Early this morning, before I started cooking for the day, I took a trip to the town square in my hometown of Libertyville, IL.  Every Memorial Day our local chapters of the VFW and the American Legion are up at dawn to line the streets with American flags.  With the morning sun it looks like a red, white and blue hug embracing our Midwestern town.

Then I headed to our local cemetery to visit our memorial dedicated to our residents who have fought and died for our freedom.

This drive around town was a reminder that Memorial Day is more than just a day off of school or work, a reason to BBQ, or the kick off to summer, but a day to honor and remember those who serve our country.

Today as you gather with friends and family for a BBQ or picnic, I wanted to offer  a healthier version of a Memorial Day tradition, potato salad.  This recipe is packed with veggies and uses light salad dressing instead of full-fat mayo.  You can enjoy the rich creaminess with less than half the fat!

Also, you will notice in the photo that instead of serving on paper, plastic or styrofoam disposable serve ware, I used bamboo!  It is an eco-friendly alternative and you can sit back, relax and really enjoy your party, knowing that clean up will be a snap and won’t harm the environment.  Bamboo is truly one of the most remarkable resources on Earth.  It is naturally anti-microbial, therefore stops bacteria from growing. It is also one of the strongest yet lightest materials around, perfect when toting a picnic to the park!  Happy Memorial Day!

VEGGIE POTATO SALAD

1 1/2 pounds round red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 cup fresh green beans cut into 2-inch-long pieces

2 cups broccoli and/or cauliflower florets

1/2 cup coarsely shredded carrot

1/2 cup bottled reduced-calorie ranch salad dressing

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1.  Place cubed potatoes in a large saucepan; add enough lightly salted water to cover.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Cover and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes or just until tender.  Drain well; cool.

2.  In a small saucepan bring a small amount of lightly salted water to boiling.  Add green beans; return to boiling.  Cover and cook about 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Drain; rinse with cold water.

3.  In a very large bowl combine cooked potatoes, green beans, broccoli and/or cauliflower, and carrot.  Add salad dressing and pepper; toss to coat.  Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.  Makes 8 (1-cup) servings.

Nutrition Facts – Calories:  108, Total Fat:  3 g (0 g saturated fat), Cholesterol:  5 mg, Protein:  3 g, Carbohydrate: 18g, Fiber:  3g, Sodium 179 mg, Exchanges:  1 starch, 0.5 vegetable, 0.5 fat

Categories: Better Recipes, Celebrations and Parties, Dinner Tonight, Fast and Fabulous, Fresh and Healthy, Holidays | Tags: Easy Recipes, Healthy Recipes, Low-Carb Recipes, Low-Fat Recipes, Salad Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes
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