COOKING WITH CLORIS -- PATRIOTIC POTATO SALAD

Just in time for Labor Day picnics and barbecues, Cloris offers up one of her great potato salad recipes. This is a favorite of mine and my boys. I’ve turned it into a one-dish meal by adding 2 cups of cooked, diced chicken and serving it over a bed of lettuce with tomato wedges. Enjoy! -- AP

PATRIOTIC POTATO SALAD
(serves 6)

Ingredients:
3 lbs. mixed color small potatoes (sometimes called confetti potatoes)
1 cup diced seedless cucumber
2 hardboiled eggs, grated
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream
1 T. Swedish style dill mustard
1 T. dried minced onion
1 tsp. paprika

Scrub potatoes and trim away bruises and other imperfections. Cut into 1-inch pieces. Cover with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook until fork-tender (approx. 15 minutes.) Drain. Let cool.

Mix cooled potatoes, cucumber, and egg in large bowl. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, onion, and paprika and add to potato mix. Blend all ingredients together. Chill for an hour or two before serving.

Have you ever turned a side dish into a main course by adding ingredients? Let’s hear from you. Anyone who comments this week is entered in a drawing to win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP

DECORATING WITH JEANIE -- EASY OUTDOOR ENTERTAINING

Here are some hints for great green outdoor entertaining this summer from our decorating editor Jeanie Sims: -- AP

The best way to entertain outdoors is one that keeps clean-up to a minimum, but paper goods are a huge expense and clog up our landfills. Instead, buy a set of plastic dishes, utensils, and beverage cups. You can find these at big box stores. Don’t skimp of the quality, though. You want to buy the good stuff that will hold up to repeated trips through the dishwasher. If you do a lot of outdoor entertaining over the summer, the service won’t cost you any more than you’d pay for paper goods throughout the season, and you’ll have them for seasons to come.

No place to store another set of dishes and beverage ware? No problem! After they’re washed, store them in your cooler.  Everything will be right at hand for your next barbeque.

Scatter oversized beach towels around the yard for guests to eat picnic style.  Instead of paper napkins, substitute inexpensive dish clothes from the dollar store. Just pop everything in the washing machine when the evening is over.

Finally, go for Christmas in June, July, and August by stringing up your holiday lights along your deck railing.

What sort of outdoor entertaining do you do? Let us know, and you could win a book from our Book Club Friday guest author. -- AP