Southern Salad {Sweet Pea Salad}

We eat a lot of salads down here.

 

Potlucks, BBQs, family gatherings.
Salads are always on the table.

Southern salads are more about fruit and Jello and macaroni and mayonnaise than lettuce and tomato.

I'm not big on Jello salads.
It's taken me a while to like mayo based salads too.

Sweet Pea Salad isn't something I grew up eating, but it is very popular here in Cajun country.

Since it deals with mayonnaise, I didn't think I would like it.  But a little old Cajun lady insisted I try it at a potluck supper.  (She made it.)
Now it's one of the first things I pick as a side for a plate lunch.

For the dressing, I took a tip from my late grandmother-in-law (another little old Cajun lady).  When she made potato salad, she mashed the hard boiled egg yolk into the mayonnaise and mustard to create a thick, creamy dressing.

Featured at:

 

Print It

Sweet Pea Salad

1 (15 oz) can Petit Pois, drained
3 hard boiled eggs
2 Tbsp finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp Tony's Creole Seasoning
1 1/2-2 tsp sugar
heaping 1/4 cup Blue Plate mayonnaise

Place drained petit pois in a large salad bowl.

Cut the hard boiled eggs in half.  Pop the yolks out of each half and place in a small bowl.  Mash with a fork.  Add the onion, Tony's, and sugar to the mashed egg yolk and stir.  Stir in the mayonnaise to make a dressing.

Dice the hard boiled eggs (mins the yolk) and toss with the peas.  Fold in the dressing.

Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.


More Salads...

Linking with:

Mardi Gras 2015 {King Cake and Coffee Cocktail}

We caught our first parade of the season over the weekend.

 
 The Krewe of Rio made it's way down the streets of Lafayette, LA.

While not as large and showy as the more famous New Orleans parades, the parades in Lafayette have become much more elaborate than when I lived there in the 90s.

Bellydancers or butterflies?  Both?

I'm not sure, but their twirly, light-up wings looked cool coming down the street.

~~~~ ** ~~~~  ** ~~~~  **  ~~~~ **  ~~~~
So last week when I was all running my mouth about
 "hot buttered spiced rum is the unofficial official drink of Mardi Gras..."
...well, that was before experimenting with King Cake Vodka.
(And before we suddenly got up to almost 80 degrees.)

 

I've changed my mind.  And I'm absolutely allowed to do that.

Just so you know.

In all honesty, King Cake Vodka is difficult to drink on it's own.  It's a strange mix of sugary hyper-sweetness (like king cake) and tear-up-your-throat it's so rough going down.

But it's good for mixed drinks.  (And another trick I have saved up my sleeve for next week.)

While I sipped it straight, I noticed cinnamon and almond flavors.  Something told me it would make a good creamy, cold drink.  Like a White Russian, made with cream, vodka, and coffee liqueur.

And really, what's better with king cake than coffee?
Nothin' that's what.

King Cake & Coffee Cocktail 

made with King Cake Vodka, 

half & half, and coffee liqueur

Print It!

King Cake & Coffee Cocktail

2 oz Pinnacle King Cake Vodka
1/2 oz coffee liqueur
2 oz half and half
Ice cubes

Mix or shake together all of the ingredients.  Pour into a glass and serve.



Linking with:

South Meets East {Cape Codder}

This Southern gal has a new summer pal.
From back East.

I only recently discovered this cocktail, but I'm already hooked.
Not need a meeting hooked.   I just think that the cranberry-lime combination is perfect for hot weather.

My dad recently threw a retirement party for my mom.  A crawfish boil.

Now, crawfish boils go hand in hand with cold beer.  But I mixed up some drinks and many of the female hands had Cape Codders in them.

Cape Codders are good for just sippin' out in the grass too.

Behind the (blogging) scenes: this is how I really do it!

Print It!

Cape Codder
(my way)

4 oz cranberry juice
2 oz vodka
2 tsp lime juice (I probably use more--I like it limey)
ice
lime slice

Add the cranberry juice, vodka, and lime juice to a glass and stir.  Drop in a few ice cubes, garnish with lime and drink up.

More drinks...

In the Past...

Linking with: