Spring Has Finally Sprung! by Tracey J Lyons

It has been a record breaking rainy and cold spring here in the part of upstate New York that I live in and no amount of social media cheer seemed to help me!  I would see all the pictures my friends from the southern part of the country were posting and try not to be green with envy. Where they had daffodils and lilacs, I had puddles where the flowers should be.

There were days when I thought we were going to be in this weather pattern of dark, dreary, dampness forever. And then one day the clouds lifted and don't you know the thermometer actually went above 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

I swear on that first sunny day walking outside was like stepping out of a dark cave.

This past weekend my husband and I worked double time to get caught up on our yard work. We built a brand new raised bed vegetable garden. We planted potatoes, tomatoes, Brussel sprouts, green beans, peas, and cucumbers, then we ran out of space! Out in the front of the house, under my guidance, my husband planted over one hundred summer flower bulbs.

Our youngest son gave me a beautiful rose bush for mother's day to add to our front yard flower garden.

If I learned one thing this long, wet spring, it's that the weather patterns like our lives, can be ever changing. You have to be patient, something that's really hard for me and remember that in order to appreciate the warm, sunny days, you have endure some rain along the way.

I hope your spring is filled with an abundance of sunshine!

I'd love to hear about your spring gardens!

Tracey

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A Love For Lizzie

Print June 18, 2019
Digital July 1, 2019

Our family's favorites....for Easter dinner Roxanne Rustand

Easter is fast approaching.  Some of the other authors have shared some wonderful recipes for Easter.  Do you have some favorites that you serve every year?

We have the traditional Easter dinner with ham and the usual fixings... though this year our daughter wants us to make an Asian meal instead. I'm not too sure about it though.  Do you do anything unusual for Easter meals?
Here is a salad I absolutely love but don't make often enough. It came from my best high school friend Becky many years ago.  It's perfect for a dinner with extended family.  It serves a lot.

I'm also sharing my all-time favorite potato salad recipe, which I got in 1971 from the long-closed restaurant in the Minneapolis area, but altered to fit our own taste. It's perfect for the light supper on Easter evening with leftover ham.  I hope you will enjoy these favorites of ours! Note: I always figure it's a holiday, with company joining us, so I only use Hellman's regular dressing for these recipes because it just tastes soooo much better.  :)


BECKY'S PARMESAN BACON SALAD
1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 head cauliflower
1 medium onion, chopped
1.25#   lean bacon fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup thin sliced carrots

1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup  grated parmesan (in a shaker can--not the freshly grated kind)
2 cups regular Hellmans (no other kind will be as good!)
3 cups seasoned croutons

Break cauliflower into flowerets. Slice thin (a food processor works great.)
Place first five ingredients in a large container, in the order listed.
Combine the sugar, parmesan and Hellman's well, and spread over the carrots.
Refrigerate until serving time, then add croutons and toss until well mixed.


POTATO SALAD
Dressing:
2 cups Hellman's regular salad dressing (no substitute!)
2 TBSP yellow mustard
6 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar

Salad:
7-8 red potatoes, boiled til tender & cubed, leaving at least half the skins--cooled
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled and chopped
5 green onions, chopped, using part of the green ends
5 radishes, sliced thin
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine with the dressing and refrigerate for at least two hours.

I hope you have a wonderful Easter!

Roxanne Rustand