Luscious Holiday Berry Slush
As a day of remembrance and a time to reflect, this Monday, May 27, America will celebrate Memorial Day.
Not just a three-day weekend with a roster filled with barbeques, parades and gathering with friends and family, but central to the holiday is a time to honor the generations of the fallen brave men and women in the United States armed services who gallantly served our country.
Formerly known as Decoration Day, early observances of the holiday began in 1868, three years after the Civil War, honoring the countless Union and Confederate soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict defending our country.
With heartfelt respect for the brave men and women in the armed services, it was national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, General John Logan who proclaimed that Decoration Day should be observed on May 30 by decorating the graves of the war dead with flowers.
At the first public observance, it was estimated that 5,000 mourners decorated 20, 000 graves with flowers of the Civil War dead buried at Arlington National cemetery.
By the late 19th century, the name gradually changed to Memorial Day and was declared the official name in 1967 when all soldiers of every American war are remembered.
As the movement to honor the fallen solders grew in various towns across the nation, it was in 1971 when Congress officially declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May.
Marking the unofficial start of summer with many long-standing traditions in place, commemorating Memorial Day over the three-day weekend typically include parades featuring marching bands with military personnel, placing flags and flowers on all military grave sites and getting together with family and friends.
So whether your plans call for a traditional barbeque at home or joining in at a community gathering, this refreshing recipe for Berry Slush will not only cool you off, but will help kick-off the summer season.
Berry Slush
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries, washed, cleaned and hulled
6 oz frozen orange juice concentrate
1 tsp. sugar
In a blender, combine the strawberries, the orange juice concentrate and sugar. Blend until just until mixed. While still blending, add ice cubes through the opening in the lid until slushy. Pour into chilled glasses and serve.
Makes about 4 servings.
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