Loaded Potato Salad

I'm going to be backtracking a bit to try to catch up on what was missed during my absence from blogging over the past month! I know I posted our Easter Sunday highlights in my last post, but would like to reflect back to a few days before to talk about our family tradition for Holy Thursday and the beginning of the Pascal Triduum.

Every year on Holy Thursday, we recreate the Last Supper of Our Lord through a bit of role-play. We make some unleavened bread, pour some grape juice (for the kids) or Port (for the adults, and read from the corresponding passages from the bible together while using the physical prompts as visuals to (hopefully) make the story more real for the little ones. Paul also gets the foot bath out and washes the feet of each member of the family, imitating the act of humility that Christ himself performed the night before his death.

This year, we thought the kids were old enough to get a little more involved in the role playing. We asked each of them to pick a disciple to play. Matthew immediately raised his hand and excitedly declared himself to be Simon Peter. When we asked Emma whom she wanted to play, she immediately replied: "Jesus!" I had to explain to a very disappointed Emma that Paul would be playing the role of Jesus in our narrative. She was very disappointed but finally picked the Apostle Matthew as her second choice. Paul dubbed Lucy the Apostle John, for she is his "beloved one." Pretty cute. And we were ready to begin.

We began with the washing of the feet. One by one, the kids sat on the chair to have their feet washed. Lucy was a little nervous at first, but after her first foot was cleaned she quickly offered her second fat foot so it obviously wasn't too displeasing to her. When it came time for Matthew's turn, he accurately remembered his role as Simon Peter and refused a foot washing.

"My feet are so dirty! I should be washing your feet! You should not wash mine Jesus!"
"But Peter," Paul (as Jesus) responded, "I have to wash your feet. It is part of the plan."
"Then WASH ALL OF ME! MY HEAD! MY SHOULDERS! MY STOMACH!" Matthew as Simon Peter declared, a bit too loudly, while writhing on the floor. At this point, Simon Peter received a little pep talk about not getting too carried away and afterwards he willingly sat to have his feet washed.

Then, Paul read from the Gospel account of the Last Supper. As he was reading about the institution of the Eucharist, Emma (or Matthew) interjected by shoving herself into Paul's lap: "I want to be Jesus!"

"You're the Apostle Matthew, Emma."
"I don't get to say anything. I want to be Jesus!"
"We are almost done, just listen and pay attention."
Paul continues to read and doesn't make it more than five words in before he interrupted by Emma once more, "Can I have some of that bread?"
"We're going to eat it in a second. Be patient."
"How about some of that wine?"

At this point, Lucy began to tire of the proceedings and left the room. Matthew declared that she was no longer the Apostle John, but Judas Iscariot.

Paul finishes reading the Gospel account, breaks the unleavened bread in pieces and offers each of us a piece. Emma quickly gobbles her piece down and then asks, "Jesus can I have another piece of your bread?"

Paul then poured the wine (or juice) into a goblet and again offered each of us a sip from the cup. When it was Emma's turn, we practically had to pry the goblet away from her lips because she was completely intent on gulping the entire drink down.

At this point, Lucy, or Judas Iscariot, waddled back into the room holding the spoils from her raid of the pantry: a bag full of Blueberry Tiny Toast cereal. "Judas!" Paul declared, "Would you betray your Lord for 30 pieces of Tiny Toast?!" Lucy just giggled and stuffed more Tiny Toast into her mouth. I guess so.

That concluded our family Last Supper. Emma and Matthew proceeded to fight over the remaining loaves of unleavened bread while Lucy continued to munch on her Tiny Toast, with Peyton lurking nearby ready to catch any stray crumbs. Even though there was a lot of laughing during our reenactment of the Last Supper, I do think little family exercises like this help make the true meaning of our religious feast days more tangible to young minds. The next day, when we headed to Church to venerate the Cross in remembrance of Christ's Passion, Matthew and Emma were both very much in awe of the proceedings. They listened to the Passion Readings and were very familiar with the story because we had gone over it multiple times previously. Shortly before it was our turn to venerate the cross, I explained in a whisper to Emma that she could touch, kiss, or bow to the cross as a sign of love and respect. She immediately whispered back to me, "I'm going to kiss Jesus' cross, Mommy!" I held her hand as we walked to the front of church and, sure enough, little Emma knelt down carefully and planted a very slow, deliberate kiss on the cross - it was unmistakable, there was true tenderness and love in her actions at that moment. As a mother, it was a moving moment to watch my child show such reverence and respect for Our Lord. I had tears in my eyes as I headed back to our pew. Our job as parents is to lead our little ones to God. It's such a gift to see that the lessons we try to instill are having an impact and bearing fruit!

Shifting gears a bit, I want to share a recipe for the potato salad we enjoyed as part of our Easter feast on Sunday. We had quite the spread - a simple meal, but filling and indulgent all the same. In addition to potato salad, we enjoyed Maple-Orange Glazed Ham, Strawberry Spinach Salad, Roasted Asparagus, Honey-Butter Rolls, and a gorgeous Coconut-Carrot Layer Cake for dessert.

But, go figure, the dish that received the most rave review from my fellow diners was the Loaded Potato Salad. Paul in particular could not stop stressing how this is the only potato salad I should ever make from now on, something that wasn't all together surprising to me considering that a whole pound of bacon went into the composition of this dish. He didn't even mind the diced raw celery and bell pepper I stirred in as well for a bit of texture - normally Paul gags at any dish with celery in it so I am forced to leave it out altogether or dice it so minutely that it really contributes next to nothing to the final product. However, in this dish, he found their presence not only acceptable, but resoundingly welcome! I have to agree with his overall consensus - this potato salad is really delicious. Again, I'm pretty sure it's the bacon!

Loaded Potato Salad
adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

1 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into small cubes (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 (16 ounce) package bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
3/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely diced

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and put in a large bowl. Drizzle the vinegar over the potatoes and toss lightly to coat. Let cool.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium-low heat until crisp. Remove the bacon and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.

Whisk together the bacon drippings, mayo, mustard, sugar, and salt.

Add the eggs, celery, onion, and green pepper to the bowl with the potatoes. Add the dressing and toss gently to coat. Stir in the bacon.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!!

Butternut Squash Slaw

We have had a beautiful fall season so far. The weather has been fairly cooperative - an equal number of warm days filled with sunshine and rainy, slightly chilly days. Nothing extreme but rather everything you would expect during the months of September and October. Emma, in particular, has been rejoicing in every moment this season. 

When the sun is shining, she will say: "It's a beautiful sunny day! Let's go to the park!"

When it is raining and gloomy, she will say: "It's a beautiful day! Let's get my boots and umbrella and find some puddles!"

I love her optimistic perspective on everything. It certainly helps improve the mood of this glass-half-empty Mommy.

But she is so right to see the beauty in the countryside surrounding us no matter whether it is ! Just look at these gorgeous images from our walk this morning!

We had company over the other night and I took the opportunity to try something a little different with one of the many, many butternut squash that are currently piled atop our counter. Normally, butternut squash is used in a cooked application but I wanted to try making a raw salad with the sweet, orange flesh of one of my favorite gourds. While doing my cardio workout last weekend, I was watching the Food Network. Some might feel that gazing upon food preparation while burning calories is a little counterintuitive, but if I envision myself sprinting towards the cake, cupcake, or brownie being featured, I suddenly am able to run faster and further! Plus, everyone knows the only reason I work out is so I can reward myself with a big slice of cake later in the day. Anyway, I watched a new-to-me TV chef prepare a raw butternut squash coleslaw tossed in a maple vinaigrette. It sounded so delicious to me especially since I already love gnawing on pieces of squash as I'm cubing it up to be roasted. I made a mental note to prepare this salad as soon as possible.

The verdict? Easy, delicious, and refreshing! Everyone loved it - even the crazy kids! It honestly reminded me a bit of a shredded carrot salad that my Mom used to make while I was growing up. I remember watching her grate the carrots individually on a box grater and always thought that the tedious process was more trouble than it was worth! I hated carrots at the time, so watching her prepare that salad always made me shudder. Maybe if I had eaten more of that salad as a child, I wouldn't be so dependent on contacts and glasses now. Similar to that despised childhood salad, there was a bit of bicep work that went into the grating of the squash for this slaw - and I absolutely believe that it should be done by hand to guarantee the best texture - but after that, there was basically three additional minutes of prep and then it was ready! I enjoyed the leftovers for lunch the next day with a couple extra nuts and dried cherries sprinkled on top. It was awesome. Don't be afraid of eating squash raw! This is a nice fall-inspired spin on the traditional coleslaw dish.

Butternut Squash Slaw
adapted from Damaris Phillips

Note: Toasted walnuts, pecans, or even roasted pepitas would be fantastic if you do not have sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seed oil, if you have it on hand, would also be excellent in the dressing.

2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, grated on a box grater
1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves chopped
1/4 cup chopped dried cherries
1/4 cup sunflower seeds, toasted
Salt and coarsely ground black pepper

Whisk together the maple syrup, vegetable oil and sherry vinegar in a large bowl. Add the squash, parsley, dried cherries and sunflower seeds; toss well. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes at room temperature or 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil

This summer has been fairly disappointing so far. Granted, a lot has happened over the past couple months, but I still feel as if we have not been enjoying enough "summery" activities! For one, the weather has been absolutely atrocious. Lots and lots of rain. The days where it has not rained have been gorgeous, but the many, many downpours we have experienced have put a major damp-er (haha) in my summer plans for the kids. There have been fewer hikes, pool days, bike rides, park play dates, and beach picnics. I had big plans to take the family to the drive-in this weekend, but it looks like there might be rain then too. Drat.

Matthew is perfectly content sitting inside and playing LEGOS. He's always been a bit of a couch potato.

Emma likes to sit at Paul's desk and tell me: "I'm working!"

However, the greatest disappointment has been the damage to the local produce. One of my favorite activities is picking berries and fruit during the summer months. However, due to the incredibly slow warm-up from the winter months experienced this year combined with the heavy amounts of rainfall, many of the crops were destroyed and picking was not an option. Strawberry season was incredibly short-lived and we missed the only opportunity to visit the fields because we were out of town. Peaches, cherries, and nectarines are all abysmally low in production. And finally the blueberries - my favorite summer berry to pick - will be available in limited quantities as well. My heart is broken!

However, we still will just have to make use with what we have available - which is still plenty more than the majority of the world!

My grocery highlight this week - snagging a precious little basil plant for 49 cents! I used it to make this fantastic pasta salad with grape tomatoes and smoked gouda. Oh my, this was fabulous. I love pasta salads and would readily eat just a big plateful as my dinner and feel perfectly satisfied. In fact, I tried to pass this off as a main dish but my carnivore husband insisted on serving some brats alongside. Good thing he did too, because our children were a bit picky about it. Matthew picked out the tomatoes but wouldn't touch the pasta. Emma ate the pasta but fed her tomatoes to Matthew.

It's a super simple fancy - no real frills or fancy foods in it. It's just pasta mixed with tomatoes, gouda cheese, basil, and a simple dressing made up of mayo and adobo sauce. The adobo sauce is honestly what makes the dish. The smoky flavor is a great complement to the cheese and tomatoes. The basil adds a nice herbaceous flavor that both freshens and rounds out the dish. A great salad that can be a main dish (if you're an herbivore) or a perfect picnic side dish (if you're a carnivore and need to eat something with a bone attached). The leftovers are great too. In fact, that's what I'm munching on as I type this out. So good.

Spicy Pasta Salad with Smoked Gouda, Tomatoes, and Basil
adapted slightly from the Pioneer Woman

12 ounces penne pasta
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
1/4 cup whole milk
4 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons Adobo Sauce from a can of Chipotle Peppers (I upped this a bit)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ground black pepper to taste
2 pounds grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
1/2 pound smoked Gouda, shredded
24 whole Basil Leaves, chiffonade

Cook pasta in four quarts of boiling water with 1 tablespoon of table salt until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water until no longer hot.

Mix mayonnaise, milk, vinegar, salt, pepper, and adobo in a small bowl.

In a large bowl, stir together pasta, dressing, halved tomatoes, and Gouda. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed (it definitely needed some). I also added another tablespoon of vinegar because I love it. Stir in basil at the end. Refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.

Texas-Style Potato Salad

This post is going to be short and to the point. The sun is shining and I'm going to spend the weekend outdoors!

Bottom line: if you want to add a little heat to your basic potato salad recipe, this version is an awesome way to do it! The gist is that you pickle your own onions and jalapenos while the potatoes cook. I could have eaten the pickled onions straight - they were so good! The hot potatoes are tossed with a bit of the pickling liquid and allowed to cool for 20 minutes to absorb the flavor completely. Then, the pickled peppers, onions, potatoes, eggs, and celery (if you like celery) is tossed together with a mustard-heavy sauce to coat and allowed to chill in the fridge until ready to eat!

I have written before about how every single pregnancy I have experienced an intense craving for all things vinegar. This has caused me to crave eating mustard and ketchup by the spoonful with a side of pickles and a cider vinegar shake. Gross,but oh-so-good at the same time. I think this is the reason both my kids are huge ketchup eaters. They also will just eat ketchup by the spoonful. Anyway, this potato salad - with the huge punch from the pickling juices and mustard sauce - was a dream come true for this pregnant gal. I kept sneaking bites of it from the fridge. Delicious!

Paul also loved this salad. Not surprising since he is always trying to add jalapeno to everything we make. The kids, of course, would not touch it. There was definitely a little too much heat for them. A little too much "Texas." However, Emma made up for her inability to eat Texas-style potato salad by dressing like a cowgirl for story time.

Texas-Style Potato Salad
from Cook's Country

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
2 jalapeno chiles (1 sliced into thin rings; 1 stemmed, seeded, and minced)
3 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
6 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 large hard-cooked eggs, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 celery rib, minced (We omit because Paul cries if I put celery in anything)

Combine vinegar, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and mustard seeds in bowl and microwave until steaming, about 2 minutes. Whisk until sugar and salt are dissolved. Add onion and jalapenos and set aside until cool, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain onion and jalapenos through fine-mesh strainer set over bowl. Reserve pickled vegetables and vinegar mixture separately.

Meanwhile, combine potatoes, 8 cups water, and 1 tablespoon salt in Dutch oven and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Drain potatoes thoroughly, then transfer to large bowl. Drizzle 2 tablespoons reserved vinegar mixture over hot potatoes and toss gently until evenly coated. (Reserve remaining vinegar mixture for another use - like a vinegar shake - kidding!) Refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes, stirring once halfway through chilling.

Whisk mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and cayenne together in bowl until combined. Add mayonnaise mixture, reserved pickled vegetables, eggs, and celery to potatoes and stir gently to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate to let flavors blend, about 30 minutes.

Roasted Delicata Squash

It's no secret that I love fall produce - particularly all the pumpkin and squash that is so abundant this time of year. However, my favorite of all the various squash out there is not butternut, pumpkin or acorn. It's delicata! I love the rich, sweet flavor of this humble little vegetable and how wonderfully it tastes either on it's own or in a salad. I also love that unlike pretty much every other squash on the market, I do not have to spend a bit of time removing the skin! Once the squash is roasted, the skin is edible! How awesome is that? It's the perfect vegetable for a busy mom who is trying her best not to lose a finger before dinnertime.

Since delicata squash comes in a rather small, compact size (unlike some of those monster squash cousins of theirs), they are easy to slice in half lengthwise, exposing the seeds and stringy middle innards. Scoop these out with a spoon, then lay the squash on the cutting board cut-side down and slice into 1/2 inch pieces. They look kind of cute once all cut up - like little orange moons or a bunch of wrinkly ears, depending on your perspective!

Toss them with a little oil, salt, and a touch of sugar to aid with caramelizing then throw them in a 425 degree preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Voila! You have a great Fall side dish that is great on it's own or even better tossed into a salad. I like to combine it still warm with freshly chopped spinach, dried cranberries, toasted pecans, shaved Parmesan, and this apple cider vinaigrette. To me, it's a heavenly meal!

Now I will note that not everyone enjoys the fantastic flavors of this squash. This is the sad reason why I do not get to make or eat this very often. My Paul is viscerally opposed to this squash. He is kind of weird about squash in general - he likes butternut, but only if it is in a pasta, risotto, or pureed into a soup. Spaghetti squash also gets a big thumbs up from him. He pretty much detests any other cooked squash. Watching him eat my beloved delicata squash is like watching a picky three-year-old finish his dinner. He is still sitting at the kitchen table long after the rest of us have finished, timidly picking at his plate with a look of abhorrence plastered across his face. I noticed him trying to dump some of his dinner down the disposal while I wasn't looking and told him he had to finish every bite. He whined, but eventually ate everything. And I wonder where my picky eater Matthew gets it? In my opinion, he's missing out - this is delicious stuff.

Try it and see for yourself - do you agree with me or Paul?

Roasted Delicata Squash

2 pounds delicata squash
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Slice the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds and innards from the small center cavity. Turn the squash cut-side down and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.

In a large bowl, toss the squash slices with the olive oil, sugar, and salt. Spread evenly onto a couple foil-lined baking sheets. Place in the oven and allow to roast for about 15-20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and beginning to brown. You may flip the pieces after 10 minutes if you like or you can just let them go.

Remove from the oven. Let cool for about a minute and then serve warm!

Highlights from Thanksgiving Day

Another Thanksgiving Day has come and gone. The four of us spent the entire day enjoying one another's company while cooking, eating, laughing, and playing. Emma woke the entire family up bright and early around 5:00 AM. Unfortunately, we were unable to convince Matthew to go back to bed. Several angry threats from Paul to head back to bed were ineffective and Matthew instead sulked in the hallway outside our bedroom door, breathing heavily enough that we eventually could no longer ignore him.

After several LARGE cups of coffee and an interesting pumpkin-themed breakfast featuring Thanksgiving's favorite pie, we cleaned up and headed out to Mass at our parish. The kids were angels throughout the entire Mass which was a lovely surprise. Matthew even sang along with some of the hymns and Baby Emma only had to be taken to the back once because she chose to issue some nonstop happy shrieks in the middle of the consecration.

TURKEY!

So excited to begin prepping the turkey! Notice creepy Paul in the background.

Paul showing Matthew how the turkey probably looked before the neck was removed. And then attacking him with it. This grossed me out just a little bit. Matthew, naturally, thought this was awesome.

After Mass, we headed home to prep the turkey. Matthew was so excited to help Paul remove the giblets and rub the seasoning on our bird. He was even more excited about helping build the "big fire" on the grill outside - especially since we received a foot of snow the night before. He came back inside with red cheeks and freezing cold fingers, but happy as a clam.

After putting the turkey on the grill, we made some turkey cookies with Matthew and then enjoyed some appetizers before putting both kiddos down for a pre-dinner nap. Then Paul and I buckled down to make the stuffing and finish the other items on our list before serving dinner.

Paul did a great job! The turkey turned out perfectly moist and delicious.

Paul was pretty proud of himself.

Matthew woke up from his nap on his own and came rushing down the stairs crying: "It's time to eat turkey!" He had some crazy hair, but he was so excited that Thanksgiving dinner was finally here. He was especially excited about eating off the "pretty plates" in the dining room - which we pretty much never use because it is covered in white carpet and Matthew tends to spew pieces of his meal (no matter what it may be) in a three-foot radius around his seat. As a precaution, for Thanksgiving dinner we covered his seat and the surrounding carpet with towels. Maybe a little overkill since he chose to eat only turkey (a lot of turkey) and nothing else.

He's been looking forward to this for weeks! Ignore the crazy hair. He had major bed head after waking up from his nap!

So very enthused to begin enjoying her very first Thanksgiving dinner!

Getting ready to eat!

We started our meal with prayers and then Paul and I named a few of the things for which we are thankful. 

When it came time for Matthew to do the same, he replied with great enthusiasm: "I thankful for TURKEY!"

Paul: "Anything else? Maybe Mommy?"

Matthew: "Uhh...for candles."

Paul: "What else?"

Matthew: "Fire!...SMOKE!"

We saw that this was getting a little out of hand, so we said "Amen!" and began to eat our feast!

So FULL!

She would not let go of the bottle! She was MAD when I finally managed to free it from her surprisingly strong little fists!

We enjoyed a long, leisurely meal with our kids. They both were so happy, eating and chatting away (or more shrieking in Emma's case). Matthew got so hyper and giggly after drinking a couple glasses of sparkling grape juice that Paul and I began to doubt the "alcohol-free" claims on the label. Emma ate about as much as Matthew - finishing off two servings of potatoes and a dinner roll. We surveyed the damage at our meal's end and determined that we probably made enough food to feed 16 people. We'll be eating leftovers for a very long time.

My favorite dish this year was a new addition to our menu: Brussels Sprout Salad with Gouda, Dried Cherries and Pecans. It was a fresh, healthy addition to the table and my first successful attempt at getting Paul to eat Brussels Sprouts. Normally, he won't touch them with a 10-foot pole. I've even tried coating them in bacon grease in the past but haven't been able to convince him to try them. This recipe converted him. It's delicious and will probably become a holiday staple.

Brussels Sprout Salad with Gouda, Dried Cherries, and Pecans
adapted slightly from Cook's Country

Note: The original recipe calls for Smoked Gouda. We used a regular, creamy Gouda and thought it was fantastic, but I'm sure the smoked cheese would add another wonderful dimension to this salad.

3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 small shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved, and sliced very thin
4 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded on the large holes of a box grater (about 1 heaping cup)
1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans
1/2 cup chopped dried cherries

Whisk lemon juice, mustard, shallot, garlic and ½ teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Slowly whisk in oil until incorporated. Toss Brussels sprouts with vinaigrette, and let sit for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. I let it go the whole 2 hours before dinner to ensure that the sprouts had enough time to soften and meld with the vinaigrette.

Gently fold in the Gouda, pecans, and cherries. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Curried Rice Salad with Cauliflower, Mango and Cashews

A few months back, a dear friend of mine sent me an email shortly after I wrote this whiny post about how challenging it is for me to eat something nutritious for lunch (can you say "first world problem"?). I primarily blamed these two little people for my gourmet lunches featuring crusts cut neatly from peanut butter sandwiches and leftover juice boxes:

The roots of all my problems together in one place. Sigh.

In her email, she suggested that I prepare a rice salad with fresh ingredients at the beginning of the week and then continue to enjoy the leftovers for lunch the following days. She attached a brilliantly yummy recipe that made me fall in love with the concept of a rice salad. I had never had one before and now I wonder where the heck they have been all my life?

Given my love for couscous, quinoa, wheatberry, and other fluffy delicious salads, it would seem that rice salad would be a no-brainer new favorite dish of mine.

I have been enjoying many rice salads for lunch and dinner and have started bringing them as my "side to share" at a few summer potlucks. This is my favorite by far. Indian spices are so warming and they are really elevated with the combination of basmati rice, cashews, and raisins. The curry-sauteed cauliflower adds a crunchy element throughout and the fresh chives tossed on at the end lend brightness, a fresh finish, and a touch of color. We paired this with Paul's charcoal-grilled tandoori chicken and raita. Since this feeds a small army, the leftovers were truly something to look forward to all week long!

Curried Rice Salad with Cauliflower, Mango and Cashews
adapted from Cook's Illustrated 

1 1/2 cups basmati rice (or another long grain rice - but basmati is a real treat)
2 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 tablespoons peanut oil (vegetable or canola works in a pinch!)
1/2 small head cauliflower, cut into small florets (about 2-3 cups)
1 tablespoon curry powder
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup roasted, salted cashews
1 medium mango, peeled and diced fine
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Meanwhile, heat medium skillet with a touch of oil over medium heat until hot. Add the rice and toast, stirring frequently, until faintly fragrant and some grains turn opaque (about 5 minutes). This helps most long grain rice cook up separate and fluffy.

Combine the toasted rice with cold chicken stock in rice cooker. Cook the rice in your rice cooker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Or you can cook it on the stovetop (but I'm lazy and really love my rice cooker).

Once rice has finished cooking, fluff it gently with a fork, and leave it (covered) on the warm setting while you prepare the remaining salad ingredients. Heat oil in medium skillet over high heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add cauliflower, curry powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant and curry powder adheres to cauliflower, about 1 minute. Add raisins and 1/4 cup water; reduce heat to medium-high and continue to cook until water evaporates and cauliflower is tender, about 3 minutes. Transfer cauliflower to large bowl; add rice, cashews, mango, chives, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to bowl and toss thoroughly to combine. Let stand 20 minutes to blend flavors and serve.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad and An Ode to My Mother

Happy Mother's Day to my friend, my hero, my role model...my beautiful mother.

I know I was not the easiest child in the world to raise. I was stubborn, strong-willed, and hated taking direction from anyone. Not to mention, I had full-blown anxiety issues about pretty much everything beginning when I was just a toddler. We're talking major emotional breakdowns about EVERYTHING. I was scared of boats after reading about the Titanic. I was scared to travel to California after seeing the news coverage of the 1994 Los Angeles earthquake. After seeing Jaws, I was not only terrified of the ocean but also lakes, streams, rivers, the public pool, and some very large puddles.

My Mom never lost patience with me and my constant, never-ending panic attacks about everything. I must have woken her up dozens of times in the middle of the night just to tell her that I was scared that we were going to die in a car crash during our next family vacation by driving off a bridge, getting swept up by a tornado, or spontaneously bursting into flames. Mom would always calmly respond with the true but not-at-all-reassuring statement: "At least we will all be together!"

My Mom has always been my biggest advocate. When I was about five years old and attending a Vacation Bible School summer program, a pair of 10-year-old girls were making fun of me for choosing to color an entire picture with a hot-pink marker (an atrociously inartistic choice for sure!). My Mom immediately marched over to them and asked: "Are you making fun of her picture?" The terrified girls quickly shook their heads and skedaddled. I proudly took my artwork home where I'm sure my Mom saved it in her filing cabinet where she kept all the other pieces of evidence that none of her children would grow up to be the next Picasso. Years later, some of us kids went through the contents of that filing cabinet and wondered amongst ourselves: "Why the heck did Mom keep all this crap?"

Because she loves us.

As little kids, we always had a set routine of prayers we said at night with my Mom while being tucked into bed. I have taught my own son that same exact sequence of prayers and we recite it together every single night. And every single night, it reminds me of my Mom.

Whenever I rock my little Emma, I sing her the same song my Mom would sing to us when we were little:

Baby of Mine
Baby of Mine
Sweet Little, Cute Little, Baby of Mine
Sweet Little Child, sent from above
You'll always be
You'll always be
My Baby of Mine.

I have no idea whether that is an actual song or her own composition based on the melody of an actual song (my Mom has a knack for forgetting lyrics), but I will sing it to all my babies just as my Mom sang it to all of hers.

Even though I am now grown and raising a family of my own, I will never stop needing my Mom. Whenever I am scared, upset, or excited about something, my Mom is the first person I want to call. I miss her when I am unable to see her for awhile and sometimes long to hug her, laugh with her, or watch a Cary Grant movie with her (that man is a bona fide Adonis). I love how much my children love her and enjoy spending time with her. Matthew talks about "going to see Grandma" every single day. I usually tell him: "Oh Matthew, I want to go see Grandma too!"

I have no idea why Mom looks so oddly two dimensional in this picture!

On this Mother's Day, even though I am unable to spend the day with my Mom, I am thinking about her constantly. I could not have been blessed with a better Mother and hope that I can give my own children the same amount of love and support that my Mom always gave me.

Thank you, Mom, for everything. I love you!

The recipe I want to share is one that I promised to post for my Mom since it reminded her so much of a dish that her mother, my Grandma, used to prepare during the summertime. I prepared this Macaroni Salad as a side dish during the family gathering we hosted the weekend of Emma's Baptism mainly because I thought it would be cheap, easy, and economical. However, this was truly one fantastic macaroni salad. After one bite, my Mom declared that it was exactly like Grandma's macaroni salad - a dish that my Mom craves from time to time. Grandma passed away almost 17 years ago and I know that my Mom thinks about her and misses her constantly. Although I did not know her very well, I understand that she was an excellent cook and I was very proud to make something reminiscent of one of her dishes.

Hawaiian Macaroni Salad
from Entertaining Magazine

Note: Do not substitute lower fat milk or mayonnaise in the recipe. It will make the dressing too watery!

2 cups whole milk
2 cups full-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
 Salt and Pepper
1 pound macaroni pasta
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 large carrot, grated
1 celery rib, chopped fine

To make the dressing, whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk, 1 cup mayonnaise, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper.

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta and cook until very soft, about 15 minutes. Drain pasta and return to pot.

Add vinegar to the hot pasta, and toss until absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl. Cool the pasta for 10 minutes.

Stir in the dressing until pasta is well coated. Let stand to cool completely to room temperature.

Add scallions, carrot, celery, remaining milk, and remaining mayonnaise to pot with pasta mixture; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and refrigerate, covered, for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Serve.