Layered Salad

Just found this recipe in my unpublished blogs. Don't ask me why it was there. I may have posted it before and it's not an uncommon recipe, but it's a good one. So here it is again.

This is tasty and a huge hit with guests. My daughter calls it horizontal salad. You can make it big in a fancy see through bowl, or smaller for just a couple of servings. Make a day ahead and let the flavours absorb and meld. The photo at the end is in a normal bowl. I usually take my time to make it look nicer for company and I use an etched footed bowl.

Essentially, you need these ingredients - (start at bottom of list with lettuce to the top cheese). Don't ask me why I  wrote everything in reverse order but this is how it looks in a bowl...lettuce at the bottom.
                   
                       old/sharp cheddar cheese (old is best for taste)
                       a teaspoon of sugar or sweetener
                       real mayonnaise (not miracle whip)
                       frozen sweetlet peas
                       spanish or red onion
                       one red pepper (or other colour)
                       celery
                       iceberg lettuce (or any kind I guess)

I chop enough lettuce to fill about 1/3 of bowl.
Next, add about 2 or 3 stalks of celery (depending on salad size), chopped small, diagonally.
Seed and chop a large red pepper, although I've used other colours...orange or yellow.
Chop enough red (prettier) or spanish onion to create another layer. Use a whole one for big salad.
Layer frozen peas on top of all this but make sure there's no snow or frost on them.
Spread a layer of mayo., sprinkle with sugar or sweetener.
Grate enough old cheddar cheese to create another layer.
For added colour and decoration you can put parsley on top or a very light sprinkling of paprika.

***Variation - For meat eaters a variation is to crumble half a dozen slices of crispy cooked bacon on top.

                           

                     
           

Mom's Wooden Dog Planter Box

During covid lockdown, I worked on a number of projects. Here's one of them from 

May -June 2021. (Some details may be foggy since it's now two years later)

When I asked my daughter what she wanted for her birthday, she replied, "butter tarts." 

Ummm...not an item that's easily shippable to the buttertartless country where she lives. I had to be on the lookout for a unique gift. Since we were in covid lockdown and real shopping wasn't an option, I was stumped. I couldn't think of much she would want, couldn't get for herself, or didn't already own...except for butter tarts that is. 

Her prized possession is her chihuahua. She's also been into gardening in a big way. During my frantic "googling", I found a few examples of very cute wooden dog planter boxes on various sites. They were in the neighbourhood of $115. 

"Wow. I could build that myself." I heard myself say.

***Side Note - Remind me not to listen to myself in future.

Anyhow, it seemed like a good idea to build a planter box myself. Hubby did not discourage me,  but as husbands do, offered some helpful advice. After a few attempts, I finally managed to create something small enough to ship. It resembled a cross between a chihuahua and a bulldog, but, it was made with mom's own hands. 

Now I know why these things cost so much online.

My original effort was too large, awkward, uneven, and well...just no. But then, we all know the saying, "If at first you don't succeed..." Perhaps that expression should have ended with "give up". But alas, I was determined.

Note the determination, irritation, and perspiration on my face.

After finally getting the box to a manageable and shippable size, I thought about the head, the butt, the legs and tail. Would they consist of one piece, or separate pieces of wood? Without thinking too much (because that's how I usually operate...full steam ahead), I decided it would be wise to create separate cardboard templates which I could cut, assemble, and fit onto the box which I'd created.

But first, since the original steps were so exhausting, I had to rest and admire the partially completed project for several days. There may have been a martini or two involved, I don't remember.

Once I determined that my templates were of reasonable size and shape, I traced them onto wood and stared at the jigsaw for awhile. The voice in my head that I rarely listen to, said, "Go for it." I did. I made a butt and a front. It wasn't that hard.                                            

 

Energized with new found confidence, I charged full steam ahead, cutting out the head, eyes, nose, tail, and snout and gluing all the parts together. I was on a roll. 

                            There was still lots of thinking involved, but I could see how this was going to come together. The hardest part was going to be wrapping and sending it when I was done.     

I decided to paint and seal all the pieces prior to assembling. This was a wise decision since I had to do the front and back of each piece for uniformity. With quite a few more touch ups, some further gluing, nailing and reinforcing, the box was done. It was far from perfect, and didn't quite satisfy my chihuahua desired look, but it was finished, and it was cute enough.

                                                         

I was fairly confident that this could be sent via UPS without too much problem. I did worry a bit about the protruding ear appendages, so I carefully wrapped those in extra bubble wrap and tissue prior to mailing. I suppose I could have filled the planter with butter tarts, but feared that that could get quite messy in the heat of July.

My daughter's dog was the first one to check out her new rival after the planter arrived. Of course, it wasn't as cute as she was, but, it was a surprise made by mom's own hands. 

I saved the information and dimensions in case I ever want to make another similar item. I can tell you right now, that even though I'm glad I made this one, another one is never  going to happen. In fact, I don't even understand my own drawing.

In the spirit of true confessions, I'll say this. I don't have a great attention span. I get bored easily and take a long time with most of my efforts. I create a lot of things once or twice, and lose interest in ever doing them again. In fact, I'm surprised that my blog with its hundreds of partially completed writings still exists.