Sunday salad #4- balsamic vinaigrette

This week is a healthy low- fat salad idea. Traditional balsamic vinegar is produced from the juice of just-harvested white grapes (typically, Trebbianomust, which is then fermented with a slow aging process which concentrates the flavours. The flavour intensifies over grapes) boiled down to approximately 30% of the original volume to create a concentrate or the years, with the vinegar being stored in wooden casks, becoming sweet, viscous and very concentrated. Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, an inexpensive modern imitation of the traditional product, is today widely available and much better known. This is the kind commonly used for salad dressing together with oil. Here is my favorite version of this salad dressing.

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE

1/3 c olive oil

1/3 c balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dry thyme

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

1 tsp basil

 -into jar and shake, gets better as it sits

button flowers

It's cold or windy or snowing, hard to want to be outside at this time of year (except for a few choice places). Those of us in the cold climates are already thinking of warmer weather and outdoor things, like walks, picnics, or flowers. Here are a few flowers I made, to create a bright spot in my daily life. All you need for this project is some buttons(I used some modern type buttons), pipe cleaners, magnets and glue to create this small bouquet of flowers in January.

Sunday salad #3- dill potato salad

Dill originated in Eastern Europe, fresh and dried dill leaves (sometimes called "dill weed" to distinguish it from dill seed) are used as herbs. Successful cultivation requires warm to hot summers with high sunshine levels; even partial shade will reduce the yield substantially. It also prefers rich, well drained soil. If you love the flavor of dill, here is a classic salad that is a perfect side dish to any protein and another veggie. Perfectly hearty for winter and also a picnic favorite in summer. 

DILL POTATO SALAD

8 potatoes (peeled, diced and cooked)

4 eggs (hard boiled and diced)

dill pickles and splash of juice

½ c finely chopped onion

½ c chopped celery

¼ c mustard

½  c mayo (or until consistency you like)

salt, pepper, dried and fresh dill to taste