Was your weekend glorious?
I could not get enough of the sunshine this weekend, how about you? Sometimes Mother Nature taunts us during this time of year; she gives us a brief moment of warm and sun and we get all excited for Spring. We start thinking about flowers and picnics and before we know it the sun disappears behind the clouds and the chill returns. According to that famous groundhog we shouldn’t have to wait long for the real spring to arrive. I hope he’s right!
Over the weekend we celebrated 4 years with Mr. JD. As a treat we took him on a trip to Three Dog Bakery where he got to pick out a new toy and some yummy treats. We spent more on him than one should probably spend on a dog but he’s the baby!
You might be wondering how JD pranced (yes, pranced) in to our life. Well, maybe you aren’t, but I am going to tell you anyway. After we got married we knew we were going to get a dog. It was something that both of us talked about even before we got married. We also knew that we wanted our first dog to be a rescue. We went online and searched all over until we found him. There he was, shaggy and goofy looking, a blur of grey and white on a screen. The rescue group named him Sprocket after the dog from Fraggle Rock; we knew at that instant that it was meant to be.
We drove from our home in Virginia to a small town in Pennsylvania. The excitement and anxiety of picking up a dog we never met was with us the entire 4 hour journey. We stopped at a small grooming salon off a single lane road. We greeted the woman who owned the rescue group and then we saw him. He was standing on a table getting his final primping before we could take him home. They took him off the table and let him run around. He ran all around us in circles. I held him for a moment but then he squirmed and I quickly released him. I was beginning to feel nervous, maybe he didn’t like me. Maybe we were in way over our heads (this proved to be true at various points in the early days).
We finalized all of our paperwork and loaded Sprocket in to the car. We began our journey home with the new addition of our family in a crate in the backseat. He barked for a good while and then howled. A moment of panic came upon us as we pondered the thought that perhaps we just picked up little dog with a mighty voice. He began to quiet down and we were relieved. During our drive we tried to get a sense of his training and sometimes called out his name. He didn’t seem to respond to Sprocket so we started thinking about other names. I ran through my list of literary heroes and the hubby went through his list of political icons followed by favorite athletes. We called out a few of our favorites and then I said JD. His ears perked and he looked at us almost with excitement. It was settled, he was henceforth named JD after my favorite author, JD Salinger.
And Now… the JD Gallery
It has been a wonderful 4 years with this little ball of fur. He never ceases to amaze us with his spirit and his eagerness to love. I share all of this on Hollymead Monday and am reminded that my Grandparents also had dogs in their lives. When I visited them in their retirement they had a dog named Bouncer and in a lot of ways JD reminds me of him. I recall Bouncer’s silly tail with sparse strands of fur and then laugh when I look at JD’s and the similar nature his tail shares. It is amazing how much a dog can mean to you and how much they imprint upon us. I think of Bouncer on this Hollymead Monday and think of the joy he brought to Grandma Peggy and Grandpa Joe. I think about the dogs that came before him and the stories that are passed down by my dad as he recalls the bonds he had with his childhood dogs. Sometimes I am in awe of how much JD loves us, how much he depends on us but also, how much we depend on him. In this case he really is, woman’s best friend!
Oh yeah, this potato salad is perfect for spring and great for picnics or BBQ’s. You will love it!
Parsleyed Potato Salad
Notes
The original recipe omitted capers, feel free to remove those if you don't like them. Potatoes will absorb the liquid from the dressing which is supposed to happen.
Ingredients
- 6 New or Yukon Potaotes (unpeeled)
- 4 Tbsp. Cider Vinger
- 6 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 4 Tbsp. Vegetable Stock
- 3 Tbsp. Chopped Parsley
- 1 Tbsp. Capers
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large pot of salted water over high heat until it boils.
- Add potatoes to boiling water and reduce heat to medium. Remove some water if the pot overflows while cooking.
- Boil potatoes until tender, drain and rinse with cold water. Once cool to touch peel potatoes and slice in 1/2 inch slices.
- Place slices in serving dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside to make dressing.
- Combine vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 tsp of salt and dash of pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Add vegetable broth and whisk again.
- Drizzle dressing over cooled potatoes.
- Top potatoes with chopped parsley and capers. Gently toss to combine. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if desired.
- To with additional parsley and serve at room temp.
