Just like mom used to make!
Much beloved cookout food for the big day 🎆
Good morning!
My mom would’ve been 100 years old on July 4th this year. It’s a mind-boggling number that makes me nostalgic, contemplative, and a little freaked-out, all at the same time.
Whenever there’s a birthday on the 4th of July, the parties are usually more intentional, sometimes more intense. My childhood celebrations were definitely both.
I was the “caboose,” as my parents called me (a more diplomatic word than “accident” lol), in a longish line of kids. It was super cool to have much older brothers, who would do things like procure copious amounts of fireworks — the kinds that are, I think (I hope!) illegal now — for my mom’s popular 4th of July party.
After fearsome rounds of Jarts (definitely illegal), in the dusky moments before sunset, the fireworks show would begin.
Well, show is a loose term for what they were. They were just as likely to take off horizontally across the yard than up in the air where the neighbors could see. The thrill of the spectacle was the spectacle itself.
This little essay is no doubt already longer than you’re really interested in, so I’ll just sum up the description of it by saying that the fun of the show was really on the ground, with all of us in turn screaming and hiding behind trees.
Basically a snapshot of all the crazy, how-did-someone-not-lose-an-eye things from the GenX era, now infamous on social media.
Mom left behind a recipe book that I cherish. Much of it contains some very Midwesterny casseroles that I wouldn’t touch on a bet right now — Chicken a la King, absolutely hated it 😂 — but her cookout gems are in there, too, and I wanted to gather the ones I’ve made for the blog, including a new addition. I hope you don’t mind. 🎉
Our 4th of July celebrations were pretty large affairs, and my mom cooked it all herself (on her own birthday — I know, I know, but I was young and had no idea what was going on. My siblings defensively say they manned the grills, but, my dudes, that was the least of the effort).
She was the queen of maximizing the available cooking appliances to get everything done at the same time. The oven was for baked beans and desserts. These beans are probably one of my earliest memories from cookouts. During the rest of the year, we would get beans directly out of the can on the stovetop (meh), but for summer parties, she’d work her special magic on these oven-baked versions.
Well, we thought it was magic, but she knew that it was the simple combination of really flavorful ingredients plus time spent in a hot oven.
Many of these foods you might recognize as popular retro classics, but it was my mom’s gen that created them. These are the cookout foods of my youth, and they’ve all beautifully stood the test of time. They’re all on the menu for my own 4th of July shindig this year in honor of Mom.
Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad (Mom used to make it with tuna)
Broccoli Grape Salad with Bacon
For more picnic food inspiration, browse my collection of some of my favorite summer party foods and beverages.
Until next time, friends, stay kind 🫶🏻, wear sunscreen 🧴, leave the 🎇🎆 to the professionals, and remember that soup is nature’s perfect meal 🍲
Oh my, these beans look delish! Being a New Englander, homemade baked beans were always on the party menu in summer! How I wish I had your mom's special recipe all those years! Would have kept my kitchen a lot cooler! Lol! Can't wait to make these. Thanks for sharing a treasure with us. Hope you're doing well. Sending blessings!
Those baked beans look great.