Marinated Potatoes a Creative Choice for St. Patrick's Day

Here is a healthy version of potato salad to serve this spring provided by Kerry Dunnington, the author of two cookbooks focused on healthier and seasonal eating. The recipe was created in response to the fact that mayonnaise was being rationed during the 1940s.

Kerry writes:

My mother has been serving this potato dish since she and my father first ate it at a picnic with friends in the summer of 1945. The picnic was in honor of their return from the war. It was a potluck event, and one of the women brought this potato dish, announcing it wasn’t at all like traditional potato salad because it only had a tablespoon of mayonnaise. (Mayonnaise was being rationed at the time.) Everyone loved it and no one missed the traditional potato salad laden with mayonnaise.

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup seasoned rice vinegar

1 teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon salt

¾ teaspoon black pepper

6 medium potatoes, unpeeled (peel if you prefer), quartered

1½ cups quartered and thinly sliced onion

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

In a 1-cup jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine oil, vinegar, celery seed, salt and pepper. Shak contents until well combined. Allow marinade to stand at room temperature for several hours.Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Allow the potatoes to cool. When cool enough to handle, thinly slice. In the dish you will be serving the potato salad, layer the potatoes and the onions alternately. Shake marinade and pour evenly over the potatoes and onions. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Just before serving, toss the potatoes with the mayonnaise. Season with additional salt if necessary.

6 servings

Kerry is the author of Tasting the Seasons: Inspired, In-Season Cuisine That's Easy, Healthy, Fresh and Fun and This Book Cooks 

Valentines from the Heart

Here are some of the Valentine canvases I decorated for Valentine's Day as gifts for friends. A little bit of lace, fabric flowers and a heart charm dress these up to making them sweet enough for the holiday.

For those of you who want more details, the background was covered with a piece of deli paper that was a pulled print from my gelli plate. The purple felt heart was cut out using the Brother Scan n Cut machine which I am only beginning to learn how to use. Other embellishments used were things I had on hand, like the "friends" stamp for which I used Versamark ink and then embossed the image. I also had some small pieces of lace which I used to dress up the canvas and a little bit of pink trim (top) which I had bought on clearance.

Actually the only thing I had to buy to make these were the 5 x 7 canvases. It makes me happy to use up things I have on hand, One of my favorite quotes which I have used in this blog is:

Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Amen.

Left Brain, Right Brain, Ha!

This is just one of the grocery shopping lists I made and used during the holidays. I usually throw these away in the store when I am done shopping, but this one fascinated me. I couldn't help but think about all those left brain/right brain references I always find in books about creativity and especially, about writing. And I wondered what a psychiatrist would think of my work above, wondering if I may have created a whole new part of the brain.

For a quick review, the left brain is supposedly in charge of logic, language, math and the ability to retrieve facts. Think Mr. Spock. The right brain, on the other hand, is the creative part. It's intuitive, subjective and thoughtful. Think Capt. Kirk.

So in those writer's texts, the lesson was that you should create your greatest work by relying on the right brain, and trying to keep the left side, also known as The Editor, from making comments like: What are you thinking? No one will read this! Or This is the worst story/article/poem I have ever read. Delete it now before someone gets hurt!

Of course these situations would also apply to anyone trying to create anything. Not a happy meeting of the minds for sure.

But today's experts now say these two brain hemispheres always work together, helping each other out when the time comes. So no one is so entrenched in one side of their brain to the point that they can't make use of the talents the other hemisphere offers.

So my disorganized shopping list doesn't define me either way. I'm just a messy thinker no matter which side of the brain I am using.

I can live with that.

Super Easy Last Minute Vintage Christmas Cards

Still looking for the perfect card for someone? Try this easy tip. Take a vintage post card or greeting card and frame it a couple of times to give it a little more punch. Glue the framed piece onto a ready-made greeting card, sign and send! (You can also use current Christmas postcards or pictures you have clipped from a Christmas card.)

Because these postcards above had interesting scentiments written on the back and the date (1926), I used removable tape to attach them to the Christmas card stock. That way, they can be removed and used again for another project.

Happy Halloween!

Here are some samples of cards I made for Halloween to send to friends. Easy to do with the new Brother Scan n Cut machine which kicked out all of the Jack O Lanterns and their details. Finishing off with some leftover embellishments I had from years back, the cards were done in no time.

A good lesson that everything doesn't have to be a Big Deal! Even if we always think so.

Happy Halloween! Have a safe and fun holiday.

Broken Things: Fix or Buy New?

My clothes dryer is not drying. It only has one simple task to perform and it is falling short. The other day I had to take two wet loads of clothes over to my son's place to dry.

Today I looked at washer/dryer sets online to begin the process of researching new ones to buy. Can you say overwhelming? So many choices, with so many features, and price tags to match.

So I called my trusty dryer repairman and he is on his way over to check out my machine. He was here a few months ago for essentially the same problem, so I am a little less hopeful that he can fix it for good this time. But it's worth a try even though both appliances have worked hard for more than 25 years.

I guess I consider this all part of the "recycling" rage these days. It fits in with that old slogan I love: Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.

Seven Strategies for Sale Shopping Success

A woman's creativity often shows in the way she dresses. But sometimes, we could all use a little help with choices. Nancy Nix-Rice, a wardrobe consultant extraordinaire, offers the following helpful hints before you hit the sales.

Steven Strategies for Sale Shopping Success

By Nancy Nix-Rice, Wardrobe Consultant

Before you head out into "Extra 30% off Already Reduced Prices" and "Door-buster Specials Before Noon," review these Seven Strategies for Sale Shopping Success.

No. 1 - Inventory your closet (and drawers and laundry basket). Do favorite items need to be replaced or supplemented? If you wear your navy pants all the time, for example, a navy skirt could make additional outfits with all the same tops. And consider stockpiling new navy pants for when the current ones wear out.

No. 2 - List NEEDS in writing. Lists are empowering  -- not limiting -- if you organize in 3 categories:

      A - Basics that need replacing soon--especially bottoms in your Key Neutrals.    

      B - Missing mixers--identify these by specific description or by end use. ("red turtleneck" OR "top for gray tweed suit"). Think about how one item might fill several of your wardrobe gaps.

     C - Awkward occasions--remember times that you have said, "I have nothing to wear" for a big presentation at work...an evening at the symphony...

Clearance selections are hit-and-miss; be prepared to go home empty-handed rather than buy things you don’t need just for the fleeting thrill of the bargain.

No. 3 - Shop UP a notch. Smarter shopping allows you to move up the quality ladder without busting the budget. If you're used to shopping at discount stores, try  Macy's. If department stores are your usual, check out Saks or Neimans. A higher price-point can be a big leap of faith, so don't miss this chance to get used to better quality at bargain prices.

No. 4 - Be retail savvy. Shop at off-peak hours; avoid weekends if possible. Department stores often activate new Saturday markdowns in the computer system on Friday afternoon before the office staff goes home. Check mail/email/online for extra-discount coupons. Why pay more than you have to? Take along items you need to match; it's far less trouble that returning a poor choice later.

No. 5 - Instantly identify your best bets on massive -- and often messy -- clearance racks by scanning for color first. Don't even glance at an item that's not one of your best colors. And if you're not absolutely certain about what colors you should be wearing, put a professional color consultation at the top of your shopping list.  NOTHING goes further toward building a truly great wardrobe, I guarantee it.

No. 6 - Be smart about sizes. Dropping those extra vacation pounds may give you a little more wiggle room but it's not likely to take you down a whole size. A "bargain" you can't fit into is just wasted dollars (don’t ask how I know this) and squeezing into it will make you look and feel fat. Just say NO.

No. 7 - Do an at-home fashion show with your bargains to confirm that new additions work with things you already own. Double-check for any needed alterations. Correcting sleeve or hem length or changing boring buttons can make the difference between passable and panache. And keep tags and receipts so you can retract any irrational purchases. 

With a bit of preparation and persistence you may score some valuable wardrobe additions without busting the budget.

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For over 25 years Nancy Nix-Rice has been transforming women’s lives by transforming the contents of their closets. She is the author of the just released book and DVD, Looking Good…Every Day: Style Solutions for Real Women at www.LookingGoodBook.com.  Written for consumers, the book has also been selected as the textbook for training new stylists and image consultants at the prestigious Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York City.

In addition to her private client work, Nix-Rice presents workshops on appearance and wardrobe for corporations, professional associations, and women’s conferences across the country.