Hoist with my own Petard

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.