Becky Hardin is a cook who combines her love of cooking with her love of family activities. One of those activities of course is going to Cardinals games with her family. While Busch Stadium employs Chef Norman to come up with their creative culinary treats for those at the games, she likes to come up with her own and has amassed quite a collection of recipes. She has set up a website that shares her recipes and also teaches cooking.
“I’m self-trained with the help of the best home chef I know, my mom Susie Gall,” she said.
Hardin didn’t start really cooking as a passion until she turned 30.
“By then was desperate to learn,” she said and she started really paying attention to her mom.
“I started my website as a way to document my journey to learn how to cook, and I found a passion along the way. Cooking is something that can really bring families together, and I just love creating new recipes that my family will love.”
Baseball is another of the “recipes” for happiness that her family loves. She started as a Royals Fan but once she moved to St. Louis and married her husband she was destined to become a Cardinals fan.
“I started as a Royals fan– but I do love the Cardinals since I’ve moved here– and my husband Patrick is a huge Cardinals fan,” she said. “He grew up in St. Lous and works in finance. My two boys– Jack and his brother Henry– now say that they love both teams, but would cheer for the Cardinals if and when they play each other.”
She likes going to games with her family, and Patrick has a family connection to the ballpark.
“My father-in-law, Bill Hardin works at Busch Stadium as an usher,” she said. “He’s worked there since his retirement, and we love going through his gate and surprising him.” (Bill Hardin is shown, right, with her sons– his grandsons)
She enjoys going with the family to Busch for the whole experience, but even for a transplant from Kansas City who is becoming a Cardinals fan, she likes the history of the team.
“I’d say my favorite player historically would be Stan Musial for the type of man he was and the example he set,” she said. “Right now my son and I love Nolan Arenado and my son Henry has his jersey.”
Labor Day is coming up on Sept. 2, 2024 and a three-day weekend is always an excuse to watch Cardinals baseball and eat great food. The Cardinals will be in Milwaukee so fans can listen to the games on the radio or TV while grilling out in their backyard– and Hardin will be doing just that.
Labor Day is the perfect time for a cookout to say goodbye to summer and this menu has everything you need to end summer on a high and impress all your guests.
Becky Hardin, is the founder and Recipe Developer at The Cookie Rookie, has curated the perfect menu ideas for Labor Day, which she is sharing with STLSportsPage.com.
“Labor Day celebrations tends to signal the end 0f grilling season,” she said “The last cookout calls for the full works of side dishes, appetizers, desserts, and the classic burgers and dogs.”
Check out her website for all the aspects including the recipes.
Labor Day Cook-Out
1 – Cooling Drinks
“The key to keeping guests hydrated and happy is an adaptable menu. Having the ingredients for both soft drinks and summer cocktails to suit everyone’s lifestyles, such as Lavender Lemonade that can be adapted to a cocktail and leftovers can be frozen into ice cubes. Iced tea screams summer and this Raspberry Iced Tea is deliciously sweet for a sunny day and can be made to your taste. When hosting, batch recipes make everything easier and my Margarita Pitcher recipe is a crowd-pleaser that can easily be adapted to make drinks for as little as 2 people and as many as 24. With its refreshing mint and lime flavors, the mojito provides a cooling contrast to hot grilled foods.”
2 – Elevate BBQ Staples
“Burgers are a staple at any barbecue. These juicy, flavorful, and perfectly grilled burgers are a must-have for your Labor Day spread. For juicy burgers, patties should be at room temperature before being placed on a pre-heated grill. For a perfect grilling close the lid of the BBQ and open the vents to cook evenly. Take the burgers up a notch with caramelized onions and your favorite burger sauces. You can imitate your favorite burgers, such as a Maid Rite sandwich or get inventive with a Taco Burger. Another staple, Grilled Hot Dogs, can easily be adapted to your guests’ tastes, from a New York hot dog with onions and mustard to a Texas-style chili cheese dog using this easy chili recipe. If you have a busy day and want options not from the grill then this Cheeseburger Slider recipe can provide 12 rolls with just ten minutes of prep.”
3 – Sides That Steal the Show
“Creamy coleslaw is a crunchy, tangy classic side that pairs well with everything, coleslaw is refreshing and balances the richness of burgers and hot dogs. This Mexican grilled corn complements any grilled meat, adding a touch of summer sweetness to your plate with a creamy and cheesy taco-spiced flavor. This BLT pasta salad is the ultimate easy pasta salad perfect for big celebrations, combining the fresh flavors of a BLT sandwich with hearty pasta. For a sweet and refreshing side, this easy grilled peach salad (shown left) can be put together in ten minutes and topped with the summer hit ingredient, crumbled feta. Another classic, Mac and Cheese, is a crowd-pleaser. This recipe can be made ahead of time and customized to suit your menu and dietary needs – it is certain to leave all guests feeling satisfied”
4 – Sauces and Dips to Elevate Your Feast
“Dips are the perfect addition to any celebration. Having a table of chips with a variety of dips will keep guests satisfied whilst food is grilling. This classic chicken buffalo dip is made using all the flavors of buffalo wings in dip form. For a warm cheese dip, this Mexican Street Corn Dip is easy to make and perfect for any occasion with any form of dipper from tortilla chips to veggies. This chopped chicken caesar salad dip is a fun variation of a summer salad turned into a creamy dip that is easy to make. BBQ sauce recipes are consistently popular all year, searched over 12k times a month, and from a BBQ Brisket Sauce to a Korean BBQ Sauce that can be used as a marinade or dipping sauce for chicken thighs and wings, veggies, or any other BBQ staples.”
5 – Desserts to Savor the Day
“Nothing says summer like pie and Labor Day is the perfect chance to use the last of the season’s berries on Fresh Strawberry Pie or Cherry Pie topped with vanilla ice cream. This Strawberry Salsa with Cinnamon Chips recipe is a fun BBQ treat that is fresh and delicious – a perfect pairing of crunchy and sweet textures and flavors that can be served as an appetizer or dessert. For a lighter dessert that can be made on your grill, grilled peaches with ice cream is the perfect addition to a cookout and only requires simple ingredients.
The Cookie Rookie has options for all BBQ and Grilling recipes.
Photo Credits: Becky Hardin, The Cookie Rookie
Author
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Sally Tippett Rains started her sports media career at KMOX Radio Sports (writing/producing for Bob Costas, Jack Buck, Bill Wilkerson) in the late 1970′s, early ’80′s then switched to book writing and charity work while raising their children.
Currently she is content manager for STLSportsPage.com and author of 11 books, many in the sports genre.She also wrote "Choose Happy; Find Contentment in Any Situation," which comes in Black & White or Color versions.