By Sheri Hopkins
Lifestyle Contributor
Hello everyone! We have had a little cold snap this week and plenty of rain. Everyone’s garden needed the rain.
This week, I am going to talk about my sweet momma. If you knew her, you knew that she would give you the shirt off her back. When you went to visit, you never left empty handed. She had to send something home with you. Could be a box of cereal, Little Debs, package of meat, something had to come home with you. She always had ample supply of new towels and sheets. If you didn’t want any of that then she would try to send you home with some of her knick knacks. Face the fact, you were leaving there with something. That all being said, she also was always helping someone in need by taking them food or taking them somewhere if they didn’t have a car. After my dad passed, my granny Morgan (my dad’s mom) would come and stay with us weeks at a time. Between her and my mom, I’m surprised they didn’t give away the kitchen sink.
One time I came home from work and granny was there for one of her visits and there is a strange young man there. To keep this story short, this is what happened. He was walking down Highway 71 in front of our house and I’m sure my mom was outside and started talking to him and before ya know it, he’s in the house being fed and ends up staying three days there with us and then they sent him on his way with a little cash and a full belly. I’m not making this up, it’s a true story. They didn’t know him from Adam, he could have knocked us all in the head, or worse. He didn’t and I’m sure at the end of third day he was ready to head out because they also made sure he knew all about the Lord.
That is not the only time we had visitors. This particular story is where mom gets me involved. We had a neighbor that lived up the road and she came down one night and asked mom to ride with her to Fort Smith to a beer joint, a.k.a Melody Lounge. Her husband hadn’t come home, and she needed help finding him. My mom wasn’t about to go, so she says, “sis ride with her to town to help her find him.” Me?? I said “mom, I don’t want to go.” She was persistent, yes you need to go with her so she won’t be by herself. So, I load up and we head to the Melody Lounge. I flat refuse to go inside. I told her I would sit in the car and wait for her to find her man. Keep in mind, she parks in the alley, so I’m in the car with the doors locked waiting for her to find her man. We didn’t find her husband, and we sent half the night looking in all the local beer joins. We finally make it home and I’m mad at my mom for making me endure all that nonsense.
That’s not the only time she did something crazy to me. One time a young couple was walking down Highway 71 and they needed a ride to Waldron, so here we go again. I’m loading them up and taking two complete strangers to Waldron that I have never laid eyes on before. Yes, they turned out to be a little crazy. I dumped them out and took off like a scalded dog and headed home. It’s a wonder I wasn’t murdered back in the 80’s from all the crazy things she got me into. I laugh about it now, but at the time it wasn’t funny. I lived to tell about it all and so you get to hear it now.
This week’s recipe is Ranch Potato Salad. This is delicious if you want to cook some burgers and dogs on the grill. It makes a good side dish.
RANCH POTATO SALAD
2 pounds red potatoes (cut into 1-inch pieces) You can leave the peeling on if you like it like that.
2 cups sour cream
1 1 oz. package of dry Ranch dressing mix (I use Hidden Valley, but you can use any kind)
Pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
14-16 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled (I use the real bacon pieces already cooked)
1 cup thinly sliced green onions
Cook the potatoes until they are tender. You can check those with a fork. Drain the potatoes and run under cool water. Make sure they are all drained and let sit to dry for a minute or so. Meanwhile, mix the ranch dressing with the sour cream. Whisk until smooth. Cook the bacon and chop coarsely or use the real bacon pieces. Place the cooled potatoes in a large bowl, add the chopped bacon, shredded cheese and sliced green onions. Pour the dressing over everything and gently stir to combine. Add pepper to taste. You can add your favorites also, like a few chopped olives or a red pepper for some color. Keep in the refrigerator. Enjoy with your burgers and dogs. Have a great week everyone!
