Grandma's Potato Salad

I love hearing stories from dad and mom about what their parents would cook and what they would eat as families. From these stories, I can picture in my head the vast array of produce dad has told me his family used to grow, and I can imagine him sitting at the dinner table demolishing a half dozen or so ears of corn, like he sometimes likes to talk about. I can picture mom at the dinner table eating bizarre things like frog legs, and squirrel and other unconventional game. Yuuuuum, she says, as I would cringe with uncertainty.
I relish the idea of passing down a family recipe through generations; an uncustomary heirloom. I think because I never had the opportunity of knowing any of my grandparents, taking a recipe and creating a dish I know they used to prepare in their own kitchens and eat at their tables, makes me feel connected to them. How special that food is able to create a bond between two people who have never even met.
Growing up, grandma McCoy's potato salad was either the first or one of the first potato salads I had ever tasted. All my life, when mom would make her own potato salad, she would make grandma's. I remember always liking it, but sometimes I would have a problem with the onions in it. Even though mom always chopped them up nice and fine, for awhile there, I would ask her to make a small batch without onions. Now that I'm older and have a more refined palate, I understand what the onion brings to the salad, and never again will they be omitted.
Grandma's potato salad is simple and addicting. Besides the "secret" ingredient, the binding is mostly Miracle Whip. I've come to realize that people either love the stuff, or absolutely detest it. I grew up on Miracle Whip, as I'm sure mom did, since that's what grandma used. I remember eating (and loving) bologna and Miracle Whip sandwiches. (What was wrong with me?!) Even if someone is one of those MW haters, I don't think they'd be able to deny grannie's salad.

Grandma's Potato Salad:
(measurements are approximate - this is for a smaller batch)

6 medium russet potatoes
5 large eggs
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
Approx. 1 cup Miracle Whip
Approx. 1/3 cup sour cream
Salt to taste
Top with Paprika

Start by peeling potatoes and boiling until soft and hard boiling the eggs. Let potatoes and eggs cool, then chop and put into medium mixing bowl. Add onion, mayonaise, sour cream, and salt and mix until combined. Sprinkle with paprika.

Eat by the heaping spoonful, and enjoy every last morsel of it.

THIS ONE'S FOR YOU, GRANDMA! (I know you're watching me somewhere, and smiling)

Dave's Famous Green Beans

I'm obsessed.
With food. With food blogs and websites. The Food Network. Cooking competition shows. Cookbooks and cooking magazines. Restaurants and cafes. Grocery stores. Farmers markets. Gardens and farms. Breakfast, and lunch and dinner. And dessert.
I'm obsessed.
I've always known I had more of a love for food and flavor than most of my friends and people I know, but I never knew this love would become an obsession or such a growing passion until a few years ago.
Growing up my parents raised my brother and I to give almost everything a try. They'd say, "You have to at least try it; and just one more bite." I'll admit, I didn't like everything, especially a meal my parents adored: the dreaded "Ham and Beans". However, when most children around my age were eating only hot dogs and mac and cheese, I was divulging in fettuccine alfredo, deviled eggs and crab legs (thanks dad and mom!).

I have so many thoughts and ideas for the future, so many recipes I want to remember and want to try. So here I am: starting this blog for myself. A personal place that I can recall past and present stories and recipes, and a place that I can jot down everything food-related that makes me giddy and excited daily.

The first recipe I want to share, I will remember forever and continue to cook on my own. I literally came out of the womb eating and loving green beans. Okay, so that's a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously, I've loved green beans since as far back as I can remember. When my family lived in Illinois, we were all incredibly involved with our community church. We used to attend church potlucks, and it was at one of these events that my parents first tried "Dave's Famous Green Beans." They were smitten after the first bite, and left with the recipe and utterly satisfied palates. My mom has made these very green beans for Thanksgivings, Christmases and other special events ever since. I joke that I could eat the entire batch, but I truly could. Justin and I would be, and still are, the official "green bean snappers" every year for my mom. Hearing the crisp legumes go snap! and then watching mom create this pot of smoky, down-south style beans are such fond memories. And when it comes time to make my own Thanksgiving feast, I too will bring this recipe to my table.

Dave's Famous Green Beans:

1 heaping bag on fresh green beans, snapped
2 ham hocks
1 large onion, roughly chopped
Salt and Pepper, for seasoning

Add all of the ingredients together in a large pot of water, and simmer on medium low for several hours until tender. Remove/or shred ham hocks before serving.

WARNING: The smell will taunt you ALL day.