Slackers still make good cooks.....

Yes, I am a slacker. (But I am the first one to admit it.)

And I DO know how to cook, and I believe that covers a multitude of sins. ;-) Anyone with me on that one?

I made several things since I posted last....but alas, I forgot to take pictures of most of them. I just don't want to try something unless I can see a picture of the finished product. So I don't want to post recipes on here for you to try, based only on my good word. You gotta have pictures!

I did find a picture of one item that I made.....my husband's favorite salad:
tomato caprese. My friend gave me fresh basil out of her garden and I found fresh mozzarella on sale, so I was all set. Mine varied slightly from the traditional recipe--I added cucumber slices, and I marinated it with Italian dressing, rather than drizzling it with olive oil, vinegar and spices.
(I was in a hurry! :-) He still loved it.....only one tiny bowl of leftovers.

What is your favorite summer salad?

A little bitta tweaking and.....wah-lah!

I am a huge fan of Taste of Home. I own 4 of their cookbooks, I receive two of their magazines, and I used to visit their headquarters at least once a year (before I moved away). In fact, many of my favorite recipes have come from one of their cookbooks or magazines.

But sometimes, I have to make the recipes fit my family (and our budget). As "down-home" as they are supposed to be, many of them still contain ingredients that, frankly....I'm never gonna purchase. Whether that is due to budget constraints, laziness, or my lack of confidence in the produce section at Whole Foods, I am just not gonna use certain items.

Anyways, I found this potato salad recipe and thought it sounded good. But I did not have gorgonzola cheese handy, nor any chives. So I switched it up a bit, added some pickle juice (for good flavor) and, here ya go.....


Loaded Potato Salad (formerly known as "Bacon & Gorgonzola Potato Salad")

1 3/4 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup mayonnaise
3/4 cup sour cream
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 celery rib, finely chopped
2 T. dill weed
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. coarsely ground pepper
1/4 t. sugar
1 cup shredded cheese
1 cup bacon bits, divided
2 T. pickle juice

Place potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the mayo, sour cream, onions, celery, 1 T. dill, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir in cheese and 1/2 cup bacon bits. Fold in tomatoes and potatoes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, sprinkle with remaining dill and bacon.