Terrific Bacon Potato Salad

I don't want my kiddos to remember me as "the mom who always looked great and had it all together" or "the mom who was on top of the messes and ironed every piece of laundry".  I want them to remember me as the mommy who colored with them.  The mommy who made homemade food and invited their friends over for dinner on a whim.  Who could make impromptu parties out of watermelon and lemonade.  I can be that mommy.  That's not too tall an order.  It's being me.  If I can set aside the expectations I have of being those other moms it will be ok.

Betsi's Terrific Bacon Potato Salad

• 
  
  7 large red potatoes (12 small red potatoes)
• 
  
  1 tsp. salt
• 
  
  1/2 lb bacon
• 
  
  1/4 c. fresh chopped parsley
• 
  
  1/4 c. finely diced shallots
• 
  
  1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
• 
  
  2 tbsp. white wine vinegar
• 
  
  1 c. mayonnaise
• 
  
  1 tsp. oregano
• 
  
  salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

     Clean and slice potatoes into 1/8" thick segments.  If using large potatoes, I like to cut these in half.  Put in stock pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to boil and boil for 15 minutes.  Remove immediately and drain in strainer.  Set aside to cool.

     Fry bacon in skillet until crisp but still tender.  Save 1 tbsp. of bacon grease aside.  Saute parsley, shallots and bell pepper in remaining grease in skillet until tender.

     Pour reserved, hot bacon grease into small bowl with vinegar.  It's very important that you use white wine vinegar, instead of just white vinegar.  The taste is so different in my opinion.  Add mayo and oregano and mix together.

     In a large bowl combine potatoes with shallot and pepper mix.  Crumble bacon over mix.  Cover with mayo mix and stir together adding salt to taste and fresh cracked pepper if desired.

Enjoy!

When life gives you lemons..

Oh what a weekend!  I love long weekends with all my family home and barbecues afoot and friends coming to stay.  Our long weekend began on Friday with Isaac off from school and Justin off from work. We even had a failed camping attempt planned.  Unfortunately, autism had a different idea so the trip was postponed but other fun things occurred instead.

Last night I surveyed the damage.  It's not too bad.  The house is generally clean except for a generous sprinkling of toys and books.  But the kitchen sink.  The recipient of a couple days of merriment and the inevitable "every one's home" effect.  It's moments like these that it really hits home that I live with four men.

I sighed, not exactly excited about beginning this monumental task at ten at night.  House Hunters International was on in the background and I made a decision.  My brain still needed a vacation from our vacation weekend.

I needed lemonade.  Fresh lemonade.  I grabbed about fourteen lemons, organic naturally, sugar, my jadite juicer and my special, specifically for homemade lemonade, pitcher.

(Forgive my claw like hands here)

It's very important when making lemonade to use the right ingredients in the right proportions.  I'd love to give you a recipe but it's all by taste really.  I squeeze about two cups of lemon juice and add in about two or more cups of organic sugar (this has to be stirred longer as it takes longer to dissolve) and fill the rest of the pitcher with water.

And no other lemonade will ever taste this good.  Not even the Hot Dog on a Stick stuff.

So the dishes still await.

But so does the lemonade.