Deep Thought of the Day

As I was packing my lunch for work, I mused about my coleslaw, and remember that, as a child, I thought it was "cold slaw". I didn't know what "slaw" was, but I knew it was always served cold, so the name made perfect sense to me.

"Liverworst" was different. I LOVED liverwurst, but HATED liver, so I thought this stuff wasn't named very well. After all, "liverworst" wasn't like liver at all. Liver was, in fact, the worst thing I ever tasted.

"Sourkraut" was another one. Oh how I hated that stuff, even the sour smell of it made me gag! I thought that "sourkraut" was named for it's sour smell and obviously sour taste.

*

This has been a presentation of Adoro's deepest thoughts and misspelled words that sound like the real ones. Share your own!

Back to regular programming.....

Summer Potato Salad!

It's been awhile since I posted one of my "Foods I would serve Jesus" recipes, or, conversely, "Foods I would NOT serve Jesus", and so, today is that day.

On Friday, I had some wonderful potato salad at a friend's home, and it just gave me a craving for more. It's a warm, humid day with NO wind, so I thought...why not make potato salad to have with dinner tonight? Sure!

Growing up, Mom always made the salad with Idaho potatoes, but I tend to favor red, although I've never made it using the little red potatoes with the skins one. In fact, I haven't made this stuff for a couple of years!

So I went to the store after Mass and picked up the necessary main ingredients (I already have a 'fridge full of condiments) and I went to work. It wasn't long before I remembered exactly WHY I haven't made this salad in so long!

First, remember that it's a warm, humid day. And I'm trying hard not to turn on my air conditioning since I am short on money this summer anyhow (with the lack of work hours, increased gas, increased price for groceries....YOU know!). So as the humidity and temperature were going up inside my house, I was realizing the idiocy of my actions. Because of course I can't turn on the air if I'm in the process of heating up my house! Sheesh!

And then I overcooked the potatoes (meaning I had even MORE humidity than necessary in the house!), and went to work on the egg mixture, trying to get the flavor JUST RIGHT. And I chopped up the celery and thanked God I had picked up an onion at the store. And I had to sample the potatoes and the mixture to be sure it tasted right...the mix of mustard and egg and sweet onions and celery...mmmm.

So now the salad is chilling in the 'fridge, I'm STUFFED and no longer interested in eating it. And I'm not sure it's going to be very good, anyway. And funny thing about potato salad; as you have the ingredients separated, it doesn't look like very much. Because of course the egg yolks just become the "sauce". But no; when you put it all together, it's like it MULTIPLIES and become MORE...far more than one can possibly eat! But darn it, I had to PAY for those groceries so I'm going to eat potato salad until I turn into it...because I have enough to last me every meal for a WEEK! And as I don't think it'll be very good, well...this is going to be penance. And I'm REALLY GLAD Jesus isn't coming to dinner tonight. He'd never visit me again if I gave him this stuff!

But I'll give you the recipe anyway. Chances are that if you cook all the time, you won't overcook the potatoes or make too much of the stuff.

* a bunch of red potatoes, or russets, cut the eyes out. If using red, keep the skins on. If using russets, peel.

* a bunch of eggs.

Boil both...the potatoes should be soft but still slightly firm (i.e. not mushy) The eggs should be cooked so that the yolk is firm and pale yellow.

Peel the eggs, spoon the yolks into a bowl and mash them with a fork or something. Add lots of gooey mayo, mustard, and stir it all together. Add salt or pepper to taste. I actually added garlic salt.

Chop the egg whites, some onion and celery, and add it to the egg yolk. Stir it into the potatoes and put the entire mess in the 'fridge.

Clean the egg off the bowls, the cupboard doors, and the dog. Make sure all the onion bits are off the floor (they're poisonous to dogs). Take the garbage out because you just filled it up with random things from the refrigerator that aren't fit for human consumption and haven't been for a long time. (You discovered these items while hunting for a place to put the salad.) Rinse out the bowls and get the egg and mayo and mustard off the silverware, and get the potato off the knife or you'll never be able to use it again.

Then go take a nap while you wait for the house to cool down.

If I feel like eating this stuff later, I'll add an update.

Odd and Ends

It's been a weird weekend. I'm sick, Mom's REALLY sick, and this morning at Mass I could not stop my mind from wandering. The subject of my wandering mind? Mom's funeral planning. How to pay for the cemetary plot, where she'll be buried, how my brother and I will handle this, etc. And of course, I'm certain a particular uncle would step in; that seems to be his role in a crisis.

I nearly burst into tears during the homily; not because of what the good Deacon was saying, (his homily was good, but not touching), but because my distraction was too much for me. Somehow I managed to focus on what he was saying, but I can't honestly say I prayed much during Mass.

I wish I'd known before Mass that the priest had been in to see Mom; that would have been a huge weight off my mind.

Anyway, I feel better about things but we still have a huge diagnosis looming, and that scares me.

All day I've been trying to work on my papers. I took a break to watch the Birds of Prey Downhill from Beaver Creek, CO, which was awesome. And then back to work. I have a page and a paragraph on the Spirituality paper, and my Synthetic paper for Old Testament is, shall we say...going nowhere. I can't seem to make the connections, am just completely lost. This might as well be chemistry.

Then I gave up in favor of cooking dinner; Tuna Casserole with potato chip topping. It was a favorite growing up, and maybe the first thing I ever learned how to cook. Of course, I haven't made it in so many years I forgot how, so had to look up a recipe for it.

Amazing. I can make soups, I can grill salmon to die for, but I can't make Tuna Casserole. (Or "Hotdish" for my other midwestern compatriots).

It's edible, certainly, but the noodles are overcooked, the "sauce" is too thick so the total is a bit dry, and ironically, I didn't put enough chips on top.

If Jesus came to my door and asked for dinner, I would most certainly NOT give Him this. * sigh *

I'll eat it though. It's cheap and edible...and for now, that's enough.