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Sweet Potato Salad5/26/2016 Family picnic season!
I always think of Memorial Day weekend as the start of summer picnics! When I was growing up our family always spent a day of this weekend with my Grandmother Taylor’s family in Burt, Iowa. We would visit the cemetery where my grandparents were laid to rest and then attend a potluck picnic with grandmother’s sisters and brothers and their families. Good memories! Those same second cousins and I usually meet for a lunch in the summer at a halfway destination. It’s always good to catch up with them. Nowadays we go out for lunch and skip the potluck picnic! With potluck picnics in mind, I’m going to share a different slant on potato salad: a sweet potato salad. I love sweet potatoes and they are actually better for us than regular white potatoes. Instead of boiling the potatoes, I bake them just until tender. They bake faster than white potatoes so test them after about 30–40 minutes, depending on their size. I pick out the smaller ones so they bake a little faster. I am going to give you the recipe the way it was written so you can cook them the way you want. Sweet Potato Salad: 2 pounds sweet potatoes 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise 2 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp salt pepper, if desired 4 hard-cooked eggs, chopped 1 1/2 cups celery 8 green onions, sliced Place sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Cover and boil gently until the potatoes can easily be pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 30-40 minutes. Drain. When potatoes have cooled enough to handle, peel and dice. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, mustard and salt; stir in eggs, celery and onions. Add potatoes, stir gently to mix. Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours or longer, yield 8-10 servings. My mother-in-law always told me to mix potatoes with the dressing when they are little warm because the potatoes absorb the dressing better that way. I think she was right! I found this recipe in a Taste of Home magazine, Have a great week!
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Classy Chicken5/20/2016 A favorite recipe!
I love a Monday morning with a bright sun and clear blue skies! Tomorrow I am headed to Sioux Falls for a few days. My daughter-in-law is out of town on business so I get to take my granddaughters Justice and Avery to school in the morning! I love spending time with them. They are growing up fast. I have been baking some goodies to take with me and to leave at home so Grandpa has some snacks while I am gone. I am sharing yet another recipe using chicken. This is one of my favorites and I hope you enjoy it, too! Classy Chicken: 2-3 chicken breasts, skinned and boned 1/4 tsp pepper 3 Tbsp oil 10 oz. fresh or frozen asparagus (can use broccoli) 1 - 10 oz. can cream of chicken soup 1/2 cup real mayonnaise 1 scant tsp curry powder 1 tsp lemon juice 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese Cut chicken into bite size pieces, sprinkle with pepper, sauté in oil over medium heat until opaque, about 6 minutes. Drain. Cook asparagus until tender/crisp. Drain. Arrange asparagus in bottom of buttered glass dish and place chicken on top. Mix together soup, mayonnaise, curry and lemon juice; pour over chicken and top with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees, 30-35 minutes, until bubbly and hot and cheese is melted. Enjoy our nice weather and have a great week!
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Hot German Potato Salad5/11/2016 A beautiful Mother’s Day!
The weather was so perfect for Mother’s Day. I spent time with my flowers and cleaned and replenished the oriole feeders. I hear they are in town but not at my feeders yet. I hope our neighborhood orioles made it through the winter and are on their way. I haven’t made German potato salad for a long time. It’s one of those dishes I don’t make very often, but we enjoy it when I do! I like to use small, round, red potatoes and boil them whole. You can either peel them or not. This recipe comes from my faithful Betty Crocker cookbook, one that I have relied on many times during my married life! Hot German Potato Salad: 4 medium round red potatoes or more small ones (about 1 1/3 lbs) 3 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp celery seed Dash of pepper 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup white or cider vinegar Place potatoes in 3-quart saucepan with enough water just to cover. Cover and heat to boiling, reduce heat to low. Cook over low heat, covered, until just fork tender, about 20-30 minutes depending on the size of your potatoes. Drain and let cool enough to handle; peel if desired and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Cook bacon over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon (save drippings) drain on paper towels, save. Cook onion in bacon fat in skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until tender. Stir in flour, sugar, salt, celery seed and pepper; cook over low heat, stirring constantly until bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir water and vinegar into onion mixture, heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in potatoes and bacon, heat, stirring gently to coat potato slices until hot and bubbly. Serve warm.
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Sombreros El Grande5/4/2016 Let’s have sunshine!
I know I was hoping for rain, but enough already! Now I want warmer temperatures and sunshine, although the cool temperatures are enabling my tulips to last longer so I guess the cool temperatures aren’t all bad! The orioles haven’t shown up yet so tomorrow I have to replenish the grape jelly and oranges. Other birds help themselves, too, except for the nectar! Yesterday I made the recipe for Sombreros El Grande for lunch and Pa Lloyd asked me if I had shared the recipe with you. It’s one I tried one time when I was looking for something different to make as I get bored making the same old thing. Since then, I make it every once in awhile. It’s fairly quick to make, we both enjoy it and it’s a meal in itself! Sombreros El Grande: 1 pound hamburger 1/2 cup chopped onion 3/4 pound Velveeta Mexican cheese spread, cubed 4 (7 1/2 –inch) flour tortillas 1 small can chili beans, drained (I have used a small can of Bush’s beans) 1 small can whole kernel corn, drained. Can use 1cup of frozen corn 1 cup shredded lettuce 1 cup chopped tomato chopped black olives cucumber ranch dressing Brown meat and onions; drain, stir in cheese spread, corn and beans. cover. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally until cheese is melted. Fry tortillas in 1/2 inch of hot oil until crisp and golden, turning once; drain on paper towels. Top tortillas with meat mixture, lettuce, tomatoes and olives. Serve with dressing. Serves 4. The cucumber ranch dressing really adds to the dish. Have a great week! |
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