Celebrating Memorial Day . . .and some healthy eats for the weekend

I always felt that the official start to Summer is Memorial Day Weekend.  When I was younger I did not grasp the true meaning of celebrating Memorial Day.  I am ashamed to say I viewed it as an opportunity to go to the beach with my family and have a barbecue with friends and family over the holiday weekend.  Unfortunately, due to the events in our most recent years,  the true meaning of celebrating Memorial Day has taken on a  much more important, and solemn, meaning.  This is truly a time to celebrate our country's freedom, the sacrifices that our armed forces make for us on a daily basis,  and the sacrifices that the families and friends alike make so that these men, young and old, can continue to ensure safety and freedom for all of us.  It is truly remarkable to think of all of the people affected throughout the years.  The words "thank you" are pretty meager here.While we take time to offer our thanks and celebrate the powerful appreciation we have  -  food most often comes into play.  That's just one of the methods of celebration that brings us together to share and say grace.  In light of the upcoming celebrations I found some wonderful, festive and healthy eats that would look delicious on  your table this weekend.Here goes:Grilled Artichokes - Don't these look delicious?  The perfect start to your cookout, meal, or party.  Check out the recipe on Lifescript.  The grilling kicks them up a notch and gives them a great flavor! Turkey Sliders - We all know sliders are the rage now.  I love how you can have your burger and not break the bank because the portion size is so manageable.  Keep them even leaner by using ground turkey.  Check out the recipe on Dietsinreview .    Juicy and delicious! Mini Red White and Blue Cheesecakes - What's a celebration without dessert?  And a patriotic red, white and blue one at that?  You know a slice of cheesecake will set you back about three days as far as calories go, but these little numbers will give you the great, creamy treat AND stay off of the hips.  My mom and I used to always make a similar version of these for all sorts of parties and events.  This version if from Beyondfitphysiques.I would love to have any or all of these during the weekend - or anytime!What do you serve over Memorial Day?  How do you celebrate?  How do you say Thank You to all these brave men and women? And, while we all take some time off for the holiday, I will be quiet on this site working on a new program to launch JUNE 1.  I am super excited about it.  It will be just in time for  you to try if you have gotten a little wacky during the crazy days of May or have overindulged over the Memorial Day Weekend.  The program. Refresh & Reboot is just as it sounds.  It will be a month long program of healthy tips, recipes, workouts, encouragement and inspiration to help you kick off  your summer being the very best you can be.  At the end of a week, 2 weeks, or 4 weeks it is my goal for you to feel lighter, fresher, and stronger.  You'll be Refereshed and your habits Rebooted to their ways.  I am offering Week 1 FREE!  I will be posting about the week here so you can follow along or simply see what its all about.  After that you can continue working with me for as long as you want up to WEEK 4.Check out the Refresh and Reboot Page for all of the information.  I will still be adding to the Page and tweaking it but you can check it out and check back here as I will be posting an update and more info on the program.  Let me know if you have any questions!