Mom's Macaroni Salad

Yes, I'm catching some baby bass again.  This little one surprised me because I got it while fishing the creek.  Usually those biters are fairly good size.

I think this may be the smallest, large mouth bass I've ever caught:

Gladdie helped me remove the fly from a hungry creek chub.  That day, I wasn't fishing for bass or chubs.  I was fishing for, (Do I dare say?), carp! 

It began to rain, and everyone left the park except my birdie fishing buddy, the kids and me.  I had three HUGE carp on my TFO rod!!!  The bad news is, I needed my net cause two of three still have my fly's in there lips.  The other one was foul hooked and didn't hang on very long.  It was a fun time though, and good practice for when I get to have a big ole muskie on the fly rod!

This visitor was spying on me while I was at home in my back yard:

Apparently, the snake was camera shy, because it slithered away after I started taking pics.

I was told that it is a rat snake in a transitional period from adolescence to adulthood.

The big rat snakes I've seen in the past all have had solid black backs.

At least this one was nice and shy.  Although, given the opportunity, it might have tried to eat little Sophie.

I took the kiddies to Saxony for some fishing.

It's a good place to let kids fish, as there are not many trees or shrubs to get hooked up in.

We all caught a bunch of small bass and some gills.

Gladys told me the next time she fishes there, she will use her fly rod.  This time she did her usual method of using live bait.  BLAH. 

 

Dustball got to go for a walk around the yard the other day.  He is so cute, as he goes over and smells all the flowers.  

 

 
Glenn grilled out burgers for supper and I made Mom's Macaroni Salad.

Growing up, this was my favorite pasta salad.  Mom, my Mom, would usually use the shell pasta instead of macaroni.  She would add celery seed, garlic powder, plus a little salt and pepper. 

In my version, I omit the salt altogether, as I am trying to watch my sodium intake.  Salt and steroid injections (for my healing foot) are not a good mix as I already notice a puffiness in my face. Anyhow, I also replaced regular Miracle Whip for the light version.
 

To begin with, boil four eggs and dice them into pieces.

Mix eggs, seasonings and Miracle Whip light until you have a very creamy egg salad.

Next, add tomatoes and peas.  Mom likes the canned peas for this the best, but I sometimes use frozen.  It's a very yummy salad to accompany a grilled turkey burger.  Well, any picnic foods actually. 

 

When Grandma used to make this salad, it was like an entree in and of itself.  She used to add radishes, cubed Velveeta cheese and diced ham.  I was never a fan of radishes, but they weren't too bad in this salad.  The ham and cheese are really good add ins.  Although, I became more used to Mom's version, and it is my favorite.

Mom's Macaroni Salad

2 cups dry pasta shells
4 hard boiled eggs, diced
1 15oz. can of peas, drained
1 quart ripe grape tomatoes, halved
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups Miracle Whip light

Cook pasta according to directions.  Drain and rinse in cool water.  Add pasta to eggs mixed with seasonings and Miracle Whip light.  Carefully fold in peas and tomatoes.  Serve chilled.