When it is cold, I never make potato salad. Mashed potatoes--yes. Au Gratin potatoes--check. Baked, fried, boiled, cubed and fried--all of the above. However, when the weather really starts to heat up, I make potato salad. There's something about the textures of the crunchy celery, the squish of the hard boiled eggs, and the tenderness of the potato that is very satisfying. Just to set the record straight, I dislike most potato salad sold in stores. In fact, I'd have to be starving before I'd eat it. Oh yes, did I mention the tang of the vinegar and the creaminess of the mayonnaise? Now I have.
And why am I making potato salad again this weekend? Because we're having a little lunch get together today. Jonathan and Alissa are here. Bruce got up at midnight last night to pick them up at the airport. Late, huh? This is a whirlwind trip for sure. Nearly 16 years ago when we moved into this house, Jonathan met Ryan, a thirteen year old boy like himself. They became inseparable until Jonathan left home for Florida State. I don't know how Jonathan would have gotten to high school if not for Ryan who invariably had to wait for Jonathan, perpetually late in those days. Ryan is getting married this evening--thus the trip. The good news is that it is oh so close. In fact, you know Cypress Grove Park if you're more than a casual reader of this space.
Pictured above is the rose garden which is adjacent to a lovely white two story Colonial home used for events. Baxter and I go there for walks. The good news is that it is just around the corner from our house allowing J & A to not have to spend much time getting there. More time for us to enjoy their company. It will be short any way you look at it though because their flight to return home is around 11 tomorrow morning. And you know where I'll be. Top Chef comes tomorrow.
Where's the picture of the potato salad Gail? I forgot to take that one, however, I didn't forget to get this one of the chopped salad that went along with our dinner last night. This is how Bruce likes salad, so this is how I make it. Actually I love to chop, however, I'm not especially skilled with the knife. Faking it my friends.
Thursday afternoon I used these ingredients to make tomatillo salsa.
Aren't they cute? This pan is prepped to go under the broiler to both char and soften the veggies. Once they were done, I put them in the blender with two chipotle peppers, maybe one too many, as it turned out very hot indeed. The chopped cilantro was stirred in.
This bird watching business is getting out of hand. While I'm cooking, which is usually the time "Juvy" comes around the most, I'm constantly checking the feeder for his appearance. So far, he's ignoring the bath I provided. Maybe because the water is hot like it was when I checked it yesterday afternoon. In fact, it was SUPER hot! No wonder he's uninterested. Sorry for yet another shot of the little cutie taken through the bushes:
While making the salsa for dinner, I had no idea Bruce was coming home with some terrible news. Some of you know our friend's Jeff and Connie, or at least you've heard me speak of them. After Jeff's wife died just six weeks after our parent's death, he was naturally a mess. Some time later he met Connie on Match.com. There's has been an on again, off again relationship, but there's no question they have formed some close bonds after five years. While Bruce was driving home from the airport he called Jeff to catch up a bit. Jeff told him he was stuck in Memphis to which Bruce replied, "bummer." What's worse, Jeff continued, is that Connie's daughter committed suicide today. I should say so. I can't quit thinking about it. Her funeral is Sunday afternoon at 3:30 which means Bruce will be going solo and I'll be asking Bill or Dave to help me dismantle the market set up. As to what else to say about, I'm wordless.
In other less tragic news, Herb has decided to take down the big oak. As a matter of fact, the tree people showed up at 8 this morning, a Saturday, if you're not reading this on the day I post, with big trucks and equipment. A terrible blow to our neighborhood. Begging Herb not to take it down did me no good.
No longer will we have this to see out our side windows. For the moment it's also very loud and the street is closed off. Amazingly, Jonathan and Alissa are sleeping through it!
Corrine is out of the hospital and is now in a rehab center very close to the house. I've yet to visit her there but I do know the place. When I was a teenager, our Father brought his Mother down from Ohio to live in what was then called "a nursing home." Same place. Bruce, who claims his memory is poor, even remembered the old name, Barrington Terrace. The name gave no clue to what it really was. Because our grandmother didn't live close to us when I was really young, I have little memory of her except that we thought she was SO OLD, which in fact, she probably was. Lotza Price was her name.
No more time for writing as I think there is life coming from the guest room and I don't want to miss a moment of it!
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