Okay, I am Black & Texan so, I have had my fair share of Juneteenth celebrations in my life. I remember my first Juneteenth concert. I was 12 and was going to see the R&B group Hi-Five at the Black Rodeo in Fair Park with my sister & her friends. I shaved & nicked my legs so I could look grown-up up. Then it started storming so, the concert got canceled. Yeah, I still shave (not nick) my legs. Because I am a grown-up. LoL
Oh, what is Juneteenth? Maybe somebody doesn’t know. Every year, I find another soul that doesn't know. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. In 1862, the North won the Civil War and President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. It was effective January 1, 1863 (Research the history of Watch Night services in black churches) But the news didn’t reach Texas until June 19, 1,865 on the coast of Galveston. Yes, the news got to Texas, two years later. Texas was not a battle zone so, it took it a while. Yes, I am giving you the textbook version. *wink* You don't need my opinion
(Shh! I might give it to you on Twitter). Juneteenth is a ceremonial celebration in Black communities, that was of course started in Texas that spread to the other states by former Texans. According to Wikipedia, In 1980, Texas was the first state to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday under legislation introduced by freshman Democratic state representative Al Edwards. Juneteenth is a "partial staffing holiday" in the state; government offices do not close but some employees use a "floating holiday" to take the day off. By 2008, nearly half of US states observed the holiday as a ceremonial observance. As of May 2014, when the Maryland legislature approved official recognition of the holiday, 43 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or ceremonial holiday, a day of observance. States that do not recognize it are Arizona, Hawaii, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Utah.
Most Juneteenth festivities are small in comparison to other US observations. They may include rodeos, concerts, self-empowerment rallies & prayer services. Barbeque, fish, and lots of vegetable dishes are prepared in the many that our ancestors of the time may have prepared then. I know in my home we eat a soul food-like meal in observance. The most synonymous item to Juneteenth is Red Soda. And Yes, there is history to the soda. Slaves were free. They could get work & get paid. They could get married legally. And they could buy an expensive novelty, Red Soda Water
(that’s what we call it here in DFW). Some say that the red is a symbol of the blood, the life force of the slaves. Last year, I was a judge for a Juneteenth food contest. I was actually judging vegetarian side dishes. Well, I wanted something other than the water, I was drinking to cleanse my palate between dishes. I forgot where I was and went looking for something other than Red soda water. Then I was disturbed. All this emphasis on healthy food dishes but the only drinks available are soda & water. So, I decided to make this blog post dedicated to those of us who want another option. A couple of the recipes even have a little sugar in them. But if you don’t consume sugar at all, just replace it with your choice of sweetening alternative.
No drink screams summer like Lemonade. The cut-up lemons look like little rays of sunshine. Little meanings of a new day for our freed ancestors. The "Red" soda that was coveted at the time was strawberry. Add strawberries to the lemons and make a crimson-colored, refreshing drink.
"Red" Lemonade
Ingredients
•
8 large strawberries, halved
•
2 tablespoons white sugar
•
7 cups water, divided
•
1 cup white sugar
•
2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice
Directions
1.
Place strawberries in a blender; top with 2 tablespoons sugar.
2.
Pour 1 cup water over sugared strawberries.
3.
Blend until strawberry chunks transform into juice.
4.
Combine strawberry juice, 6 cups water, 1 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a large pitcher; stir until blended.
5.
Chill before serving.
I love drinking Hibiscus tea, but I'm a tea drinker. I think I drink most teas except Southern sweet tea (Yep, I need some lemon in that) and Rooibos/Red Bush Tea (The good show, The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency's choice in tea is sketchy) Hibiscus has a tart cranberry taste. And like ginger, hibiscus tea aids in digestion. It also helps lowers cholesterol & the treatment of hypertension (*hint, hint*). So if you serve this fresh drink, you'll be giving your guests a little health benefit also.
Hibiscus-and-Ginger Iced Tea
Ingredients
•
1⁄2 cup water
•
1⁄2 cup sugar
•
One 3" piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
•
4 hibiscus tea bags (I like TAZO)
•
8 cups water, room temperature
•
Ice
Directions
Make the ginger simple syrup:
1.
Combine the sugar and 1⁄2 cup of water in a 2-quart saucepan.
2.
Bring to a boil and let syrup cook for 3 minutes, stirring until all of the sugar is dissolved.
3.
Remove the pot from heat and add the grated ginger.
4.
Let syrup cool completely and strain. Set the syrup aside.
Make the hibiscus tea:
1.
In a 4-quart saucepan, pour 4 cups of water over the tea bags and place the pot over low heat.
2.
Bring the water to a slow simmer and let cook for 5 minutes.
3.
Turn off the heat and let the tea steep for another 5 minutes.
4.
Strain into a pitcher and add in the remaining 4 cups of water.
5.
Fill the pitcher with ice.
To serve, pour tea into glasses and stir in ginger syrup, sweetening to taste.
It's June and watermelon will be at most outside events. Yes, it being a fruit salad is typical but why not make it a cooling drink?
Watermelon Picnic Punch
Ingredients
•
1 oblong seedless watermelon (about 8 pounds)
• ¾ cup fresh lime juice
• 2 cups club soda
For garnish: (optional)
• Fresh mint
• Lime slices
Directions
1.
Slice the top sixth of your watermelon lengthwise using a sharp knife.
(Don’t worry if it’s not exactly a sixth. Just cut a “lid” off that exposes enough of the melon to hollow it out easily, okay?)
2.
Scoop out the flesh of the watermelon until the rind is left with minimal pink showing.
3.
Save the watermelon hull to be used as a "Bowl"
4.
In a blender or food processor, puree the watermelon in batches.
5.
Strain the puree through a fine-mesh strainer, and discard the solids. It should make about 9 cups of watermelon juice.
6.
Pour the watermelon juice back into the watermelon punch bowl. Add the lime juice and club soda and stir to combine.
7.
Add ice to your sparkling watermelon punch bowl & ladle punch over ice and garnish with fresh mint and lime slices.
I never said that I didn’t drink soda. One day, I won’t but I try to limit myself to 4 a week. I just don’t like being limited to it. If our ancestors knew how crappy that stuff was, they probably would not have consumed it. But they didn’t, we do. They lived & died for us not to be limited. So, let’s break free!!!
Oh, this the last post of Healthy Holiday Recipe series. I thank you all for coming by and letting me whet your palate with my little knowledge. You guys do Not know what kind of blessing you guys have been. I will bring another food-related series soon, so stay tuned.
As Always, Talking to You in Adult Terms!
