Nothing says summer like potato salad!
Remember my last Staff Safety meeting with the crew? It was chaos unfolding with the desert I chose to bring. Well, this time it is my turn to bring some sort of salad. One of the crew requested I bring potato salad (a recipe i copied from his mother, back in the day). My contribution is going to be a piece of cake!
I am sharing the recipe below. (Please forgive my photography skills. I will get better as we go along. And check out that mayonnaise jar! It stays empty around our house!) I put quantities in the format of choice, because it comes down to each individual taste. If you are not fond of green onions use less or leave them out entirely. The same goes for everything else listed in the ingredients. I guessed at the amount of mayonnaise and mustard because I am not in the habit of measuring, but add until it’s “creamy” (hubby’s word) and has the flavor desired.
I’m anticipating you will enjoy it! Please let me know how it turned out, as well as how you made it your own, or even if you have questions.
The recipe
Potato Salad
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5 or 6 potatoes
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4 or 5 eggs
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2 bunches of green onions
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1 green pepper
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1 lb bacon (Oscar Mayer is the best!)
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1 1/2 c. mayonnaise (Hellmans is the best! But a co-worker only uses Miracle Whip)
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1/4 c. mustard
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pepper – to tast
Boil the potatoes until they are the texture you like (we like ours a little lumpy). Hard boil the eggs. Fry the bacon. For crispy bacon bits fry the bacon well done. If you rather have chunky bacon, fry to a golden brown and break up into one inch pieces. Slice the green pepper and green onion into 1/4″ or 1/2″ bits. First add the mayonnaise. I recommend adding it in 1/2 cup measurements until you get it where you want, even if it goes beyond the designated amount. Then add mustard, a little at a time, to your preferred taste. It may be more or less than I have suggested.
Depending on the size of potatoes, this makes a good amount of potato salad. Enough to take to a spread and not bring any back.
I assemble the potato salad while the potatoes are still warm. My husband will sample it while warm. I prefer it to be chilled. You can make this ahead as it is always better the second day. But I recommend allowing enough time to chill thoroughly if taking it somewhere.
Potato Salad
Sharing is half the fun
Whatever I am in charge of bringing, I set some aside for my husband. I also like to set some aside for my boss and his assistant. It’s my way of including them as well as showing my appreciation for what they do. This time my boss stated that he was a potato salad aficionado. Uh oh, pressure on. He gave it a thumbs up and I feel blessed that they both enjoyed it. After the crew dug into it there was very little left. Just the way I like it! To me, if I bring anything home it means it was a dud!
Cooking in retirement
I wonder if hubby and I will ever get to the point that we don’t cook as much food. We have always cooked big meals. Partly to have left overs for work and because we share with neighbors. But now our bodies are getting to the point that we don’t need as much to get through the day. When we start traveling we will not have the luxury of neighbors to share with. Not to mention the space to store anything. It will be a learning curve I’m sure.
I mentioned to hubby I was going to take all my pots and pans with us. He said “no” and went on to further explain; “no room”, “don’t use half of them now”, “not going to spend our time cooking inside, we be grilling out!” I know that we will miss a pot or pan if we don’t have it with us… our usual way of dealing with this is buying ANOTHER (pan) of the item we cant find…. 🙁
My idea is to utilize the crock pot a lot for things. Hubby thought about an XL cooker, I have a real nice vintage electric skillet. All those are for sure going. My hubby and I both enjoy cooking, but in retirement it will not be the same. We will be looking for shortcuts or easy to prepare meals.
Onward to retirement
Whatever the case may be, I am eager to experience it! Reminds me of a t-shirt I saw several years ago….
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a Ride!”
― Hunter S. Thompson, The Proud Highway: Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967
