Month: June 2018

Shoepeg Corn Salad–Cool Food for a Hot Day (And a Nearly Effortless Potluck Side Dish)

We had our family reunion last weekend, which is always such a fun and blessed time. We cooked, we laughed, we ate, we played games, and mostly, we continued the tradition of togetherness that my grandmother and her siblings created for us. It’s easy to get lost in the stress of the day-to-day, but when you come together with about 80 of your nearest and dearest, it’s a good reminder about remembering what’s important.

Anyway, I made a few dishes to contribute to the weekend, and this salad was a big hit. It’s a crisp, cool dish that is the perfect antidote to the hot summer days. It’s also an ideal contribution for potlucks. If you need a refreshing salad that is sure to help beat the heat, this is it!

Shoepeg Corn Salad

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Notes

Ingredients
  • 2 cans shoepeg corn, drained
  • 1 can English peas, drained (preferably Le Sueur brand)
  • 1 bunch green onions, chopped
  • 1 bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 3/4 cup white vinegar
  • 1 TBS water
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. black pepper
Procedure
    1. In a large bowl, combine corn, peas, green onions, bell pepper, and celery, stirring gently to combine.
    2. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, water, oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and remove the mixture from heat as soon as it begins to boil. Let cool.
    3. Pour vinegar mixture over corn mixture, stirring to combine. Refrigerate at least 6 hours, better if overnight.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Craft, Craft, Craft All Day Long–Finished Knitting and Cricut Projects

It’s already Satan’s Sauna here in Louisiana, which does not bode well for just how miserable we will all be come August. The garden is in and going great, and I’ll probably put up a post later in the week about the new raised beds we built. The husband has been travelling constantly, so I’m happy we were able to get this project done in time for the summer season.

Anyway, throughout the May Gauntlet, I managed to squeak in a couple of more finished knits:

Pattern: Gradient Lapghan Block 4 from Cascade Yarn’s Knitterati 2018 KAL

Yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash Merino in the Seafoam Green colorway (note–the yarn does have the tiniest hint of green in it. It just did not photograph well)

Needles: US 7

Notes and Mods:  I followed the pattern as written then pinned it to dimensions using my knit blockers. I sprayed it lightly with water and let dry. This is Cascade’s recommended method as this yarn does not do well with wet blocking. Overall, I like the block, but with almost 100% of the RS rows featuring cabling, it’s certainly not on-the-go knitting, but otherwise, all the techniques are suitable for an advanced beginner.

Pattern: Just a basic Vanilla Sock for the Husband

Yarn: Sidar Sole to Sole in the 163 colorway

Needles: US 1 DPNs

Notes and Mods: I keep a sock project bag in my car in case of knitting emergencies, so these came together on and off over the past year. Don’t let the pic fool you, these do fit my husband. I had G-Man try them on to take a project picture, and his foot is a little smaller. FYI–Hubs wears a size 12, so I CO 72 stitches, did about 1-1/4 inches of 2×2 ribbing, then knit in stockinette for about 6-3/4 inches (measured from the top) before starting the heel flap. Once the flap was done and stitches picked up, I knit the foot, which was about 8-1/4 inches from the heel flap, and then started the toe decreases. For his next sock, I am going to try the Vanilla is the New Black pattern because I think the heel might be better.

In addition to the knitting, I also have been playing with my new Cricut, which definitely has a learning curve. Here are a few of the test items:

I’m hoping to experiment some more when we get past the family reunion this weekend. Otherwise, I’ll be surviving the heat and enjoying slower days.