Mom's Potato Salad

Yesterday and today I am working 2nd shift at work.  It is not my favorite since I'm used to 1st, but it isn't bad.  I actually enjoy the solitude of my office without interruptions of other people and phones.  I can actually get my work done.  I also like it because then I don't have to set and alarm clock in the morning and get up at my leisure.  However, the dog always has something different to say about that. 

 Anyway, since I've been home I decided to to some cooking.  Let it be known I am NOT a very good cook or baker. LOL. That and I had some veggies to use up from the farm stand.  Oh, and I had nothing for my dinner last night to take to work.  When I work 2nd I feel like I'm always hungry and just keep eating. 

It all started with my instant pot.  I wasn't sure I'd like it, but it was a Christmas present and I have found I LOVE it.  It is so nice when I don't thaw anything out for dinner and can throw something together and in no time a hot meal.  But, what I'm most impressed with are hard boiled eggs.  I will never go back to stove top boiling.  This is so much easier.  I use the 5-5-5 method and I get beautiful easy peeling eggs.  I have also decided I prefer fresh brown eggs.  We have a friend who always has an abundance and is kind enough to share.  They have the most beautiful color yolk.  I had a bunch to use up so in the pot they went. 

Beautiful color and no green ring.

I also had some baby red skin potatoes from the farm stand that needed used up, so what is summer without potato salad.  Every family has their own favorite recipe.  Of course I'm going to say my Mom's was the best.  LOL.  So, this is one of the recipes I picked up from her.  Does it taste the same? Of course not but it is just as good.  I have had people say that about my corn casserole.  They duplicate the recipe perfectly, but it just doesn't taste the same.  In the pot the potatoes went.  My mom normally uses regular white potatoes, but this works too.  I never knew up until a few years ago that after you boil your potatoes you should refrigerate them to make them not be mushy.  That and there is a health benefit to doing it also if you happen to need to watch your starches.

With this potato salad I always love the crunch of onion.  I am an onion fan. People around me I'm sure don't love it, but hey, stay back 6 ft anyway.  So, I diced up some candy onions and threw them in.  Like my pastry blender?  Don't judge me! LOL.  I don't have a lot of kitchen gadgets and this is my multi purpose tool.  I like to use it to chop stuff.  My Mom has a round looking tool with teeth on it that she uses to chop her potato salad, but this will do.  

The part that sets this apart from all other potato salad is the cucumber.  It is such an interesting taste and texture when added.  This was the best part of the whole salad for me growing up.

I do NOT like mayonnaise.  I don't like the taste of it unless it is on a burger.  I much prefer Miracle Whip.  I like the tang and flavor.  This is always what my Mom used, so this is what I use for the dressing.  I don't use it much, but instead of buying a tiny jar at triple the price I bought a bigger jar to use.  So, now I'm trying to figure out ways to use it up.

I don't like celery in mine, but like the taste so I added celery seed for the flavor.  Of course I taste tested it and yup! pretty darn good.  Although I think it is much better when it has been refrigerated for awhile.  

In the meantime I LOVE egg rolls.  So I was mixing up my filling for that.  I really had an unorthodox meal plan.  But, when you have stuff in the fridge to use up you make whatever you can. I had planned on using sausage, but my son used it to make spaghetti on Sunday with it.  So, I had a package of ground chicken and decided to use that.  I haven't make egg rolls in a really long time because neither of the kids will eat them.  That means I will eat them for days by myself. LOL.  I had a hankering for them so I made them.  Mine are nowhere near as good as a Chinese restaurant, but they will do,

I have to tell you that I normally deep fry them, but I tried oven baking them this time.  They actually crisped up, which I didn't think they would.  I also tried a vegan egg roll wrap.  Am I sold? No, but that was all they had at the grocery store.  I normally buy a different type, but they didn't have any.  Are they bad? No.  Just a different texture or maybe because they were baked and not fried. I don't know.  They are still really yummy, just not what I remember.

I also had some eggs left over for some yummy egg salad.  If  knew how to make macaroni salad I would've probably made that instead.  But my Mom never made that. I LOVE eating egg salad on Ritz crackers for a meal.  In fact,  that is what I took to work for dinner last night.  Tonight I have a whole bunch of choices because my kids won't eat any of it.  Bet me one of them will ask if we're going to a picnic because I made potato salad. LOL.  I rarely make it to eat at home.  

Until next time my friends.  Stay safe and Healthy.