This evening, the Dayton Live Operations Team is hosting a picnic celebration for our wonderful Volunteers Ushers, Bartenders, and Security.  The entire Dayton Live department teams were also invited and encouraged to bring additional food to supplement the hamburgers, hotdogs, and drinks from Dayton Live.

When it comes to “bringing a dish,” I am always ill at ease as I loathe cooking. I can cook and do an admirable job; however, cooking and baking are not my passions. Typically, I bring prepared vegetables with our family’s favorite “Brown Dip,” obtained by my Aunt Jenny Jolliff from a Campbell’s soup can or cookbook. Campbell’s “Cauliflower Dip” has been a family gathering staple since the 1970s. I have included the recipe below.

I also make a Jello non-bake cheesecake where I add cinnamon and ginger to the crust, and orange extract to the filling.

Yesterday, I decided to abandon my go-to covered dishes to a picnic favorite from my childhood, which at nearly sixty, is still pretty solid. Mother always made graham cracker sandwiches with icing made of powdered sugar, milk, food coloring for the occasion, and a flavoring. Sometimes, she sliced strawberries or bananas as additional filler. I have terrific memories of seeing Mother prepare the graham cracker sandwiches and knew we’d be going on a picnic or a spontaneous family road trip which we were known to often do. I also added a waffle cookie sandwich I learned about while staying with a host family in St. Wolfgang, Austria while on a choir tour of Austria, Switzerland, and Germany in May 1987. The night I spent with them was their son, Norbert Kopff’s Catholic saint’s day, St. Norbert Day. However, their waffle cookies were homemade, the size of a dinner plate, and each stacked waffle cookie level was filled with a layer of peanut butter, then jam, then peach slices, etc. It was delicious and still remains so in my memory.

CAULIFLOWER DIP (from Aunt Jenny & Campbell’s Soup)

• 1 can of Cream of Mushroom Soup
• 1 can of Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1 packet of Onion Soup Mix
• 1 – 12oz tub of sour cream
• Mix and Dip with vegetables, chips, etc.; I also like it on post-Thanksgiving dinner leftover turkey sandwiches

GRAHAM CRACKER SANDWICH: Icing

• A mixture of powdered sugar, skim milk, food coloring, flavoring

I also used chocolate graham crackers with chocolate fudge icing. 

AUSTRIAN PICNIC CAKE or NORBERT’S FAVORITE FOR ST. NORBERT DAY

• Reko Lemon Flavored Waffle Cookies
• Same icing as listed above.

Make it a great day!