MACARONI SALAD

GMAMA'S MACARONI SALAD

Honest, this is the most unique, best tasting macaroni salad you'll ever taste!  My mother made it all the time beginning in the spring thru summer.  Her Macaroni salad was requested for EVERY Picnic.  Both my daughter's love it and my oldest sister requests it to be on the Thanksgiving menu if she is able to attend! I just finished making a batch and thought to myself...

Hmmm???

I need to share this recipe on Grandmama's Stories!

I once asked my Mama where she got the recipe and she couldn't remember or better yet she could never remember eating this particular version of macaroni salad anywhere else.  

 After Alzheimer's pulled the veil over my mother's memory, I would give her some of HER Macaroni salad, her recipe mind you, and she would say, "Oh this tastes so good, where did you get the recipe?  I don't think I've eaten macaroni salad quite like this."  I would always tell her the Best Cook in America invented the recipe and she would always reply, "Well, I sure would like to meet her and get some more of her recipes, wouldn't you, Jane Ellen?"  Mothers like to call us by our full names, don't they?

 I think I'll call this recipe a Mary White Shrewsbury Original just like the cook who made it up!

Mary's Macaroni Salad

1 box medium shell macaroni

2 cucumbers

1-2 green peppers (amount according to taste..I use about 1-1 1/2...I also make sure my pepper isn't too bitter before I cut up and place in my salad and ruin the whole batch!.  How do I know to do this?...What do you think??)

Celery seed

Mayonnaise (approx. 1/2 - 1 cup depending on your preference.  I use about 3/4 cup and ONLY HELLMANS)

Macaroni, overnight in fridge, salted and w/ celery seed

Prepare shell macaroni according to box instructions.  Make the water salty because the salad is best with your macaroni nicely salted.  Drain, rinse with cold water several times, Drain till dry.  Here is where I place my colander over a pot, cover with clear wrap, and place in fridge over night to get cold and very dry.  This makes the Mayo adhere much better to the macaroni !.  You don't HAVE to do this step but I've found my salad tastes best if I do!  Place in large bowl for mixing ingredients.  Salt Macaroni again and shake on celery seed.  

Dice  Green Peppers and cucumbers small

Added ingredients

    Add Mayonnaise starting in small amounts until you get the taste you like.  We like lots of mayo.  That's it!!  No eggs, no pickles, no celery, etc.. The only tweak I make is to add a small amount of  fresh green onion simply because I personally like onion in just about everything!  Now place in storage bowl and place in refrigerator to chill and for flavors to blend!  Overnight for the best taste.  

Mayo added

I can never wait that long before I get a bowl!  I like it with crackers.  I also like my Macaroni Salad saltier than most of the food I eat...don't know why but it just seems to taste better a little on the salty side and most of my family agrees with me.      

Let me know if you make this recipe and send me an honest evaluation.  I'd like to know if anyone outside of my family likes this version of Macaroni Salad!!  My husband likes it and he's not a fan of green peppers but agrees that the peppers are necessary for this version of Mac Salad.  My youngest daughter will drive 1 hr. to come home if she knows I have made Macaroni Salad.  I always have a separate container for her to take home.  Her housemate/best friend, loves it so I have 1 non-family thumbs up!

SO, this is what's on the Week-end menu here at the farm!  Something grilled on the grill (if #1 husband can get home from fishing in time...I don't grill.  I overcook everything I ever grill) will make a nice and easy week-end meal which means more time for Sewing.  Before the weather turns too warm, I like to take my stitching outside.  I've even taken my sewing machine outside on the patio table which allows me to keep sewing and watch Sidekick Scott.

Prayer Request Sunday is Coming.  I have had 3 Requests for this week wanting YOU, our Prayer Warriors to pray for a special need.  Let's keep our promise to pray for our friends.  Tell your friends about our little group.  I look forward to getting together on Sundays. 

This week, let's begin to think about our roles as mothers , grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and other *womanly* roles we play that influence our children and family.  What can we be grateful for?  How can we be more effective in those roles?  Is our role a positive or negative role?

Just thinkin'.....

Blessings

THE TACO BELL STORY

THE TACO BELL STORY

Staying true to my blog's name, Grandmama's Stories, one of the most requested stories from the plethora of tall tales associated with my family members involves my now deceased mother, the Taco Bell Drive-Thru, and the case of "the misread sign". 

 As she began to age, her health began to deteriorate, her mind began to fail, her memory was sporadic, and macular degeneration took her sight, so she moved to be closer to me.

The two of us had a lot of good years and many adventures together before the veil of dementia took her from me.  To say she made us all laugh would be an understatement.  There wasn't much of a filter between mother's brain and her mouth.  She was a woman of strong opinions accompanied by the loudest "Stage Whisper" you've ever heard.  Combine her strong opinion with that infamous stage whisper and you had a recipe for mayhem at times. 

 I constantly lived on the edge... afraid of what she might say in public.  You can well imagine how many embarrassing moments she gave me as a teen-ager.   As an adult, though, I found my crazy little mama most delightful with a sense of humor that I had finally grown to appreciate.  However, as funny as I found mama's comments, I was cognizant of the fact that the public may not always find her "remarks" quite as endearing as I found them.  She was the poster child for the term "Politically Incorrect."  Oh, my friends, God broke the mold when He made that little lady!

With this brief biographical background, I will attempt to tell a story that is best told in person but worthy of my best efforts to "TELL" via the written word.

It was a Saturday afternoon, and my elderly mother and I were driving home from a quilting class.  Taco Bell was her favorite fast-food restaurant and I do believe she could have eaten her weight in nachos!   There was never a question as to where we were going to eat for lunch.  This particular Saturday, mama was tired so I decided to make a quick run through the Taco Bell Drive-Thru window.  I placed our order and immediately began digging through my purse for my money and coupons.  (I don't know about you, but I spend half my life digging through my purse looking for some UFO that goes missing much like socks in a dryer....but I digress...)

  With head bent over my purse, the old peripheral vision notices mother leaning sharply toward me to the point of almost being in my lap, eyes squinting sharply, head shaking, and finger wagging. 

 I'm Thinking.....

"What is she doing?" 

 "Oh No, what is she getting ready to say?"

 in one of those " life flashing before my eyes" moments. 

 Imagine, if you will, our verbal exchange... keeping in mind  mother's failing vision and penchant for only reading the first and last of a word.  (You know... the common mistake...when you read the word HOUSE and the word is actually HORSE?!) Can we say,  CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR?

Mama:  "Lord have mercy, I never thought I'd live to see the day they would be selling "them" through the Drive-Thru window of a Taco Bell.  Jane, we're going to Hell in a hand-basket, I tell ya...hell in a hand-basket... 

ME:  "What are you talking about, Mama????"  All they're selling are Tacos and Nacho Bell Grande's"

Mama:  "Jane, I know what I see and I tell ya, I never thought I'd live to see something like this happen!  I'd heard about this on the news but just never believed I'd live to see it happen right here."

ME:  "Mama, why are you so upset?  No one is selling anything but tacos and nachos.  

Mama:  "No Jane, LOOK... right there on the window!  Read that sing and See for yourself!"

By this time, I realize my mother had convinced herself some HUGE moral gaffe had taken place right THEN AND THERE and no amount of arguing was going to change her mind...nevertheless, for the life of me I couldn't figure out what had her in such a snit!  I took one more look at the Drive-Thru Window and told myself... Think like Mama... Think like Mama...

And Then...

the Light-bulb goes on...

I suddenly knew why my mother thought the world was going to Hell in a Hand-basket...

what she thought was being sold in the Drive-Thru Window of Taco Bell...

On the DRIVE-THRU Window, 

the Sign Read.......

KEEP SCROLLING

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

CONDIMENTS UPON REQUEST

After I stopped laughing, I explained patiently to my mama that CONDIMENTS were 

NOT.......

CON_ _  MS !!

*WINK*  *WINK*

Her Response??

"Don't you tell that one on me, Jane Ellen."

Oh, Mama, that was one promise I JUST COULDN'T KEEP!!!

(pssst...I love you and miss you, mama.  I hope you're entertaining Heaven the way you entertained all of us!))

and now you know

THE TACO BELL STORY!

Blessings

GIVE-AWAY WINNERS ANNOUNCED

GMAMA

ANNOUNCES

GIVE-AWAY 

****WINNERS****

FROM LAST WEEK'S BLOG HOP,

BAG-IT, AND APRON POSTS

$25 FQS GIFT CERTIFICATE

*DENISE P.*

BAG-IT

*JULIE O.*

CUSTOM APRON

*BEACH BABY*

*JULIE*

I  do things the old-fashioned way by drawing names from a Gladware Bowl for Give-Aways 

so... THE REASON FOR TWO APRON WINNERS IS...

I had two separate bowls with names for the Bag-It and Apron Give-Aways, since a different set of comments were made for each.  Would you believe that Julie O. was pulled for BOTH the bag-it AND the apron??? I couldn't believe it!!  What are the odds of that happening?  (Julie needs to play Vegas or go get a Lottery ticket NOW if so inclined and with this kind of luck!)  

Also, Denise, happens to be a friend who lives close to me but I can assure you her name was pulled out of the bowl and she won fair and square!  Let me just tell you, Denise P. is THE luckiest person I know.  She wins ALL the time...our quilt guild door prizes, Sew We Quilt orange Iron!!!, FQS give-away, the list goes on and on as to what this gal has won!  I still give her a fit over winning that orange Reliable Iron in the Wantobe A Quilter's Campaign last October.

 Afraid my followers would think something sounded a little 'fishy' I decided to pull an additional name and make a 2nd half-apron for a new follower.  I had to draw 3 names before I found one that was a "bonafide" follower!  Beach Baby was the winner.  I think she lives in the very southern beach area of my state of Alabama.  I went to her blog to check her out! 

 I felt I needed to disclose that inside info so you will know everything is always on the up and up  with GMAMA's Give-Away's.  I am honest to a fault.  I will go back in the gas station if I pump over a penny more on my gas.  The guilt would haunt me forever.

STAY TUNED FOR THURSDAY'S

TACO BELL STORY

BLESSINGS

Prayer Request Sunday

HE'S MY SHEPARD

I LOOK FORWARD TO GOOD THINGS

WELCOME TO PRAYER REQUEST SUNDAY

April 29th, 2012

(Better late than never)

I WILL BE POSTING THE GIVE-AWAY WINNERS

TUESDAY, MAY 1ST

Prayer Requests:

Val

A loyal follower has asked us to pray for a dear friend who is so very sick with cancer. Val, thank you for the privilege of interceding in prayer for your friend.  We will pray for god to strengthen her body and give her renewed strength to go the distance.  We also pray for ultimate healing and give God the Glory!

Sharon 

of 

Dancing Thru Threads

Sharon has been going through cancer treatments that have left her battle weary.  She is trying to do some hand stitching to focus her mind away from the side effects of chemo.  She has PET scans soon to determine if the tumors have shrunk and/if more chemo is needed.  After chemo she will have extensive radiation.  Ladies, Sharon needs our prayers and encouragement!!!  Go to her blog and leave her some encouragement.

Dancing Thru Threads

This week I will be posting THREE WINNERS of my THREE GIVE_AWAYS.

Tuesday, May 1st.  

Stay Tuned

I ALSO have some projects to share from a swap I'm participating in over at

Janes' Fabrics

This time I'll be showing you some

Wonky Trees.

THEN...

DRUM ROLL PLEASE....

I will tell my Most Famous Story Ever

THE TACO BELL STORY

IN 

MEMORY OF MY MOTHER

AND 

CELEBRATION

OF 

CINCO

DE MAYO

If you know me personally then you probably have already heard the famous or should I say "infamous" Taco Bell Story.  You will not want to miss this story.  Only my sweet crazy little Mother could have actually said *this* with no idea whatsoever WHAT she had said.  As a Reading Specialist in my former life, I conducted numerous reading intervention workshops all over the State of Alabama.  believe it or not, I used the story as an example of how children can misread words by only looking at the beginning and ending of a word.  

And That My Friends is as far as I'm going...you will have to tune in Thursday, May 3rd.  for

THE TACO BELL STORY!!!

BLESSINGS

KITCHEN STUFF...BAG IT/Guest Blogger at Sew We Quilt

I'M GUEST BLOGGER TODAY 

AT SEW WE QUILT

Welcome to all my loyal followers and NEW FACES!  There has been a lot of company recently here at Grandmama's Stories.  I Love Company and best of all I haven't even have to clean house before you stopped by.  I do wish I could share a piece of sour cream pound cake and a cup of coffee with you.

Remember Those 40's/50's Kitchens?

This could very well have been my kitchen as a young child.

My favorite Kitchen/TV MOM?

 not June Clever

 nor Harriet Nelson 

(even though I loved them both.) 

 It was DONNA REED.  

Who remembers Donna Reed?...handing out those little paper sack lunch bags to the family as they came flying down the stairs and out the front door to begin their day.  Perhaps you ladies outside the U.S. didn't have this sitcom on TV but it was my model for the ideal wife, mother, home, family, kids, 

even her

 KITCHEN.

Meet BERTHA...My Dress Form has her own name.

As in everything around this house, it has it's very own story.

One Monday night, I got a call around 9:00 p.m. 

#1 Husband :

"The Auction is over and Bertha is coming home with me.  She's riding in the back of the truck."

Gmama:

"Who's Bertha?" and you know I'm already in my Pajamas.  Why are you bringing someone home this late at night?"

#1 Husband:

"I'm tellin' ya, you've wanted her for a long time.  You're going to Love her!  I"ll be home in a few minutes. Bye...Love ya."

#1 Husband pulls up in the Driveway after I've gone to the trouble of getting dressed, which means putting my "unmentionables" back on...you know the drill...and then I walk out to the driveway, the motion detector light comes on and THERE SHE IS!....BERTHA!! Standing in the back of a Pick-Up Truck.  A Lovely Lady, she was..........

Oh I was giddy, I tell ya!!  I had been looking for a dress form but they were all so expensive I couldn't afford one.  Guess What #1 paid for BERTHA????

$10.00!!! and could have had it for $2.00 but he couldn't hear the auctioneer clearly and ended up bidding against himself!!!!  LOL!  I haven't let him live that one down!

ANYHOO...I Digress

One topic different from the 40's/50's era family is the topic of RECYCLING.  Plastics and other man-made materials have created a whole new environmental problem.  Donna Reed brought her groceries home in a paper bag, which I actually prefer!  Re-usable bags are much more eco-friendly than plastic bags. If you want paper bags you have to specifically request the bagger use them.   Those plastic bags can be like rabbits...they seem to multiply exponentially once they enter your house.  I like to corral my bags in a cylindrical cloth bag elasticized a both ends.  Most of you may have seen these at local craft fairs.  

Here are a selection of fabrics all ready to be sewn up as Bag-Its for gifts!

 Do you see a fabric selection you like?

 I make TWO sizes

                            Short:   18"x 22" (fat quarter size)

Long:  18" x 27"

I knew I could make my own so I deconstructed an old Bag-It hanging in my laundry room (my favorite way to make a pattern)  These little bag-its can hold a LOT of plastic bags!!  A friend of mine keeps cloth rags in her bag. I LOVE MINE and try to have one for each season/holiday.  They make great gifts!!

You can get fancy, use quilted material, add embellishments OR keep it simple.

I'm not very good at tutorials so if you have a question just ask.

Plastic Bag It

Take Fabric rectangle and hem the 4 edges.  

Sew Elastic Casing on Top and Bottom of Fabric rectangle

Top : Turn down 2 IN....sew two parallel lines wide enough for your elastic to fit through.

Bottom:  Turn up 1 in.  sew two parallel lines to allow for width of elastic.

Run elastic through the casing (I use the old safety pin on end of elastic and work my way through the * channel*  method.How do you do it?) 

 Last,  pin a loop to be used for a hanger inside the seam,  then 

 Right Sides Facing, sew the tube of fabric lengthwise using 1/4 in. hem. 

 Turn inside out.

 Bag It!

VOILA!!  A  BAG-IT!!

Long size  18" x 27"

I will be selecting a winner for a custom made Apron from the comments I get at my Sew We Quilt Post!  If you are visiting from Sew We Quilt for the first time, tell me.  

You just never know what nice surprises may be in store for those who take the time to comment and become a new follower!...wink...wink...wink

Blessings

TABLE TOPPER BLOG HOP CONTINUES AND I'M A GUEST BLOGGER AT SEW WE QUILT FOR TUESDAY

TABLE TOPPER BLOG HOP CONTINUES

HERE IS THE SCHEDULE

Monday April 23rd

Christine

 Just Carol 

Patty D

Wendy

leanne

Elaine M 

Judy C

Tuesday  April 24th

 Jennifer m

Roxanne 

Syd 

Selina 

Connie

Patti

Jane

Wednesday April 25th 

Shanna joining us this day..

Mary 

Marianna

Thearica

Kelly

Marnie  

Pauline

Betsy

Mdm Samm

GUEST BLOGGER

AT

SEW WE QUILT

TUESDAY

APRIL 24TH

TOPIC

APRONS ARE THE FABRIC OF OUR PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Please check it out HERE on TUESDAY

I will have a special continuation of my Sew We Quilt Post 

 at 

Grandmama's Stories:

It's in the Bag

Table Toppers/Give-Away/ PRS added to bottom of Post

                    IT'S MY TURN!

EDIT

Please Note: I am leaving up my Table Topper Post till Tuesday when I will be A Guest Poster on SEW WE QUILT with some cool Kitchen stuff! 

 Prayer Request Sunday (PRS) is at the bottom of this post and will return as the Main Feature Next Week!

You know I couldn't make a Table Topper without involving one or more of my FIVE Grandpeeps!

Geez, you'd think I'd be tired of the little buggers by now

But Nah!...

I got this idea from where else but my new favorite fun place

PINTEREST...

Embroider your Children/Grandchildren's Art work!!!!!

(Seriously, if you haven't  begun *pinning* you are missing SO MUCH!)

MY Granddaughter drew me a picture and I simply traced it onto fabric.  I then embroidered the picture exactly line for line, letter for letter, as she drew it!  I'm in love and so is her mama but I won't give her this one!

Hmm???  sounds like some good gift ideas for the future!!??

The artistic drawings of a precious little 7 yr. old girl.

Then I thought I would show you some more "works in progress" for the Table Topper

Hmm???

Here is an orphan block that I actually use beside my sewing machine.

Doesn't it look all dressed up in it's little hanger?

Quilting is like keeping a Journal with all it's sentimental value.  

Here is a series of pictures with 3 of the last blocks my mother pieced.  She and I took a class together and due to her increasingly poor vision from macular degeneration, I ended up doing much of the 3 blocks myself. I would not, however, trade the wonderful time spent with my crazy precious little mama.  

BTW, I have a story to tell from my mother's lips to your ears in honor of

 Cinco de Mayo, May 5th.

So stay tuned for a real winner of a story!

These are the other tow blocks that I plan to incorporate into a table runner.

 LOVELY AREN'T THEY?

I took a Dollar store Hankie and Embroidered the letter /M/

OOPS

Where did my mini quilt go?

it's been eaten by one of the 

"blue dogs"

cousin to the Blue Men!

Oh no!!  Blue Puppy is trapped!

HELP!

AAHHH!  GOTCHA!!  The culprit is found.  

It's what happens when little boys play with their Grandmama's quilty "stuff"

I wish you could HEAR the sneaky little giggle that goes long with this picture.

So there is my contribution to 

Spring Is In The Air Blog Hop

My SPRING BLOG HOP GIVE-AWAY

Who would like a Spring Fat Quarter ShopGift Certificate for 

$25

so you can make your very own Mini Quilt?

(Make SURE I have a way to contact you, No-Reply Bloggers are out of luck unless they leave an email address in their comment)

All you have to do is be a follower and make a comment.

Winners picked and announced on the last day of the Blog Hop

Hop On Over to see some more Spring Table Top quilts

Friday April 20th 

Marlene 

Charlotte 

Leslie

Darlene 

Jane

Michelle

Cherry

April 22, 2012

PRAYER REQUEST SUNDAY

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future"   Jeremiah 29:11  NIV

We have TWO wonderful Praise Reports this week

BABY MAX HAD A BIG WELCOME HOME PARTY FOR FAMILY AND FRIENDS NOT ONLY TO CELEBRATE THE MIRACLE RECOVERY OF BABY MAX BUT TO THANK ALL THE PRAYER WARRIORS.  HE CAME HOME THE SUNDAY BEFORE PALM SUNDAY!  THANKS TO PATRICIA FOR GIVING US THAT WONDERFUL REPORT, AFTER ALL, BABY MAX STARTED THIS WHOLE PRAYER REQUEST SUNDAY!

Julie reports her Grandson Ben who is 10 and having unexplained seizures has been through a battery of tests and all the results conclude that the seizure was a one time occurrence and nothing can be found that would have caused the seizure.  His only restriction is from driving...and since he's only 10 that won't be a problem!  LOL!!  Thanks Julie for injecting some humor to a somber subject.  You're my kind of people!

and now...

I want to shout with Praise for an answered prayer in my life.  I did not share it with you because it all happened so fast and typing it would have made it seem too real.. Forgive me...BUT...My second Mammogram came back free and clear!!  I had gone in for my routine mammogram on  March 27th.  I never gave it a second thought because I've NEVER been called back in over 19 yrs.  NO BIG DEAL!! Fast forward to the next week and I'm helping a friend put her quilt together in the church fellowship hall using the big tables when I get a call on my cell phone.  The little technician told me my mammogram had cause for concern and the radiologist needed me to come in ASAP and have more tests run.  I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach!  My friend and I stopped and prayed right then and there.  I was determined to go on with my day but I will tell you wasn't easy.  I went in that Thursday for more "flatten and squish" pics under the influence of 1mg. Xanax.  That stuff is like drinking a bottle of Boones Farm because I barely remember the Dr. telling me everything was OK>!!  Thank goodness my husband was with me and doing the driving!!  I just can't take that stuff(remember my episode flying to NC under the influence of Xanax??)  The workers in the Charlotte Airport remember hauling some short fluffy lady to her gate because "she wasn't feeling so well".  So...I'm Good To GO!!  Whoop Whoop!!

Love to you all!!