ricotta stuffed roma tomatoes

so yesterday was my first day back to work after having a seven year break! i wouldn't really call it a break since two children, hundreds of loads of laundry, hundreds of meals and so on were involved. anyway, i was pooped. i was also later than i thought, so i quickly made a pot of pasta, sauteed some chicken and made these little ruby gems. we are getting fresh roma tomatoes from the garden everyday, now, so what a delicious use of them. i had seen the original recipe on the pioneer woman long time ago, but this is my quickie version with what i had on hand.

beth's ricotta stuffed roma tomatoes

you need: roma tomatoes, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, basil, garlic(fresh or dried), bread/cracker crumbs and olive oil

wash, split lengthwise the number of tomatoes you want. now clean the seeds out completely, i used a spoon. sprinkle a little kosher salt on the halves and lay cut side down on a paper towel to dry a bit. meanwhile heat your oven to 400F.

in a bowl, add approx one tablespoon of ricotta for every tomato half you have. to this add some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. the following all ingredients would be even better if fresh: basil, italian parsley and garlic. i happened to have the parsley, so i chopped roughly a teaspoon fine, a hefty shake of both garlic powder and dried basil. if using fresh, i would say depending on the amount of filling, half to a whole garlic clove minced, but same amount of basil as to parsley. it really depends how much filling and tomatoes. taste it and decide what you need.

 now fill you halves, nice and packed. smooth off the tops.

now get some bread crumbs or in my case, ritz crackers. smash fine. dip each cheese packed side into the crumbs. place on a cookie sheet, hit with a smidge of olive oil and roast for 30 minutes.

yum, yum, yum.

oh, you could easily add some parmesan cheese to the filling or on top. yehaw.

enjoy.

caramelized onions

i love these things! they are so freaking easy to make and i could eat my weight in them. now, let me tell you, that would be a lot onions my friend. i made this batch for a specific recipe, but it just reminded how much i do adore them and how versatile they are. you need a little patience to make them, but they are well worth the effort. caramelized onions are divine on burgers, pizzas, soups, a hunk of bread, so many things. you just make a batch and keep them in the fridge, covered.

here is what ya do: beth's caramelized onions

heat a pan over medium with a couple of tablespoons of butter and a tablespoon of oil. it can be olive, canola, vegetable, your favorite. now evenly slice four medium to large onions, no more than four. you don't want to crowd the pan with too many onions or they will not caramelize properly. now sprinkle a tablespoon of dark brown sugar all over your sliced onions. here is where the patience comes, stir often over the next thirty minutes or so, making sure your heat is not too high and you are not burning them. they should become brown, but not black! turn the heat down. you might also have to go a bit longer than thirty minutes, but you can not rush those babies. once you feel they are done, sprinkle with some chunky salt and freshly ground pepper. cool or eat warm right from the pan! yum. enjoy.

easy three ingredient stuffed mushrooms

go get ya a 8oz block of cream cheese, a pound roll of ground breakfast sausage and a coupla packages of whole button mushrooms. let the cream cheese come to room temp. brown the sausage, drain well and mix with the softened cream cheese. clean your mushrooms with a damp cloth and pop off the stems, feed those to the chickens, dip into ranch dressing for a snack or simply toss, your choice.

fill you shrooms with a heaping spoonful of the sausage mixture. bake in a 350 degree fahrenheit oven for about 20 minutes. enjoy.

now you can up the anty and make it a four ingredient stuffed mushroom by simply sprinkling sharp cheddar cheese on the tops before baking. oh yum.

carne asada buffalo flank steak with grilled corn on the cob

this is one of the best meals i have had in a while. it is buffalo or bison flank steak with a carne asada marinade, fresh pico de gallo, slice avocado and fresh corn, grilled in its husk. it was all unbelievably fresh and delicious. the buffalo came from these folks, edmonds farm, bison ranch and hay farm in lancaster, virginia. i found them at the yorktown market days a few weeks and after giving their bison brats a try we knew we wanted more. we loved them. i made arrangements to get a $50 "sampler" of their incredible meat. it was kinda funny, we rendezvoused in a mcdonald's parking lot at 9:30 at night. they were en route to virginia beach for its famer's market the following day. what nice folks kim and don with their darling daughter valerie and a sweet, little pink piglet named sausage. hmmmmm, interesting name for a pig. well i was lucky enough to get a nice selection to include ny strip steaks, flank steak, ground and summer sausage. i decided to go with the flank first, so....

i reached out to my twitter friends for a marinade recommendation. i should have know my gal barbara over at barbara bakes would hook me up! her recipes are no fail. she recommended a tasty carne asada recipe, smokey chipotle which you can find here. i did marinate the flank overnight. please go pay barb a visit and tell her i sent ya, maybe she will mail me some of those yummy peanut butter cookies she makes. drool.

lastly, i thought i would try my hand at grilling some corn on the cob, still in its husk. oh my lordy, let me just say, too simple and too delicious. i won't boil an ear ever again. hey, why can't you tell a secret in a corn field? too many ears, teehee. sorry, moving on.....

for the corn, take the outer most husks off leaving the last several layers and soak for at least an hour in water. fire up your grill and when ready, drain the excess water off the ears and pile'em on. cook, turning often, for about twenty minutes. my gas grill was on medium.

now if the meat gods are smiling down on you, after ten minutes you will be throwing on your piece of bison flank steak that has been smothered in a smokey chipotle goodness. the buffalo is super lean and literally takes minutes to cook, on each side. watch it! don't kill it twice.

now just look at that ear of corny goodness, those kernels steaming inside the water soaked husks locking in all that sweet corn milk keeping it moist and tender. get the butter ready, the real stuff, not margarine. come one now....

dinner is served. i whipped up some pico de gallo, sliced an avocado, buttered the corn, sliced the steak, salt and peppered the whole plate and dug in. enjoy. i know i did.

how about a buffalo bleu burger next?

veggie casserole

finished dish....

ready for the oven....

i made a great veggie casserole courtesy of pam over at for the love of cooking. i love her site and have mentioned her several times on you know what you oughta do. this casserole is da bomb, regardless of a few things i did wrong, well mostly just one. i used too small of a pan. the zucchini squash should have been packed thinner in order to crisp and mine was a bit watery. oh well, it was still fantastic. i used fresh basil and oregano from my "garden". I use the term garden loosely. It is more like a few plants stuck in the ground. no, seriously, it's sad.

zukes shredded and packed in a too small dish....

i highly recommend this recipe. oh, one more thing i will do different. i will use a red, orange or yellow pepper, the green is just too bitter for my taste. you can find this yummy veggie casserole here. enjoy.

cream of asparagus soup

a foodie friend of mine, casey over at tastestopping mention on twitter last week that she was making cream of asparagus soup for dinner. hmmm.....i have never had this before and i was intrigued. i love asparagus, so i am guessing it has got to be good. i set out looking for a recipe. lo and behold, my favorite, favorite, favorite blog, for the love of cooking had one posted. i should have gone there first. pam always fixes the most delicious and healthy foods. her mexican selections, holy moly, just leave me drooling. don't go there on an empty stomach, it is down right cruel. i duplicated her recipe which was originally from cooking light magazine changing it just a bit. i swapped out fat free half and half for the low fat milk, subbed brummel and brown for the butter and omitted the bay leaf all together. i didn't have one on hand. you know what, this soup is goooood. it is light, creamy and has a very mild flavor, almost a cream of broccoli taste. you wouldn't know it was low fat. i will make this again. enjoy.

quick, easy, delicious marinara sauce

the other evening i put together a wonderful marinara sauce for the family. it was simple and tasty. i served it over plain spaghetti and they just gobbled it up, even travis sopped the bowl with his bread. i buy jarred sauce, but this was such a hit, i am going to make a big batch to freeze in ziplocs. i hope you give it try.

beth's marinara sauce

in a large saucepan over medium heat place two tbsp. of olive oil. add one half onion diced and two minced cloves of garlic. saute until tender. be careful, don't burn your garlic,(you might need to turn your heat down) that is nasty stuff if burnt. meanwhile, in your food processor pulse a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic(hunt's) and one 28 oz. of diced tomatoes(hunts, again) three or four times. now, add this to your onions and garlic and turn your heat down to low. to this, add 2 tsp. of sugar, 1 tsp. kosher salt, 2 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp. dried basil and a small can of tomato paste. stir well and let simmer 15-20 minutes. taste and adjust your seasonings to your liking. i let mine simmer another 10 minutes or so, turned off the heat and let it sit. i think it is more robust if it sits for a hour or better, just forget about it. when i am ready i just reheat on warm. this is easy, so no excuses, go make a pot now. enjoy.

p.s. i mixed a cup of the sauce in a separate bowl with a little fat free half and half to make myself a creamy tomato sauce for my noodles. excellent! pass the parm!

happy new year and stewed tomatoes, too

happy new year to you all. here's hoping that 2010 will be even better than 2009. i already know it is more fun to say-"twenty ten, yeah baby". most folks here in the south started their new year off with a big ol'helping of black eyed peas for good luck. not me, maybe i should have and then ran out and bought a lottery ticket to check effectiveness. i did butter beans instead.

i don't think they offer any form of luck, gas maybe, but not luck. well, what's luckless butter beans without stewed tomatoes?


hey, maybe i am lucky, 'cause i love these things. they are ridiculously easy to make and so flavorful. i made a small batch, basically for myself, because the rest of the family went into hiding when they caught wind of what was on the dinner menu. their loss, my gain. stewed tomatoes are nothing like the ones you buy in the can at your local mega mart. my tomatoes start out that way, but end up sweet and buttery, pure southern goodness. they may not photograph well, but the taste makes up for their lack of beauty. enjoy.



beth's stewed tomatoes

1 can of petite diced tomatoes(15oz)
1/3 stick of butter
2 slices of white bread, cubed
1 tsp of sugar
1/2 salt
fresh black pepper

in a saucepan over medium heat,warm your tomatoes. i smash them a little with a potato masher to break them up more. now, add all your ingredients and heat through, stirring often. let them cook for five-ten minutes. taste. you might need to adjust your ingredients to your liking. i like mine sweet and buttery. oh, i also highly recommend you use butter, not margarine, it's a big difference. it certainly is not diet food. stewed tomatoes, you can easily double the recipe, use any bread you like, mix it up. it is so easy and forgiving. stewed tomatoes are so tasty mixed with your butter beans, black eyed peas, corn, you name it. go make a batch tonight.

simple vanilla bean whipped sweet potatoes

holy moly! secretly, this was my favorite food this gobble day. every dish we had this year was a new recipe, with the exception of the straight from the can green beans for the kids and caroline's requested personal sized bag instant mashed potatoes, just add hot water! ick! (oh,let me say, sorry for the unappetizing photo, but all my pics from our dinner are. i was in a hurry to feed the masses, all four us and didn't make much of a photographic effort) okay, let me tell you about these sweet potatoes, about how creamy, slightly sweet and oooooooh so vanilla-y they are. i found the original recipe on recipezarr and change it up a bit. i opted out of the heavy cream for ff half and half, and skipped salt and pepper all together. let me tell you it is worth the sacrifice of a vanilla bean, well half anyway. i just reheated a little bowl for my supper tonight with a pat of butter melted on top. heaven!! i will make these often. jamie, the hub who won't eat a bake sweet potato, loved them. go whip up a batch for your kin. enjoy.

beth's vanilla bean whipped sweet potatoes, her way

4 large sweet potatoes roasted
1 cup fat free half and half
1/2 vanilla bean, cut and scrape out seeds, save pod
1 tbsp of vanilla sugar, if ya got it
4 tbsp of unsalted butter

roast your sweet potatoes for about an hour at 450 until tender. meanwhile, over low heat in a saucepan whisk the half and half, butter and vanilla seeds and pod till warm and blended. once the potatoes are done, let them cool till you can handle and split. scoop the flesh and put into a food processor, sprinkle with the vanilla sugar and process till smooth. now slowly add the the warm milk mixture(remove the vanilla pod) and continue to process. you might need to remove the top and scrape the sides down once or twice. put into a lovely dish and serve, preferably not a pink one like i did. it clashes.

my coleslaw of many colors that my mama made for me

so i made a mess of my lazy man's bbq using a pork loin, no onion. let me tell you, that is some good stuff. it is so easy. i left it in its own juices, shredded the meat with two forks and doused on some honey bourbon bbq sauce. yummy. i had the idea that i wanted to try something a little different than your typical mayo coleslaw, so i scoured the net for ideas, grabbing bits and pieces of info. i came up with this oil and vinegar combo. i was not disappointed. i actually think i like it better than the traditional southern heavy mayonnaised slaw. it is crisp, crunchy and clean, not to mention colorful. i am already thinking about how to use in a panini. did i tell you i got a panini maker? heaven, i'm in heaven........oops, sorry, i digress. anyway, i hope you will give my colorful slaw a try. enjoy.
purdy color, huh?


beth's oil and vinegar slaw

in a huge bowl combine the following veggies:
1 head of purple cabbage shredded
3 carrots shredded
1 yellow pepper, either sliced super fine, or shredded with excess water squeezed out
1/2 sweet onion, do same as pepper

in a sauce pan bring to a boil:
3/4 apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
2-3 hefty squirts of your favorite mustard, i used good ole yellow
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp of seasoned salt
1 tsp celery seeds

once boiling remove from heat and add 2/3 cup canola oil plus 1/2 cup white sugar. whisk till the sugar dissolves and pour over the veggies. stir to combine and let sit for about an hour at room temp. taste it. you might need to adjust your seasonings, such as to add a tad more sugar. also, i add some black pepper at this point and then stick the whole thing in the fridge. the longer it sits, the better it gets.

my coat of many colors, that my momma made for me, made only from rags, but i wore it so proudly, although we had no money, i was rich as I could be, in my coat of many colors,my momma made for me....

funeral potatoes, huh?

what a cheerful name, huh? this is nothing more than a cheesy, creamy, calorie laden potato casserole. i guess it gets its name from being a common sight among the food at funeral gatherings. it is a new one on me. we are a fried chicken and potato salad clan. i guess too if you eat enough of this and eat it often, you could quite possibly make an early appearance at your own funeral. i am sure you can make the casserole lighter by using reduced fat products, but i didn't, so i am guessing my bowl shorten my visit here by at least a day. this was disgustingly good and a big hit in my house. leftovers tonight! enjoy.

funeral potatoes

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and pam a 9x13 baking dish

in a big bowl mix the following:

1 32oz bag of frozen cubed hash browns
2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups shredded cheddar-i used medium
8 oz sour cream
2 green onions, sliced thin, white and green parts
dash of pepper
mix together and put into your baking dish

now melt two tbsp of butter and mix with 1.5 cups crumbled potato chips or corn flakes. bake 45 minutes until brown and bubbly. let it sit about ten minutes for digging in. you could also throw some cubed ham in for a complete meal. teehee, a complete meal, huh?

vegetable beef soup/stew

we have been having some unseasonably cool weather here on the east coast of virginia, so i decided to make a pot of vegetable beef soup/stew. we love this stuff, even my kids will eat it. it is so simple to make. you can start it in the morning, let it sit and it will be perfect for your evening supper. i call it a soup/stew, because the first day it is more like a soup with lots of soup liquor. come day two, it has thickened more like a stew, that is my favorite. as i look at the photos i think how monotone it looks. all the veggies' colors have dulled, but that is the nature of a soup/stew plus my lack of photographic skills. trust me, this is delicious and a favorite dinner. we like to top it with handfuls of grated vermont sharp cheddar. i also made a batch of garlic cheddar drop biscuits to go alongside. i hope you give it a try.

both pics are two day stew....



beth's beef vegetable soup/stew

2 tbsp. of evoo
1 tbsp. of flour
2 lbs. of stew beef or chuck roast cubed
one small onion, chopped
1 bottle of vegetable juice such as V8
one large can of petite diced tomatoes(28 oz)
one bag of frozen mixed veggies
one half bag of frozen butter beans
1/4 bag of frozen green peas
three whole bay leaves
start off with about two tsp of italian seasonings
sea salt
course black pepper
one tsp of sugar
one half box of elbow macaroni

okay, in a dutch oven over med high heat, heat the evoo and add the onion, stir for a few minutes and add the stew beef. sprinkle with the flour and brown briefly. maybe, three or four minutes. pour in the vegetable juice, scraping up all the lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pan. add a little water to the bottle, shake to get out all the juice and pour right into the pot. now, add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT macaroni. let it start to bubble and turn heat to low, put the lid on. allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the meat is cooked. taste it. adjust your seasonings and allow it cook slowly on low until the meat is tender. now cut it off and let it sit on your stove top. okay, an hour before you are ready to eat, turn it back on to med heat. let it start bubbling,add the macaroni, turn it back down to low, put the lid back on and allow it simmer again till the macaroni is just tender. watch it so it doesn't stick. don't add the macaroni till the end or you will end up with vegetable beef wall paper paste.

you can add most anything you want to the pot, potatoes, okra, whatever. this is the basic combo that my family loves. this is most forgiving recipe, so experiment and have fun. i love it best the next day. enjoy.

greek salad sans lettuce

won't keep ya but a minute, real quick like, i wanted to share our supper last night. i made a greek salad sans lettuce. trust me, you don't need no stinking lettuce, put the iceberg away. i had seen ina garten put one together the other day on tv and thought it look simple and terrific, so i whipped one up for the big j and me. the kids, they had grilled cheese. i have to say this was one expensive (remember, i am a cheapo) greek salad after buying the yellow and orange bell peppers at almost $2 each! i had to protect them like newborns. i turned my back one time, and travis had one of the peppers playing veggietales starring the larry the hothouse cucumber and pimpdaddy pepper. it was like a bad slow motion action scene as i dove for it..nooooooo! crazy.

anyway, it was delicious and it makes a ton, plenty of leftovers. also, in the fridge, i had some cold spaghetti noodles and roasted chicken, so my "mix-in" crazy husband did just that. he loved it. the greek vinaigrette is simple and nothing fancy, but has loads of flavor. i wouldn't say it the best dressing out there, but it was good enough for us. go whip of a batch of this pricey salad today. enjoy.

beth's $$ greek salad

in your favorite bowl add the following:

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 hot house or english cucumber, seeds removed, sliced big
1 each, yellow and orange bell pepper, cut chunky(check local bank, they might offer pepper loans)
1 half small red onion, sliced thinly
about 1/2 cup calamata olives, whole ( i got mine off olive bar at the market, love these babies)
a big ole hunk of good feta, cubed

in a separate bowl mix, 1/4 red wine or balsamic vinegar(i used balsamic, my favorite and why my salad looks kinda brown), 1/2 tsp of dijon mustard, one glove of garlic finely minced, pinch of salt, coupla grinds of fresh pepper and 1 tsp of dried oregano( roll the oregano in your hands to crush and get the oils to release). whisk. now slowly stream in about 1/2 cup good olive oil, whisking the whole time. this will emulsify the dressing. taste and adjust seasonings. pour over the veggies and cheese. let set for awhile at room temp for the flavors to mellow and meld. i do this and then pop the salad in the fridge. we like ours cold. enjoy.

easy peasy caprese salad

it's hot, so for supper tonight i threw together a quick, cool caprese salad for myself. the others were here, but they were not interested in sharing my flavorful little insalata, fine by me. i had recently bought some locally grown orange and yellow tomatoes and couldn't wait to try one. i choose an orange tomato and sliced it alternately layering it with fresh mozzarella, a few julienned leaves of my window basil, a splash of fruity olive oil and sweet balsamic vinegar, finishing with a generous sprinkling of kosher salt and coarse black pepper. how can something so simple be so amazing? instead of licking the plate this time, i sopped up the juices with some nann bread. now that's amore. enjoy.

smack yo mama good crash hot potatoes

look at these puppies. they have got to be some of the best taters i have had in a long time. i had seen the recipe over at the pioneer woman's site quite awhile ago, but had yet to make it. we had sliders with caramelized onions for dinner last night, so leftovers were on tonight's menu. i needed to make a side dish that might distract from that fact. it seemed like a good time to give ree's crash hot potatoes a try. i was not disappointed. the recipe couldn't be more simple. i had a half bag of red bliss potatoes i needed to use anyway. while i boiled them till fork tender in a large pot of salted water, i drizzled a generous amount of olive oil on a cookie sheet. once the taters were done, i placed them on the cookie sheet and smashed each one flat with my potato masher. i then brush more olive oil on top(starbucks is helpful at this step, but not necessary) and sprinkled copious amounts of kosher salt and black pepper. oh mama.
i then popped these tubers into a 450 degree fahrenheit oven for about 25 minutes. They came out so crispy and crusty. i couldn't resist dolloping sour cream on mine, wishing i had some chives. big j smothered his in ketchup wishing, i don't know what he was wishing, probably that he didn't have to eat sliders two nights in a row.
regardless, the potatoes were a big hit with him. he has already requested them for sunday breakfast with bacon and eggs. i think i can oblige. enjoy.

benne seed salad dressing

i made some wonderful benne salad dressing the other day. benne seed, for those folks who do not know, is sesame seed. i apologize for the unappealing snapshot, but i had the hardest time trying to keep it from separating. i couldn't snap the picture quick enough. you will have to take my word on how good this salad dressing is. i found the recipe on recipezaar and it's here. it is loaded with sesame flavor and lends itself well to fresh veggies, especially broccoli and cucumbers. it was also pretty dang tasty on my baby spinach salad topped with fresh strawberries. enjoy.

fyi, the recipe calls for toasted benne or sesame seeds. i simply toasted them in a dry frying pan till brown, over medium heat, stirring often for about 4 minutes. keep an eye on them, they will burn quickly.

cauliflower cheese, good stuff, bad pic

gawd, that picture is crappy. wow, i am so sorry. i wasn't in the mood to take the hot dish outside to photograph in natural light and besides big j was hungry. he was standing there with spoon in hand to start eating once the lens cap was back in place. you will have to bare with me when i assure you how easy and oh so good this dish is. i don't know much about cooked cauliflower. i am use to eating the raw stuff with ranch dressing from those pre-made veggie trays. anyway, i bought a beautiful head yesterday and then rushed home to searched the net for ideas. i found this recipe, altered the units and got to it. man, i could have eaten the whole dish and came dang near close. give this a try and hey, don't forget to use a good sharp cheddar. make this and you won't have to be told twice to eat your vegetables. enjoy.

cauliflower cheese

one head of cauliflower cut in florets
1 1/3 cups milk
8 oz good sharp cheddar, shredded
1/4 cup butter(half stick)
3 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
nutmeg, salt., pepper
1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

preheat your over to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

boil your cauliflower in salted water till tender, about ten minutes. drain and place in a casserole dish. in a saucepan, whisk together the butter, flour, and milk over medium heat. whisk till thick, maybe 3 or 4 minutes. add in 3/4 of your cheese, mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper. taste to check your spices. pour this over your cauliflower. now mix the rest of your cheese with the bread crumbs, sprinkle this on top. bake for about 15-20 minutes till brown and bubbly. keep an eye on it. everybody's oven is different. it can burn quick.

open face cucumber sandwich

help, i can not stop eating these. i gobbled this one right after i snapped the photo- gone, history, sayonara. it is not my fault, i have no control. it's, it's, it's lauri's fault, yeah, that's right, sounds good. you see my lifelong friend created this lovely combo, so i blame her(someone's gotta take the fall). she makes these little babies for her "talk of the town" tea parties. i tell you there is nothing, next to boiling water, that could be simpler to do. all you need is a few slices of your favorite bread. i prefer bakery pumpernickel. you can cut it into any shape or size you would like or not. spread vegetable cream cheese straight from the philly container and pile on the cukes to your liking. oh mama, these are goooood and oooooh so addicting. the only thing better, will be homegrown cucumbers, courtesy of my brother's garden. meanwhile, i guess i have no choice, but to make do with their pale and less tasty grocery store cousins. enjoy.

carrot salad, not a big hit

although i thought it was good. i nicked the recipe from here. i guess we just ain't sophisticated folks.

red skinned tater salad, best ever

this weekend we celebrated my son's fourth birthday and i baked and cooked for two days. one of the things i made was red skinned potato salad and you know what? it was the best potato salad i have ever made, seriously. i have always made some version of a yellow(mustard) potato salad and this had some mustard in it, but unlike the others, it was dang good. i mean really dang good. i have an cantankerous aunt who always says she doesn't like anyone's potato salad, but her own. i figured if i could get a compliment from her, and she will let me know, i did good. well, apparently i did do good because she made a point of telling me how much she enjoyed it.

what i did was poke around the net and pick a few recipes to combine. i don't like pickles or pickle relish, sweet or dill, in my salad. i don't like large hunks of onions or eggs either. i think paprika is unnecessary and i sure don't like salad dressing(miracle whip), ick.

i decided that i was way too lazy to peel potatoes before boiling, so i picked red skinned ones. they are yummy to eat, skin and all. i love potato skins, that is where all the flavor and vitamins are. (trying to keep it healthy, yea right) anyway, what i did was basically boiled a five pound bag of red skin potatoes, cooled and cubed into my big mixing bowl. i then mixed the following in a separate bowl:

1 to 1.5 cups of good mayo-i used duke's(good southern tradition and my mama's favorite)
2 tbsp of cider vinegar
a hefty tbsp of yellow mustard
a teaspoon or so of garlic salt
a hefty shake of black pepper, probably about .5 tsp

i blended this together, simply with a spatula and then folded it into my cooled potatoes trying not to break them up too much.

to the potatoes i then added six chopped boiled eggs, two springs onions, white and green, finely minced, and two stalks of celery sliced thin. fold these in till well mixed, once again trying not to break up the potatoes too much. let chill, overnight is best.

my picture does not do it justice. good stuff folks. enjoy.