My Mom and French Dressing

This week is a time when many of us are thinking about our Moms. I am always amazed at the Mother's Day cards that sum up a life times worth of feeling into a sentence or two. My Mother has given me a life time worth of wonderful memories. She is strong, brave and tenacious; she raised 4 children and way to many animals to count. I feel so lucky to have a Mom who valued independence, adventure and hard work. She leads with a firm grip and has taught us to be curious, thoughtful and to keep going even when the going gets tuff.

Food in our home was always an eat in affair, only on very rare occasions did we eat at a restaurant. Fridays and Sundays we were a family on the move. Two adults, four children (plus friends), two dogs, and all of our stuff, would cram into the station wagon to make the weekly trek to Vermont or Colebrook. Sandwiches in the car or a casserole upon arrival was the usual fair. I am still amazed at my Mother's organizational skills. She always managed to feed six or eight of us three meals a day no matter where we were. She was a master of economical food management. I have learned the art of list making directly from her.

Most of my favorite recipes have been passed down from my Mom. She was an expert at throwing parties; always seeming to enjoy herself as much as her guests did, a trait I truly admire. The recipe I'm sharing with you today is one we enjoyed year round.

Mandarine Orange Salad

• Mandarine orange segments- drained
• Slivered almonds- toasted
• Lettuce ( it used to be iceberg)
• French Salad Dressing- add and toss just before serving

French Salad Dressing

 4 tsp sugar (I use maple syrup)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp dry mustard

2 TBL oil

2 TBL cider vinegar 

SHAKE WELL

add:

4 TBL oil

SHAKE WELL

add:

2 TBL cider vinegar

6 TBL oil

2 whole cloves of garlic smashed

SHAKE WELL

According to my math my Mother has prepared over 146,000 meals for her family to date, and that doesn't include lunches. Mom your amazing! I can never thank you enough for all that you've given me. I love you forever and always-

LWC