Potato Salad

I have made potato salad for years and never followed a recipe.  My husband doesn’t like potato salad, so I’ve always made it like I like it.  Creamy, lots of eggs and slightly sweet.

So I made it this weekend and decided to write everything down as I was putting it together so I could put it on my blog.  Of course, you can leave out anything you don’t like or add anything you do.  Make it as creamy or as dry as you like, or as sweet as you like by adjusting the ingredients.  Taste as you go.

• 5 lbs. potatoes (I used Yukon Gold, but I also like Red potatoes.  Nothing too starchy, like Russets)
• 10 hard-boiled eggs (2 eggs for every pound of potatoes)
• 2 cups mayonaise
• 1/2 cup diced sweet pickles
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/4 cup diced scallions
• 1/4 cup sweet pickle juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Boil potatoes with or without skin on until knife inserted into potato slides out easily.  Cool until you can handle them.  If you left the skin on, take skin off and slice or chop potatoes into a large bowl.  Dice hard-boiled eggs into bowl.

Add rest of ingredients and stir until well combined.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours.

Serves 10 to 12.

“God is a safe dwelling place in life’s storms.”

Sugar Glazed Carrots

I have made these several times and you can use white sugar, light brown sugar or dark brown sugar.  The light brown sugar has a little molasses in it and the dark brown sugar has a little more molasses in it, so if you like that taste, give it a try.  I like them both ways.

• 1 lb. baby carrots
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter

Put all ingredients in a large skillet and bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to simmer and cover pan.  Cook until carrots are tender and sauce is reduced to a glaze.  Depending on the size of your carrots, you may add a little more water if needed to get them tender.  If carrots are too small they may get done before the sauce is reduced.  Try to get the right balance.  (In my picture, my carrots were a little large and I had to add water)

“Blessing comes from seeking wisdom and living by it.”

Cucumber Salad

This salad is addicting!  I can eat the whole thing.  But my son-in-law says the same thing.  I can’t wait for the cucumbers to be ready in my garden, but unfortunately I will have to wait a while.

• 2 hothouse cucumbers or 4 average size cucumbers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dill weed

Peel and slice the cucumbers and put them in a glass bowl.  Sprinkle them with salt and vinegar and mix.  Cover and let stand for 1/2 hour.  Pour off the excess liquid.  Add the mayonnaise, sour cream, and dill, and mix well.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.

Note:  If you use hothouse cucumbers you will not need to take out the seeds, but if you use regular cucumbers, you might want to slice them in half lengthwise and take a spoon and scrape the seeds out and then slice.  But if you like the seeds, just leave them in.

“When we come to Christ in our brokenness, He makes us whole.”