By Lisa Messinger
Food and Cooking at Creators Syndicate

Remembering those who lost their lives in active duty is amplified even more on Memorial Day. Even after many years, however, those who are not removed for even a moment from those emotions are the impacted families. Many are not only self-sufficient but helping others; some rely on assistance. Helping one of the many organizations created to support the families of the fallen may be a memorable activity of closeness for your own family. Monetary donations, of course, are usually highly appreciated. But if you're an avid cook, you might also consider donating your time in that way. Following are some ideas, from red-white-and-blue fudge to supermarket gift cards attached to one of your favorite recipes and a shopping bag of ingredients to prepare it. Much of what's involved comes straight from the heart and therefore is a budget-conscious way to give as well.

Food preparation, from cooking to creating innovative gifts or donations, can be easy, nutritious, inexpensive, fun - and fast - as the following split-second sensations prove. They take just 10 seconds each to read and are almost that quick to get into motion. Those involving creative combinations are delicious proof that everyone has time for tasty home cooking and, more importantly, the healthy family togetherness that goes along with it! Another benefit: You effortlessly become a better cook, since there are no right or wrong amounts. These are virtually-can't-go-wrong combinations, so whatever you - or your kidlet helpers - choose to use can't help but draw "wows." If they are instead coming up with means to deliciously donate then that's just another way it can be an all-hands-on-deck rewarding family endeavor.

Supermarket Savvy
Pick a supermarket gift card in the denomination you'd like to donate and affix it to the front of an ecology-friendly reusable shopping bag. In the bag include a printout of your family's favorite recipe as well as the nonperishable ingredients that are a part of the recipe.

Volunteer for Kitchen Duty
If cooking is your passion and talent, offer to volunteer as a menu planner, cook or meal server at future local events and fundraisers. Those who don't cook can still help with table clearing and dishwashing.

Baking for a Purpose
For those local organizations that have bake sales, create unique patriotic-themed dishes. Red-white-and-blue fudge, for instance, might feature atop the chocolate dried cherries, mini marshmallows and dried blueberries. The dried fruit, if also using antioxidant-filled dark chocolate, makes for a nutrient- and fiber-filled treat.

Kitchen Solutions
Investigate whether the organization's kitchen is in need of new appliances or repair. Approach local businesses to make those donations

Rallying Restaurants
Run a local restaurant drive, collecting gift cards the organization can give to families in need. Identify restaurants willing to donate the use of their banquet room for fundraisers.

QUICK TIP OF THE WEEK: When grilling potatoes, consider boiling them first. That way, you are assured that they are fully cooked and, after slicing (leaving on the skin, drizzling with olive oil and sprinkling with salt and pepper), all you need to think about achieving on the grill is a nice char. This should leave your potato wedges crisp and brown on the outside and fluffy on the inside.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food and nutrition writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the National Council Against Health Fraud and author of seven food books, including the best-selling The Tofu Book: The New American Cuisine with 150 Recipes (Avery/Penguin Putnam) and Turn Your Supermarket into a Health Food Store: The Brand-Name Guide to Shopping for a Better Diet (Pharos/Scripps Howard). She writes two nationally syndicated food and nutrition columns for Creators Syndicate and had been a longtime newspaper food and health section managing editor, as well as managing editor of Gayot/Gault Millau dining review company. Lisa traveled the globe writing about top chefs for Pulitzer Prize-winning Copley News Service and has written about health and nutrition for the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, Reader's Digest, Woman's World and Prevention Magazine Health Books. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.