Memorial Day has been an American holiday since 1868, a day set aside to honor fallen U.S. service men and women.  Today, Memorial Day is celebrated across the country, not only honoring those who have died in service to our country, but also to honor the memory of friends and loved ones who have passed.

With an extra day off work to celebrate Memorial Day, many people across the country celebrate with trips to the lake, or family cookouts.  If you’re planning a Memorial Day celebration, here are some tips to make the day truly memorable.

Decorate with red, white and blue. No, it’s not July 4^th, but Memorial Day is likely the second most patriotic holiday celebrated in America. Break out your stars and stripes and red, white and blue balloons, tablecloths and flowers. Remember, if you’re flying an American flag, it should be flown at half-mast until noon.

Don’t miss the parade. Chances are, your community is hosting a Memorial Day parade. Get your day started off on the right foot, by celebrating with local veterans and service men and women, police and the fire department.

Food. Whether a backyard BBQ, picnic in the park, or something more formal, spend a little time planning your Memorial Day menu. Need help with great eats? Let S&S cater your event, or grab a pre-made meal for your picnic from Take Away Chef.

Say “Thanks” to servicemen and women. The men and women who serve in our military are willing to give their lives to protect our country and our freedom. Take time this Memorial Day to express your gratitude to those who serve our country in the armed forces. If any of your party guests are service men or women, take a few moments to recognize their sacrifice and contribution to our great nation.

Want another way to say “Thanks?” Why not show your support for the United States military by treating your friends, family members or co-workers who have served in the armed forces to a freshly prepared meal?  Take Away Chef will prepare and deliver a full meal right to their door, allowing them to spend a night away from the kitchen.

Call S&S Catering today for more information on our catering services as well as pre-prepared and packed dinners from Take Away Chef.

Here are a few easy ideas to say “thank you” to the teachers who have invested their time and energy into your child this year:

Host a teacher appreciation luncheon. Gather other parents from your child’s school and organize a luncheon to honor the teachers who have invested their last year in your child’s life. If your child attends a small school, consider hosting a luncheon for all of the teachers and faculty. If it’s a larger school, a luncheon for your child’s classroom teacher or the other teachers from the same grade would be appropriate. Let S&S Catering help reduce the stress of event planning. Check out our event catering options.

Give your child’s teacher a homemade ‘thank you’ gift. Get the kids involved and craft a special, homemade gift for their teachers. Keep it simple, any teacher would appreciate a handmade picture frame with a photo of your child with his or her teacher, or a special magnet. Homemade baked treats are also sure to be a hit with teachers.

Give a gift card for your child’s teacher to be pampered or enjoy a special dinner. From Starbucks to restaurants, movies or spas, gift cards are a simple, yet much appreciated gift for any teacher. Even better, give your child’s teacher a night away from the kitchen with a gift card to Take Away Chef. We offer a number of packaged dinners and meals for families large or small.

Fill the teacher’s lounge at the school with goodies. There isn’t a teacher who wouldn’t appreciate a few extra snacks or drinks in the teachers lounge. Our gift trays are a perfect mix of fresh, healthy and tasty snacks we’re sure teachers will love.

The end of the school year can be exhausting for teachers. No matter the gift, they are sure to appreciate the thoughts that went into it. Don’t let the school year come to an end without expressing your appreciation to your child’s teacher.

Are you in charge of the end of the year party for your child’s classroom? Here are a few party planning tips to get you started:

Plan the activities. End of Year party activities can range from games and arts and crafts to swimming, bounce houses and even special entertainment from musicians, magicians and more. The location of your party will determine the types of activities that are suitable for your party. If the party is held at your child’s school, be sure to consult with the teacher regarding appropriate games or activities.

Don’t forget to take a few minutes during the party to give the kids and parents an opportunity to express their appreciation to the teacher. If you are able, take up a collection from other parents prior to the party to use to purchase a gift for your child’s teacher. Not sure what to give? Give one a Take Away Chef gift card! Whether you can afford to gift one of our homemade Take Away Chef casseroles, or one each month for a year, there’s no doubt any teacher wouldn’t love fresh, home cooked meals without having to do the work.

Plan the food. No party is complete without great food. Planning food for a number of people can be challenging, especially when it involves children. Find out any food allergies your child’s classmates may have. Know how many people will be attending, including a breakdown of children and adults. If the party is at your child’s school, find out what types of food and drink are permitted in the classroom. S&S Catering and Take Away Chef offer a number of sandwiches, desserts and boxed lunches that are perfect for catering class parties.

Consult with the teacher. Include your child’s teacher in your planning. End of year parties are the perfect opportunity for teachers to recognize students’ achievements in the classroom. Allow time in your party schedule for your child’s teacher to distribute awards or make any comments to the students.

Organize help. A party with dozens of children will be difficult to pull off without support from other parents. Enlist the help of other parents. Delegate tasks, such as planning of games and activities, as well as food.

Most importantly, have fun! Celebrate the end to another successful school year and give your kids a chance to make one last memory with their teacher and classmates.

Texas Rangers are up against the New York Yankees tonight at 7:05pm in Arlington.

No better way to celebrate spring and baseball season than a good ol’ tailgate party. Whether you’re setting up camp outside the Rangers’ Ballpark in Arlington, or in your driveway, here are a few tips to get your tailgating party started.

Food. A tailgate party isn’t a tailgate party without good, hearty eats. Bring the grill to cook up your favorite meats, and we’ll take care of the rest with our Take Away Chef casseroles.  Give us a call ahead of time at 214-351-6888, and we’ll bring your casseroles hot and ready right out to your car on the way to the party. We will even deliver to your home! Every man will love you if you come loaded with our home-style meals, like Mom’s Favorite Meatloaf, King Ranch Chicken, along with Macaroni or Cheese and Sweet Potato Bake.  Our Take Away Chef casseroles are cheap, easy and delicious.

Team colors. Don’t show up to your tailgate party without sporting your Rangers gear! Whether it’s your World Series jersey from last season, or a new Rangers shirt, be sure you’ve got on the red and blue! (An extra tip: We recently discovered that Old Navy has a nice selection of comfortable and affordable Texas Rangers gear!)

Make yourself at home. Whether you’re the ballpark or in the driveway, be sure you’ve got the best seat in the house with the most comfortable seating — living room furniture, camping chairs — you can manage to get to the party. Go ahead — toss your leather sofa into the bed of your F-150!

Have more tailgating ideas or great tailgating stories? Share them with us on our Facebook page.

Picnics are great for a variety of occasions, including an evening with the family, birthday parties and celebrations, and even a casual, corporate gathering. Whether you want to plan a picnic for a hundred people, or just a close few, here are a few tips to ensure the perfect Texas picnic:

Choose your location — The Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex has a number of perfect picnic locations. White Rock Lake, Lakeside Park and Celestial Park (just to name a few) are all ideal locations for a picnic. The Dallas Arboretum is also a perfect picnic spot. You’re your picnic basket, your favorite bottle of wine and a blanket for a picnic in the beautiful and serene Pecan Grove garden at the Arboretum. Don’t have easy access to any of these locations? Set up a picnic in your own backyard!

Pack the right accessories – Blankets or folding chairs, napkins and utensils, bug repellant and sunscreen, activities like games, books, balls or a kite. If you’re a wine lover, be sure to pack holders for your bottle and wine glasses. Wine glass holders, like these from PicnicFun.com are a must-have to keep from spilling your wine.

Plan the meal — Finger foods are best, but not essential. Picnic food should be refreshing and low-maintenance. Keep it simple with a cheese and fruit platter to accompany your favorite wine, or plan a full meal. Let Take Away Chef make it even easier. Check out our menu of perfect picnic meals, including homemade casseroles or chicken enchiladas.

No matter the occasion, keep this one thing in mind: picnics are a time to relax and enjoy the weather in the company of your favorite people. Don’t let planning a picnic stress you out. Keep it casual and fun, and you’re sure to have a great time.

“Our planet, our home is being neglected. Climate change continues unabated. It seems there’s a new ecological disaster happening almost daily. This Earth Day it’s time to mobilize the planet from the ground up to send a message that the Earth won’t wait!” – EarthDay.org

Watch the Earth Day 2012 video below:

Want to plan an Earth Day party? Here are a few tips and ideas:

Don’t just celebrate the earth; take action to protect it. Plan your to host an Earth Day picnic in a local park. Ask your guests to bring gloves and provide them with trash bags. Spend some time at the beginning of the party cleaning up the park. Pick up trash and litter from around the park. With some cooperation from the Parks Department, you may even be able to plant a few trees, shrubs or flowers at your party.

Pack reusable or recyclable plates and utensils. Don’t contribute to the mounting trash problem. Plan to eat from reusable plates and utensils, or ones that can be recycled. If there aren’t recycle bins in the park, designate a trash bag for recyclable items.

Plan a healthy, nutritious meal. Let Take Away Chef make your meal planning easier. Our delicious, healthy, home-cooked meals are sure to be a crowd pleaser. We’ll take care of the food and let you take care of the rest. Bring us your casserole dish ahead of time, and we’ll bake your meal in your own reusable dish, rather than a disposable one.

Take time this Earth Day to celebrate the beauty of our earth with a party in a local park. Do your part to give back and protect the earth by organizing a cleanup crew, or even planting trees and plants, contributing to fresh, clean air and the growth of new natural resources.

Plan your meal – Consider the guests who will be attending. Are there any guests you know of who have specific food allergies or who are vegetarian or vegan? If you know these things about your guests, plan a dish or two that will meet their specific needs. How many adults and children will be at your holiday party? Know these numbers so you are able to estimate the right amount of food to prepare.

Plan what hors d’oeuvres and appetizers will be served. Determine the main courses, vegetables, fruits, side items, desserts and beverages.

Determine how much of each course should be prepared. Estimate 8-10 ounces of the main course for each adult and 4-6 ounces for each child. Plan to serve 6-8 ounces each of vegetables and starches to adults. Most kids will only eat small portions of vegetables, if any.

Let S&S Catering help. Pick up any of our delicious, homemade Take Away Chef casseroles to help feed your hungry guests. Bring us your own casserole dishes and we’ll help keep your secret and let your guests think you’ve been slaving away preparing dinner!

Plan your Easter fun – What’s Easter without an Easter egg hunt? If you plan to host your own hunt for guests, ask each guest to bring a dozen (or more) eggs stuffed with treats. Keep it healthy by stuffing eggs with small toys and coins, rather than candy. While the kids play after dinner, ask a few adults to sneak away and hide the eggs for the hunt (this is a great task for dads!) If you’d rather participate in a community-wide Easter egg hunt, here are a few Dallas-area hunts taking place this Saturday and Sunday:

Saturday, April 7

• Fort Worth Stockyards Texas-Sized Easter Celebration — Egg hunt at noon, pictures with the Easter bunny and a petting zoo.
• Denton’s Easter Eggstravaganza — Denton Civic Center. 9:30 a.m. Egg hunt and magic show. Free admission.

Sunday, April 8

• Texas Discovery Gardens Easter egg hunt – April 8, 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is included in admission to the gardens.
• EGGstravaganza — Wagon Wheel Park, Coppell. 11 a.m. Free admission.
• Irving’s Underwater Egg Hunt — North Lake Aquatic Center. Admission: $1 per child or one canned food item for the Salvation Army.

Easter doesn’t have to be extravagant. It’s a holiday meant for celebrating life. Plan your day around your loved ones and create opportunities for good conversation and relationship building and you’re sure to have a wonderful time celebrating.

Forget ordering in pizza. Our corporate catering menu is packed full of fresh, healthy foods your employees will love. With a variety of options, we’ll get you set up with a meal for your next corporate event that will fit in your budget.

Here’s a sample of what you’ll find on our Corporate Menu.

Sandwich platters – S&S Catering sandwich platters are served buffet style. Get your choice of assorted sandwiches or wraps, served with chips, pickles and spreads.

Sandwich boxed lunches – We have three levels of sandwiches, from your basic sandwich, chips and cookie lunch to our Executive Boxes, which include a sandwich, side salad, fruit salad, cheese and crackers, dessert and a mint. Our sandwich choices include basic lunch meats, as well as egg salad, veggie, grilled chicken, tuna apple salad and chicken salad (to name a few).

Salad boxes – Choose from any of our homemade salads, including grilled chicken, chef, southwest chicken, apricot chicken and grilled salmon or allow employees to pick a salad trio.

No doubt you can satisfy any craving with our healthy, homemade boxed lunches. If you’re tired of ordering pizza or having soggy sub sandwiches delivered, take advantage of our fresh meal options.

Our goal at S&S Catering and Take Away Chef is to make your job as simple as possible. We will work closely with you to plan the menu details of any corporate event, we deliver, and we will even provide fully staffed catering services at your event, if needed. Give us a call 214-351-6888 to discuss your corporate catering needs.

Dinner parties are great for celebrating monumental life events like birthdays, engagements, new babies and graduations. But an outdoor dinner party is also a great way to spend a spring evening with the ones you love, whether or not you have a special occasion to celebrate.

Want to plan a spring dinner party? Here are a few tips to get you started:

Plan the space. Outdoor living spaces and dining areas are becoming more and more popular at residences, and these are ideal for outdoor parties. If, however, you do not have an outdoor living space for your party, consider renting a party tent, tables and chairs. In the summer heat, it is important to provide shade, and if possible, fans or misters to keep your guests cool. Always have a backup plan if the weather foils your plan to host your party outdoors.

Decorations. Brighten up your outdoor space with hanging lanterns and candles. Citronella candles are perfect for outdoor parties, as they help keep mosquitoes and other unwanted guests at bay.  If you have an outdoor fire pit or chiminea, light it up! The light from the fire of a chiminea or even the flickering flame of a candle will add intimacy, romance and warmth to your party.

The menu. In Texas, the first thing most people think when they think outdoors dining is a cookout. Save the burgers and corn on the cob for your tailgating party this fall. Keep things casual at your spring dinner party with a family style dinner. Any of our Take Away Chef gourmet casseroles will be a hit with your guests. Go fancy and plan a three-course meal for your guests, with an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Our event-catering menu has an array of hot and cold hors d’oeuvres like stuffed mushrooms, skewered beef, chicken, pork or shrimp, finger sandwiches and smoked salmon stuffed endive, as well as entrees, dips and spreads and desserts.

With a spring outdoor dinner party, think fresh and healthy. All of the S&S Catering menu options are homemade from the freshest ingredients. No matter the size of your dinner party, give us a call at 214-351-6888 and we’ll be happy to offer suggestions and help plan the menu for a night you and your guests will remember.

Picnic – The weather in Dallas could not be more perfect for spring break. What better way to enjoy the weather than with a picnic? Picnics are timeless activity for families and a great opportunity to make new memories. Plan a picnic during your staycation. This could be a BBQ with friends in the park, or a light lunch of fruit and sandwiches by the lake. Don’t forget to toss the Frisbee into your bag, or grab a baseball mitt and ball for a game of catch with the kids.

Trip to the Zoo – The Dallas/Ft. Worth area has two spectacular zoos. Choose between the Dallas Zoo and Ft. Worth and make a day of it. Before you head out, be sure to look online for special admission deals and special spring break events at the zoo you may want to check out. (Little hint: The Ft. Worth Zoo is hosting Spring Break Camp tomorrow and Friday, March 15-16)

Take Me Out to the Ballgame – Baseball season is back and the Texas Rangers are well into their spring training schedule. Take the kids out for some preseason action and get a preview of what’s to come with the Rangers this season. Check out the Spring Training schedule to find a game.

If you’re headed to the park for a picnic or out for a day at the zoo, make it even easier on yourself. Give us a call let Take Away Chef pack your picnic for you. We can even use your own basket and personal casserole dishes or for more casual outdoor dining enjoy the ease of disposable containers. Choose from our Take Away Chef premium home casseroles or one of our sandwich platters.

We’d even be happy to help you with a family dinner at home. Don’t take time away from your kids to cook. Take advantage of our delicious Take Away Chef Casseroles. Pick one up on your way home, or give us a call and we’ll deliver!