Labor Day Party with Warren Kimble

Celebrate this Labor Day with family, friends and Warren Kimble!  This tablescape celebrates colonial America with lemonade chicken, macaroni-corn casserole, avocado shrimp boats and mozzarella bites.

Mom found some great Warren Kimble-issued fabric, which goes perfectly with her plates and bowls.  Can you believe they are plastic?  Perfect for get-togethers. Totally kid-friendly!

I LOVE these glasses etched with ships.  They are so classic-looking.

And you can't have a colonial New England table without a lighthouse!

Anchors away!!

Now let's talk about the food!  Lemonade chicken, macaroni-corn casserole, avocado shrimp boats and mozzarella bites.

Let's start with the main course: lemonade chicken.  Here is the recipe:

You will need 3 whole chicken breasts, split.

Marinade

• 1 - 6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate thawed
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. seasoned salt
• 1/2 tsp. celery salt
• 1/8 tsp. garlic salt or powder

 Marinate chicken for at least 1 hour.

Grill, or bake in a greased baking dish at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

Yum!!

Now let's talk about the macaroni-corn casserole.  I'm a sucker for a great mac 'n cheese.  And this is spectacular!

Here is the recipe.  You will need:

• 1 can whole kernel corn (drained)
• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 cup shell macaroni (uncooked)
• 2 cups cubed Velveeta cheese
• 1 stick margarine or butter (cut up)

Mix all ingredients well..

Bake in a buttered 2 qt. covered casserole dish at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Stir well and bake uncovered for 30 more minutes.

I used these super cute mini bakers.  I baked them for 35 minutes, then uncovered for 5 more minutes.

Best mac 'n cheese I've ever had!!

On to something that looks fancy, but is really easy - avocado shrimp boats!

You will need:

• 3 ripe avocados, halved and pitted
• 1/2 cup shrimp, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup small onion, finely chopped (are you seeing a trend here??)
• 1/2 cup green onion, finely chopped with stem
• 1/2 cup wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/8 cup sugar
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley
• salt and pepper to taste

Fill your avocado "holes" with this mixture and your boats are complete!  If you're not crazy about avocado, just use the mixture as a fancy salsa with some chips!

I also whipped up some mozzarella bites, using some fresh ingredients from my garden!!  These are super easy to make, too.  You will need:

• fresh mozzarella, cubed
• cherry tomatoes
• fresh basil leaves
• olive oil
• balsamic vinegar (mom let me use her good bottle, straight from Italy!!)

Now just kabob the ingredients, drizzle with a little olive oil and vinegar and enjoy!

I hope you and your family have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!!