Take These Goodies to Your Next Cookout

When someone invites you to a summer cookout, what do you take? We posed this question to selected Kimbrough Law staff members. Here's what they will be making.

Watermelon Boat

This showstopper lends itself to creativity and it's a hit at every party, which is why Mary Jo Johnson likes to bring it to outdoor gatherings. For her son's graduation from the University of Michigan, she carved the watermelon into a block M. If you can dream it, you can carve it!

Equipment

Must-have tools include a melon baller, sharp knife, and cutting board.

Ingredients

1 Large Watermelon

1 Cantaloupe (halved and seeded)

1 Honeydew Melon (halved and seeded)

2 (15 ounces) cans Mandarin Oranges (drained)

2 (20 ounces) cans Pineapple Chunks (drained)

1 cup Mango

1 cup Fresh Strawberries (halved)

1/2 cup Fresh Blueberries

1/2 cup Fresh Raspberries

2 cups Seedless Grapes

Instructions

1. To carve melon bowl, cut off top 1/4 of melon. Being careful not to cut through to melon, cut thin slice from bottom of melon so it will sit flat. Scoop out watermelon, leaving 1/2- to 1-inch-thick shell.

2. Carve watermelon as shown in steps on right. Pumpkin-carving tools work really well for carving watermelon. If you don’t have any, use a small sharp paring knife.

3. Wrap melon bowl in plastic wrap to keep moist; refrigerate until ready to fill.

4. At serving time, fill with cut-up fruit.

Crazy Slaw

Life Care Coordinator Robin Lacrimosa got this side dish recipe from a friend. Though she has no idea why it's called "Crazy Slaw," it's always a hit. Now she takes it to every cookout.

Ingredients

2 packs coleslaw

2 cans chow mien noodles (don’t add till ready to eat)

1 pack sliced almonds

1 cup oil

1 cup sugar

½ cup white vinegar

½ cup soy sauce

Directions

Throw it all in a bowl (minus the chow mein noodles) and mix it up. When ready to eat, mix in the noodles.