Ideas to Spice Up Memorial Day Cookouts

We’re all about traditions here at Hickory Farms. After all, we’ve been an American tradition for over half a century! But we also love taking traditions and adding fresh flairs to personalize them and make them even more special. So when honoring troops with family and friends this Memorial Day, why not skip the same-old routine, and try to spice it up?

A Memorial Day cookout doesn’t have to be the same every year, instead of the regular routes, try one of these creative alternatives.

Instead of only relying on flags and red, white and blue décor…
Incorporate foods and dishes in your Memorial Day menu that show your patriotism. You can also honor a soldier currently overseas by serving up his or her favorite foods.

Photo via Moonlightrainbow.tumblr.com

Instead of sticking to only hamburgers and hotdogs…
Try throwing unique foods on the grill like salad and fruit. This grilled apple salad from Southern Living looks delicious. And in case you missed it, we recently wrote a post on yummy grilled fruit desserts – be sure to check it out!

Photo via Southern Living

Instead of an ordinary cooler…
Try serving drinks in an unexpected way. We love this creative DIY watermelon cocktail keg idea!

Photo via SheKnows

Instead of your typical food spread…
Create a build-your-own station! It could be a build-your-own drink or build-your-own dessert bar. We love the idea we came across on Design Indulgences for creating a build-your-own fruit pizza bar! It’s a wonderful way to make food more fun for friends, family, and guests.

Photo via Design Indulgences

How do you plan to spice up your Memorial Day cookout? Share your favorite tips, tricks, and ideas in a comment or on our Facebook page.

Uniquely Delicious Grilled Fruit Desserts

Hamburgers, hot dogs, BBQ chicken, corn on the cob, veggies and … fruit? That’s right! A delicious grilled fruit dessert can elevate a casual cookout into a chic, gourmet grill out. These desserts are not only easy and fun to make but can also be made to combine creative flavors for a uniquely fresh fruit dessert that is sure to wow family and friends – and taste buds!

There are tons of yummy grilled fruit dessert recipes out there. Keep it as simple as sliced apples grilled with mint.

Photo via Health.com

Or, get creative (and ambitious) and try something spectacular like this apple pie breakfast stack made with grilled apple slices!

Photo via Steph’s Bite by Bite

One grilled apple recipe we thought sounded particularly good was this Baked Apples on the Grill recipe from Taste of Home. All you do is fill cored apples with some raisins, flaked coconut, packed brown sugar, and a little cinnamon. Then, throw them on heavy-duty foil, wrapping over the top and sealing tightly. Grill the apples, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes or until they are tender.

Pears and mangoes are great with grill marks, too! We love the sound of the simple yet succulent Grilled Bartlett Pears A La Mode recipe from the Food Network. And the recipe for luscious grilled mangoes with a chili-honey glaze that we came across on Urban Accents has our mouths watering as well.

As Katy McLaughlin, food writer for the Wall Street Journal says in Grills Gone Wild, “Many fruits benefit from the kiss of the grill.” So why not use them all! We love the idea of making Grilled Fruit Kabobs or Grilled Fruit Skewers. Before you fire up the grill, you can even marinate the pieces of apples, pears, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, and kiwi in a liquor of your choice to make it a cocktail and dessert all rolled into one! Don’t forget to garnish them with powdered sugar, mint leaves or even serve them with a sweet yogurt dip.

Photo via Chaos in the Kitchen

If you don’t want to take our word for it, try one of these tasty grilled fruit dessert recipes yourself – your taste buds will thank you! Then, make sure to share with us how you liked it.

Hickory Farms gourmet food gift baskets are wonderful for easy entertaining as several include a variety of fresh fruits ready to hit the grill!

New Spring Gifts from Hickory Farms

The spring season is always an exciting time of year. As nature is bursting with color, we are bursting with energy to get outdoors and enjoy beautiful weather and our favorite spring season traditions. So to celebrate this vibrant time of year, Hickory Farms is offering new spring gifts to make the season even sweeter. It’s just our way of making this season burst with color, energy, and now flavor, too!

Each spring gift from Hickory Farms comes in a beautiful basket that was thoughtfully designed with bright spring colors and flavors that are sure to bring a smile to anyone’s face. Made with only the freshest of ingredients, our spring gifts feature refreshing fruits, delicious snacks, and delectable treats that can take any spring activity from plain to perfectly delightful.

With The Spring Treats basket you can enjoy D’Anjou Pears, a Fuji Apple, a Navel Orange, Mixed Nuts, 2 Farmhouse Cheddar wedges, and Olive Oil & Rosemary Crackers. You also get our famous Pastel Chocolate Dutch Mints and a Large Spring Flower Decorated Sugar Cookie for a nice sweet treat.

The Hickory Spring Reserve features a lot of the same delicious gourmet snacks and sweets including the Pastel Chocolate Dutch Mints and our cute, flower-shaped Sugar Cookie, but this beautiful basket also includes Kiwi Fruit, Roasted & Salted Pistachios and a bottle of Mirassou Chardonnay.

Our Bountiful Spring Tastings come in a beautiful basket filled to the brim with signature Hickory Farms gourmet goodies including Roasted & Salted Pistachios, Chocolate Covered Dried Strawberries, Lemon Crème Almonds, Mini Dried Fruit Tray, and a Large Spring Flower Decorated Sugar Cookie.

Our new spring gifts are perfect for welcoming a new neighbor or as a special way to wish someone a happy birthday. They make for wonderful graduation gifts and thank you gifts, too!

Who are you planning to surprise with spring colors and flavors this season? Tell us in a comment below.