Sylvia's Scenario

And the birthday celebrations continue.  Summer is officially over now and in our family we recognized that by celebrating two of my sisters' birthdays that are on the same day of the year but different ages, September 23rd.  One sister lives here in Seattle so we were able to celebrate with her yesterday and my other sister lives in Colorado but yes, they were born on the same day of the year.  I also have a brother born on February 16th and another sister born on February 14th, pretty close.  When you have seven children, I guess some are bound to be born near the same dates.  My mom was a busy lady.  Here's an old photo of all of us in 1979. Barbara has lived most her life in Seattle unlike me who has moved away four times and moved back four times.  She went to grade school, high school and college here so needless to say, she has a lot of friends in town.  Last night, her husband, Jim, made a delicious dinner and invited a few ...

If you're looking for a nice salad recipe this 4th of July weekend, I got one for you. The recipe is from my sister-in-law, Jennifer, who said it was the best coleslaw recipe she and my brother have ever tasted so I had to try it out. I served it this week while Bruce's dad and sister were visiting from the Midwest. It's a good recipe because you can serve it the next day for lunch and it will still taste fresh.  Our guests loved it, too, and the pasta adds a nice addition that is pleasing to the palate.   Serves 6 4 oz. ditalini (or other small pasta) 8 oz. finely chopped cabbage (about half a small head) 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 celery rib, finely chopped 1/2 English cucumber, finely chopped 1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped small can chopped water chestnuts ( I used 1/2 can of an 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts and chopped them myself) Dressing 3/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup sugar 2 Tbsp. cider vinegar salt/pepper 1.  Cook pasta, ...

This is our favorite macaroni salad in our family and we eat a lot of it during the summer.  I made it for the first time this year - on this second day of summer - to take to a barbecue party tomorrow.  This salad is also in my previous post  when I made the open-faced grilled sandwiches for my son's basketball team dinner and served this macaroni salad as a side dish.  My kids always liked the rainbow radiatore pasta instead of the usual elbow macaroni so it's just what I always use now. Sometimes you can buy it in the bulk section of grocery stores with the rice and pasta bulk items. It just makes the salad a little more interesting and fun, just like summer ought to be. Makes 12 servings 4 cups rainbow radiatore 3 whole roasted red peppers, chopped (more to taste, if desired) 1/2 cups black olives, chopped finely 3 stalks of celery, diced 6 whole sweet/spicy pickle slices, diced 3 whole green onions, sliced (white and dark green parts) 1/2 cup mayonnaise...

This is a good dish for a summer potluck or for a quick dinner like we had tonight. Medium shell-shaped pasta will also work in place of orecchiette. Serves 4 8 ounces uncooked orecchiette pasta 1 cup frozen peas 1/2 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 cup thinly sliced radishes Dressing 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup buttermilk 3 Tbsp. minced fresh chives 1 Tbsp.chopped fresh dill 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper 2 garlic cloves, minced 1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain. Combine pasta, peas, shrimp and radishes in a large bowl. 2. Combine mayonnaise and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir well with a whisk. Pour over pasta mixture, tossing to coat. 3. Cover and let stand 20 minutes. Serve at room temperature, or cover and chill until ready to serve. `