Sorry I can't find a suitable illustration for this post.
As previously mentioned, our annual BBQ is about to take place - tomorrow (Sunday) afternoon - and as usual wishing, without thinking it through before-hand, to be of use I found myself uttering the foolish, time-honoured phrase, "please let me know if I can do anything to help".
Late yesterday afternoon my chickens came home to roost, when opening the front door, the smiling faces of two of my neighbours greeted me with, "you know you wanted to help, well, will you make the potato salad please"
Of course I agreed readily, too readily.
What have I done? I thought. I've never made a potato salad in my life.....still how hard can it be?......Yes, well I found out this morning.
I was handed two huge jars of H mayonnaise plus two 2Kg bags of salad potatoes.
Now, at 2.30 pm on Saturday afternoon, I can confirm that scrubbing, removing blemishes from and washing 8 and a half pounds imperial weight of potatoes, then boiling them in 4 separate batches ( I only have one massive saucepan - ex jam-making - in my small kitchen), then cooling them, wrapping them in foil and depositing them - with great difficulty - in my small fridge, was as nothing, compared with the clean-up.
Is it just me, or is there another lunatic out there who contrives to cover every work surface, tiled wall, window sill and sink/draining board with minute particles of potato skin.?
I hasten to add that I scrubbed them first and removed only the small specks and blemishes, otherwise they retain their skins. So just where did all the mess come from?
Tomorrow, on my return from church I shall make the mayonnaise, adding a host of 'secret' ingredients to the bought jars of the stuff.
You may have gathered that i am not one of nature's cooks. Sadly for me, however, I am an incurable volunteer.
It sounds like a mammoth task! At least it wasn't mashed potato, which always seems to create lots of little grains that stick mercilessly to pans and kitchen utensils. I am sure the resulting potato salad will be delicious:)
ReplyDeleteIt was a mammoth task Sue, but probably because that's what I made of it.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I was in 'black dog' mode so only stayed about an hour and a half. (It's still going on and it's now eleven o'clock.
At least the 'tribe' are all enjoying themselves so even the November-like temperatures haven't spoilt that.
If God had intended us to make potato salad God would not have created shops.
ReplyDeleteThe weather here is dreadful. I am back to work tomorrow and am just avoiding "black dog" mood by thinking I am fortunate to have a job at all (before MadPriest has a go at me for my selfishness:)
ReplyDeleteOh dear MP. I fear I'm all too ready to agree with you.
ReplyDeleteIf I survive until next year's bash, I'll be M & S best customer.
Sue, I hope things improve for you, not just the weather.
ReplyDeleteWhile I know that depression is an extreme version of self-pity, it is still hard to side-step its worst effects, when dates and memories conspire to pull you down.
I second madpriest. I never make food for BBQs and bring and shares, assuming, probably rightly, that the professionals could make it better than I. Yeah, live and learn. I remember making a fancy South Indian dish for a potluck, which was devoured before I made my way to the table. So I didn't get to taste the fruit of hours of labour. Never again!
ReplyDeleteWell Anita, I've lived a lot longer than you but appear to have learned very little. So let's hope there's still time!
ReplyDelete