Treasures, toast & kisses

Well it is a beautiful sunshiney Sunday here in my neck of the woods...yesterday was the same too.  Not a cloud in the sky.  I am no longer in doubt that Spring has finally arrived.  I guess it just got a bit lost on its way here.  It is amazing the difference a week can make.  Last week I posted a picture of the tree in my backyard...look at it now!

We were out and about all day yesterday.  We met my niece and her family for breakfast out in Oshawa.  My great nephew Noah (no Dear Reader I am really not that old!) is quite a character and kept us entertained during our meal....he mischieviously pinched the toast off my plate bit by bit with a cheeky smile.  Well worth sharing with him for the wet kiss goodbye!  At home, I always make an extra slice because even when they insist they don't want any I know better. One whiff of that toasty goodness and that's it.  But now, thanks to Noah it will cost them a kiss...a toast toll if you will.  From there we headed to Kendal which is located in Clarington, Ontario for a penny sale fundraiser.  I purchased ten dollars worth of tickets which gave me one thousand tickets to drop into the cups in front of items I was hoping to win.  There was a huge selection of items to choose from....everything from hand-made rag rugs and afghans to tea towels and bakeware.  It was good fun wandering around the tables looking at all the goodies!  I will have to report back if I ended up winning any of the draws as they took place after we left for my favourite used book store in Port Perry, Willow Books.  My youngest son has been on a bit of a Stephen King kick lately and found a few titles and I found a few treasures to add to my collection too.

Since we have been getting a bit of a tease of the summer that lays ahead I thought I would share this potluck/picnic favourite with you Dear Reader.  It's not your normal run of the mill sludgey mayo drenched potato salad.  It has a surprising elegance about it.  It is colourful to look at and the dijon and citrus give it a bright zesty kick that regular potato salad just doesn't have to offer.  I will admit that the day I made it we had it with hot dogs....not very elegant, but fabulous just the same.

Best Ever Potato Salad
Adapted from Canadian Living Magazine, July 1998 issue

1 1/2 lb small red-skinned potatoes
1 yellow pepper, cut into chunks
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 green onions, sliced
4oz sugar snap peas ( a nice handful will do!)
3 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

Cook potatoes in boiling, salted water for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain, let cool until cool enough to handle.  Halve each potato and place in nice bowl.  For the dressing, whisk together vinegar, oil,mustard, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Add peppers and onions to the potatoes in bowl and toss with half of the prepared dressing and leave to cool. Cook snap peas in boiling water for one minute until bright green.  Drain peas and run under cold water to set colour. (I usually skip cooking the peas because my family likes them crunchy).  Just before serving, add the peas and dill to bowl.  Toss with the remainder of the dressing and serve.
Makes 4 servings.