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With the “Fourth of July” just around the corner, I’m sure many people are thinking about what they’re going to serve at their annual Independence Day cook-out or picnic. I know I am! At this point, here’s what’s on the menu for my holiday feast:

Deviled Eggs

Veggie Tray

“Beddar With Cheddar” Smoked Sausages

Barbecue Potato Chips

Italian Potato Salad

“Red, White, and Blue” Parfaits

“Drumsticks” Ice Cream Cones

A very simple — yet tasty — menu that’s VERY easy to prepare. Of all the items on my menu, the Italian Potato Salad is about the only one that will require some time to prepare, BUT it’s my favorite thing on the menu. I’ve been making Italian Potato Salad for decades, and a cook-out or picnic just wouldn’t be the same without it — as far as I’m concerned!

So, yeah… With America’s Independence Day celebration, a cook-out or picnic (depending upon the weather) will be part of my plans, so it’s time to break out the recipe for Italian Potato Salad — from my beloved “Betty Crocker’s Cookbook” and get started on it! So… Without further ado, here’s this week’s featured “Tasty Tuesdays” recipe.

Italian Potato Salad

2 pounds potatoes (about 6 medium)

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

1/4 cup Italian Dressing [homemade or store-bought]

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 medium stalk celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

2 hard-cooked eggs, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives or pitted ripe olives

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat 1 inch salted water (1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water) to boiling. Add potatoes. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Drain and cool.
2. Cut potatoes into cubes; stir in onion, Italian Dressing, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
3. Just before serving, toss with mayonnaise until potatoes are well coated. Stir in celery, eggs, olives, Parmesan cheese and the dried oregano leaves.

4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Recipe notes:

If I’m in a hurry to make a batch of Italian Potato Salad, I’ll often skip the “cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours” step. However, I’ve found that the longer the potatoes are allowed to marinate in the Italian Dressing, the tastier the final product will be.

As I was transcribing the recipe for this “Tasty Tuesdays” post, I realized that I often do NOT add the celery and eggs when I’ve been making Italian Potato Salad lately. If you like “crunch” in your potato salad, then go ahead and add the celery. As for the eggs, I might start putting slices of hard-boiled egg on the top of my batch of Italian Potato Salad — just like Mom always did when she made her favorite potato salad.

I certainly hope you’ll give Italian Potato Salad, my cook-out/picnic staple, a try and then let me know what you think about it. In addition, if you’ve got any “go-to” recipes for cook-outs and/or picnics, I’d love to hear what they are, so please take a moment to leave a comment below — AND share the recipe with me! I enjoy trying new recipes!!

The other day, I went to a fast-food restaurant (something I haven’t done in quite some time), and I ordered a “chicken strips platter” that came with a side of coleslaw. Because it had been a while since I’d had any coleslaw, I was looking forward to eating my little cup of coleslaw. Unfortunately, I spotted something (rather disgusting) in it: a long piece of LETTUCE that looked like it had seen better days! That was the first thing that turned me off about their “version” of coleslaw, and the second was its texture. It didn’t look (or really taste) like the coleslaw I remembered. I know “the times they are a’changing”, but really? Lettuce in coleslaw? Come on, people! Lettuce belongs in salads… NOT coleslaw!

Anyway… Rant aside. This made me want to make a batch of coleslaw when I got home from town. So… I snatched my tried and true cookbook (“Betty Crocker’s Cookbook: New and Revised Edition, Including Microwave Recipes” Second Printing ©1979) off its shelf and went straight to the index, looking for a coleslaw recipe. I found one on page 139, so I flipped to that page and started reading the recipe — and its FOUR variations. Just as I got to the last variation, two words caught my eye: “old-fashioned”. I suppose that’s just a single word, but still… It captured my attention. Since I tend to write historical romance most of the time, I like anything that could be considered to be “old-fashioned”, and that, as it turned out, included “Old-fashioned Cabbage Salad”. Since I had virtually all of the ingredients (except one: chopped pimientos, which, to be honest, I don’t remember seeing anywhere but stuffed into the green olives that I love so much), I decided to forego the coleslaw, figuring what I was going to make was close enough to coleslaw to satisfy my desire. I’m REALLY glad I took a risk and tried this recipe — for the first time ever! And now, without further ado, here is the recipe that is featured in this week’s (long-awaited) “Tasty Tuesdays” post:

Old-Fashioned Cabbage Salad

1/2 medium head green cabbage, finely shredded or chopped (about 4 cups)
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 small green pepper, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon chopped pimiento
1 teaspoon instant minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours. Just before serving,, drain salad.

6 (1/2 cup) servings

I enjoyed my old-fashioned cabbage salad a day after making it, and I’m REALLY glad that I took a chance to make it for the first time. I ate it with a grilled cheese san’ich, and it gave me the crunch that I seem to crave. For me, this recipe is definitely “a keeper”, one that I’m sure I’ll be making frequently, especially during the summer! I think it’s a perfect “cook out” side dish!

As always, I’d love to get your thoughts about this recipe, especially if you take a chance to make it yourself. What are come of your favorite “cook out” side dishes? Looking forward to hearing from you.

Hello, and welcome to yet another “Tasty Tuesdays” journal post. With St. Patrick’s Day just around the corner, I’ve been trying to decide what to serve for the holiday. I don’t know about you, but one of the first things that comes to mind whenever I think of St. Patrick’s Day (other than corned beef and cabbage, of course) is getting a “Shamrock Shake” from good ol’ McDonald’s. For many years, St. Patrick’s Day wasn’t complete without a quick stop at the local McDonald’s restaurant for one of their “limited time only” Shamrock Shakes. It still doesn’t feel like the holiday will be complete without a Shamrock Shake, BUT (and it’s a big “but”), my nearest McDonald’s is MILES away from home. So… I did what many people these days do: I went onto the Internet and did a quick search for “Shamrock Shake”. I wasn’t disappointed! I found several recipes for “Copycat Shamrock Shakes”!

With the hope of making both of our St. Patrick’s Day holidays complete, I am going to share one of the recipes that I found (one from the “spend with pennies” Web site). So… Without further ado, here’s the recipe for making our own “Shamrock Shakes”:

“Copycat “Shamrock Shakes”

• 4 cups vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract (or more to taste)
• green food coloring
• Toppings (whipped cream, maraschino cherries or sprinkles for garnish), optional

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Garnish as desired and then serve immediately.

Servings: 2 milkshakes

NOTES:

For a healthy-ish version, use vanilla frozen yogurt and swap the liquid for fat-free milk, and omit the whipped cream.

Spike this favorite with a splash of créme de menthe, Baileys, or vodka for a boozy treat!

May the “luck o’ the Irish” be with you as you enjoy a homemade “Shamrock Shake” from your own kitchen. Who needs to go to McDonald’s anymore?