Today Matt Swaim/Sonrise Morning Show/  chatted about Memorial Day and its meaning. (Also mentioned St. Rita, my patron saint….). Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Memorial Day 2023 will occur on Monday, May 26. 

Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971. Many Americans observe Memorial Day by visiting cemeteries or memorials, holding family gatherings and participating in parades. Unofficially, it marks the beginning of the summer season.

When we were kids my dad & mom would pile all of us in his Chevrolet to go on a day long trip to Dayton, Ohio to visit relatives and to decorate the graves of our family.

Mom would pack her version of a picnic lunch: stuffed cabbage rolls cooked and toted in an iron kettle; fried kibbi patties, tabouleh, plain white bread and seasonal fruit.

Here’s a vintage recipe included in just about every church cookbook: fresh strawberry pie with gelatin and cornstarch. Oh my, it’s so good.

Happy Memorial Day to you, and yours, and remember to pray for those gone before you, especially all of our folks who gave their lives for our country.

Glazed gelatin strawberry pie

I’ve had 2 requests to share this again. So here it is! 

A straight-forward, vintage recipe, The glaze is a homemade version of store-bought glaze and is better tasting. Gelatin allows the pie to cut fairly easily. 

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup cold water

1 pkg, 3 oz, strawberry gelatin

4 cups sliced strawberries – measure after slicing

1 pie shell, pre-baked

Whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Whisk together sugar, cornstarch and water in a saucepan until smooth. 

Turn heat to medium, bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Continue to whisk and cook until thick, a couple of minutes.
Remove from heat, stir in gelatin until dissolved. Refrigerate just until slightly cooled, about 15 minutes.

Pour strawberries into pie shell and pour gelatin mixture over.

Refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream.