Macaroni Salad

For us, summer begins when the kids are out of school. In the summer, I always think about making some chilled side dishes like macaroni salad and potato salad. So, I asked my husband if he wanted me to make some macaroni salad. He said it sounded good as long as there were no peas in it. I said I would make sure there was no peas in it. Growing up, I remember peas in our macaroni salad. My husband said his Mom made it with peas. I made the dressing up and had him try it. He liked it very much. My goal was to make a creamy macaroni salad with a mild taste. Why mild? I wanted a nice side dish which wouldn't overpower the rest of the meal. If this dish was the main dish, then I would have made more dressing and added a protein. For a side dish, we thought it was pretty good. My husband even ate the leftovers. When he eats the leftovers, it is always a good sign.

Macaroni Salad
1 1/2 cups uncooked macaroni salad
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup mayonnaise 
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp celery seeds
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, grated
1/4 cup red pepper, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped

Directions:

1. In a large pot, cook the pasta according to the box directions until al dente.
2. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain well.
3. In a  large bowl, toss with olive oil.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice, sugar, and celery seed.
5. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
6. Mix in the grated onion, red pepper, and celery.
7. Toss with the pasta to coat well.
8. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Recipe created by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago........................................I made Peanut Butter Dipping Sauce.
Two years ago......................................I made Steak Stir Fry.
Three years ago...................................I made Fruit Crostatas.

Did you already know..........................
-In the 1800s, urban children  attended school in the summer with time off during the spring for planting and fall for harvesting.
-In the 1800s, children of immigrants living in the city would attend school for 11 months so the children could learn English in a safe environment. 
-Less than 10% of students will attend summer school.