to about an 8, which is a medium-high heat and I just let it simmer-boil for a good 45 minutes. You want the chicken falling off the bone. I do use tongs to turn the chicken periodically to be sure it is being cooked fully.

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Oh, this is my lunch while I cook. Bread and Manchego Cheese. 🙂

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My eggs are ready. I’ve placed them in cold water and ice to stop the cooking process. I just need about 2 of these eggs for my Chicken Salad. The rest will go into other salads. The egg you see on the plate is me testing them to make sure they are ready. I also give this to Spooky and Sparky as their treat.

When the Chicken is ready I remove it from the pot and place it into a colander that is on top of a bowl to catch the liquid. I allow it to cool and then I start to pick all the chicken off the bones. This is a messy job. I discard the bones, cartilage and fat, and place the white and dark meat into another bowl.

With my Chicken in the bowl I now want to chop some Onion and Celery and place into the bowl with the chicken.

I wish I could give you exact measurements but it really is up to each of us to determine that.

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Chicken, Onion, Celery, Mayonnaise, Mustard, Freshly Ground Black Pepper, Dashes of Hot Sauce, and Pickle Juice. If you have an open jar of pickles in your refrigerator, then just add a few drizzles and it will enhance the flavor of your Chicken Salad. You can also add a few tablespoons of Pickle Relish if you like.

Ready to Chop the Red Grapes in Half

And now ready to add the Chopped Pecans.

Delicious and Beautiful!

Washing some beautiful and Crispy Lettuce for these Salads

Allowing Them To Dry

Fresh Flowers, Fresh Red Grapes, and Fresh Chicken Salad

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Deviled Ham

Deviled Eggs

Julie’s Deviled Ham, Deviled Eggs with Bacon

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I ADORE Deviled Eggs!

I wanted to make them a bit different from my traditional way and that is when I remembered that one recipe in the south where women used to make them with Deviled Ham and Worcestershire Sauce. This is a vintage recipe. Not complicated at all. Just another way to make, and eat them.

Ingredients:

Hard Boiled Eggs, as many as you like.

1 or 2 Cans of Deviled Ham

Mayonnaise to Taste

Mustard to Taste

Chopped Onion to Taste

Dashes of Worcestershire Sauce

Salt and Pepper

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When I make any of my southern salads I always make them geared to my own personal tastes. Therefore, it is sometimes hard to me to give you accurate ingredient information because I just eyeball it. Which is why I am giving you the ingredients but it is really up to you to determine the exact amounts that you prefer for your own tastes.

Boiling the Eggs

In order to make Deviled Eggs you need to hard boil your eggs in a pot of water. Just put as many eggs as you want into a pot and fill the pot with water. Add some salt to the water as this is supposed to speed up the boiling process and it is supposed to prevent an egg from leaking out if it is cracked. Supposedly. 🙂

Turn your water on a high heat and bring to a rolling boil with the eggs in it. Now, turn the heat down to a medium-high heat and continue to boil for about 10 minutes. When done, remove from the heat and place the eggs into a bowl of cold water with some ice in order to stop the cooking process.

You can see my hard boiled eggs in the photo top left. Usually, once I have cooked them I place them into the refrigerator overnight and make my Deviled Eggs the following day.

I now need to remove the eggs from the shells. I just tap them to crack them and then remove the shells.

Then I slice the eggs in half and remove the yolks, like so…..

Into a Mixing Bowl they Go

The Deviled Ham

I grew up on this stuff. We would make Deviled Ham Sandwiches and sometimes I would spread the ham on Saltine Crackers. I hadn’t eaten this stuff in years and it was a nice taste back in time.

Here I am using a fork to mash the yellow yolks and I’ve added some of the Deviled Ham.

Adding the Yellow Mustard

This is our homemade Yellow Mustard but use whatever you prefer.

Now it’s just a matter of adding some Chopped Onion, Dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, Salt and Pepper, then mix together and place into the cavity of each egg.

Then refrigerate until ready to eat!

Oh, and we had some extra BACON from Gordon’s German Potato Salad which we added to each Deviled Egg as a garnish.

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A Nice Little Tray of our Homemade Pickles, Brussell Sprouts, and Corn Relish

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Salad on Salad is Perfection 🙂

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Julie’s Red Velvet Stuffed Cherry Cake with Vanilla Frosting and Cherries, Flowers

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My Cake Pans

I realize they are nothing to get excited about. I don’t make very many cakes but when I do I drag out my cake pans only to remember that I need to buy new ones because the ones I have are old and never the same sizes. But, that never stops me! 🙂

My Ingredients:

2, Red Velvet Cake Mixes

(Just follow the package instructions on how many eggs and how much Vegetable Oil you will need.)

Maraschino Cherries Without the Stems

(As many as you like. And reserve the juice from the jar/s.)

Fresh Cherries, as many as you like.

Flowers and White Chocolate Bark w/ Cherries

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I just followed the cake package instructions making one cake mix at a time. In place of adding water I would add the juice from the Maraschino Cherries.

P.S. Everything tastes better in this Vintage Mixer that my Grandmother gave me many years ago that she bought at a yard sale for $20.00 in Rome, Georgia, my hometown. 🙂

Now It’s Time to Add the Maraschino Cherries

Mix together and then pour into your cake pans that you have greased and floured. To do this you just use some Crisco Shortening and place all around the cake pans you will be using and then add a dusting of Flour. Dump out the extra flour that didn’t stick to the shortening in the cake pans. Then just pour in your cake batter with the cherries.

Just pour the cake batter up 3/4 of the way in the pans.

Bake according to package directions.

It is sometimes best to place the cakes on a baking sheet and then bake. It’s up to you.

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Look How Beautiful!

Right Out of The Oven

Place on Racks to Cool

You can see my fresh Cherries in the bowl to the left.

Look at the Beautiful Cherries on the Bottom of the Cake 🙂

These 3 Cakes were made from 2 Cake Mixes.

Once Thoroughly Cooled…..

I need to make this cake flat on top so I just took a bread knife and sliced the top right off. You can reserve that cake that you cut off and save it for ice cream. 🙂

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Time for me to Assemble my Cake

I knew that I wanted to present my cake on this red and white metal plate so I placed it on top of one of my glass cake pedestal plates in order to do so. I then placed some Parchment Paper all around the outside of the metal plate. You can see that in the photo top right. I had placed the largest cake on first with the top side face down and the bottom side facing up.

The Parchment Paper that you see here in these photos are just strips of Parchment placed all along the sides of the cake. That way when you finish decorating the cake you can just slide them out. But you cannot slide them out if the cake is sitting on top of one large piece of Parchment.

I Iced the first layer of cake all around with just some ready made frosting. Vanilla, of course. 🙂

I then placed the next largest size of cake on top of it and I then iced it. I did do my best to remove a lot of the crumbs so that they didn’t get all tangled up with the frosting. That’s when it gets all gunky and not very attractive.

Now Comes the Smallest Size of Cake on Top

And More Frosting…

I liked that you can see some of the cake layers here.

I Added Some Fresh Cherries, Flowers, and White Chocolate Bark w/ Cherries

3 Layers of a Very Tall Cake

It Truly Was Delicious!

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Julie’s Old Fashioned Southern Caramel Cake

I’m very proud of this cake. It just reminds me of the south.

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Ingredients:

2 1/2 Cups Cake Flour

3 Cups Sugar

2 Cups Butter

8 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

4 t. Baking Powder

1 T. Vanilla Extract

1/2 t. Almond Extract

1 t. Salt

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You will need an electric mixer for this.

You will also need some Parchment Paper and Cooking Oil Spray.

You want to use a pen or pencil and draw the shape of the cake pan onto it.

Then cut out the shape.

I first sprayed some of the cooking oil spray into the pan bottom and sides. I then placed the cut out parchment paper onto the bottom and then sprayed some more of the cooking oil spray.

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Time To Make The Cake

I cracked all the eggs into a small bowl.

I then added the Milk, Vanilla Extract, and Almond Extract to the Eggs.

I mixed everything together and let it sit.

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Cake Flour, Sugar, and Baking Powder

Add to the Mixing Bowl

Blend the Dry Ingredients Together on Low

Slice Your Butter Into Tablespoon Chunks

You want to place your mixer on a low speed and add your butter one tablespoon at at time until it’s blended.

You Can See It Coming Along Here

You Want to Keep Blending the Dry Mixture and the Butter Together

I Then Add about Half of the Egg Mixture to the Butter and Dry Ingredients

When Blended I Add The Remaining Egg Mixture and Increase the Speed to Medium Until Blended

With the Batter Ready, It’s Time to Pour into the Cake Pans

Like So….

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Pre-Heat Oven to 350F

Bake for 20-25 Minutes

To determine when the cake is done, place a toothpick or wooden skewer into the cake and if it comes out clean then the cakes are done.

Place Onto a Cooling Rack and Cool Thoroughly

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Preparing My Cake For The Icing

You Need a Cake Pedestal, Some Parchment Paper, and Your Cake

I cut some of the parchment into strips and placed all around the cake pedestal.

I then placed one of my cakes face down onto the parchment and removed the bottom layer of parchment that we cooked the cake in.

Now It Is Time To Make The Caramel Icing

This is a Caramel Icing Recipe. You are about to make Caramel. 🙂

Ingredients:

2 Cups Butter

5 Cups Sugar

1 1/2 Cups Buttermilk

3 T. Corn Syrup

2 T. Vanilla Extract

2 1/2 t. Baking Soda

1 t. Salt

30 Marshmallows

You will need a Candy Thermometer

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In a heavy saucepan….. over low heat.

Add Your Butter, and Buttermilk

Sugar….

Corn Syrup, Salt, and Baking Soda….

Stirring Constantly Until the Butter and Sugar is Dissolved

You Then Add Your Marshmallows

Werther’s Original Caramels and Hard Candy Caramels

(Thinking about these as accents.)

Marshmallows Melting

The Mixture Kept Expanding So We Transferred Into a Larger Pot

You need to constantly stir so the mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

In order to make the caramel icing you need for the candy thermometer to reach 238F. We never reached it. We even placed the burner on a medium-high. The caramel was spitting hot lava at us and we were getting burned so we called it quits at 220F.

Gordon Had to Oven Mit Up in Order to Deal with the Hot Caramel

We then removed from the heat and added our Vanilla.

Place Your Caramel Into A Mixing Bowl

Now, Use a Mixer to Mix It!

You want the mixture to get cloudy.

Just do the best you can. We did!

Beat about 5 Minutes

Now It’s Time To Start Spreading The Icing

I would like to stress that we never allowed this caramel to reach the 238F temp that would have made it more firm. However, it was still quite delicious as it is.

We also had other intentions where this caramel was concerned.

We wanted it runny enough to use as a fondue dip.

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So, now we have our gorgeously delicious caramel icing/dip.

I do wish that I had placed my cake onto a cookie rack so that the icing could fall down into it, as a glaze. But, instead I had to remove it from the parchment paper and place it back into my mixing bowl for later use.

It may have been a mess to make but it was one of the best cakes that Gordon and I had ever eaten.