My “draft” page has unfinished posts in it, too. Posts that I WILL finish (some of them need to be soon), but when they have been written, something just did not click.
Then there is my “blog fodder pictures” folder. Pictures go in there that are for imminent posts. I resize them to not take up so much space and put them there. There is a folder unto itself inside the picture folder that I made last night for the post I was going to do then which was a follow-up to Thursday’s SkyWatch post. (I was going to show the sky in all directions.) I knew what I was going to say, the pictures are ready, so WHY IS THAT NOT WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT??? I wish I knew.
I was taking my weekly, blissful bath (there will be a whole post on that–soon, I hope) when something screamed into my brain that I CANNOT post the rest of the sunset story, but I have to post this recipe. What is that about? Someone please tell me this is just the way blogging is, and that it is not that I am just a lunatic wasting my time preparing something to let it fall by the wayside. PLEASE! (Or tell me I AM a lunatic and I need to seek some kind of help.)
So the sunset story must wait. When whatever demon muse told me to do this recipe, I decided to save the sunset follow-up for a later date when my skies are the same every day. They will be a beautiful, deep blue, but still the same every day.
So now that you know what is NOT here, I hope you enjoy what IS here!
I found this recipe more than 15 years ago. I think it was in a Taste of Home magazine, or one of the food periodicals from that publisher. I cannot give more credit than that. I actually have a name with it, but without being able to contact said person, I am not sure if she would want her name on the internet, so I will withhold it. (If it is YOUR original recipe, please leave a comment as such!)
This is a recipe I would not dream of making without my own fresh garden produce. What is pictured used my tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers and parsley. (Home-grown tomatoes are a must, the other ingredients can be from the store, but it is a bonus if they are not.) I make it once or twice a summer, and I have never, EVER made it without at least one–usually several–recipe requests. I believe that is why the demon muse screamed at me to post it today, but I am not sure why it could not have waited until next week.
Without further ado, here it is:
Gazpacho Salad
4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced
2 green peppers, seeded and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 (2-1/4 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained
1 tsp. salt
Dressing:
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. vinegar
1/4 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley (I like Italian, or flatleaf, best)
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
In 2 qt. or larger class jar or bowl, layer 1/2 of the salad ingredients in order as given in recipe, topping with 1/2 of the salt. Repeat layer.
In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients. Pour over vegetables. Cover an dchill several hours or overnight. Makes 10-12 servings.
by Louise Cannon
Note: I really despise the font I have been using, and it is hideous for displaying recipes. I apologize. I have played with my font and found things I like, but I cannot do things I like when I start in WordPress. If I start in a word processing program, then copy and paste it, then add pictures, I get crazy, unwanted space. My blog guru figured this out for me, and apparently the only way I can combat this problem is shell out some cash to have a self-hosted blog (with non-blog-technical ME at the helm) and hire a designer to do what I like, and possibly someone to even help me keep it doing what it needs to do. Although I would LOVE to do those things, that is not a priority for my cash at the moment, so recipes must be done as above with too much space in them. But if I brought them in from another program, there would probably be more space, so I guess we just have to deal with it.
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EDITED: My blog guru changed my site while I was taking a nap! What could be better than that? I LOVE it! Do you? I have been meaning to change my header picture anyway for the next season, so this is perfect. It is so much more “me.” Thank you, Ducky! I think you should do this for a living!
August 30, 2008 at 7:20 am
I am impressed with the colorful look of the jar. The fact that it sounds like it tastes amazing is a total bonus.
I am more of a last minute, crap I have to post something right now or all my readers are going to find bigger and better blogs kinda writer. I do have a few posts I started and abandoned in my drafts, but likely they will find those unfinished when I die. That was morbid. The only thing I give a thought to during the week is the potluck and sometimes start on that due to excessive linkage which will drive a blogger to drink. Is it too early?
August 30, 2008 at 7:32 am
That looks and sounds like it could be my kind of food. I could have it with my pinto beans and cornbread, my peas and cornbread, my spaghetti, heck, I’d probably manage to just eat it alone with a fork and a cracker. It sure looks and sounds delicious!
August 30, 2008 at 7:52 am
congratulations – you’ve just turned a greek salad into a work of art (the only ingredients we would not use are lemon, parsley, garlic and cumin).
what a fantastic way to enjoy a salad – and congrats on your garden produce!
August 30, 2008 at 8:13 am
That’s a very pretty salad–and I can’t believe you have only been blogging for ten weeks, you seem like such a seasoned blogger. I mean look at all the fans you have already! You’re a natural.
August 30, 2008 at 8:26 am
You could also pick a different template. Is there another template you like where the text is closer to what you like?
I’m also wondering, during this Windows Live Writer experiment, if you could get what you want without changing templates. I could run a test post for you, if you like.
August 30, 2008 at 8:41 am
Louise, I have enjoyed you blog, a lot. Thanks for the recipe, and You Do Know, Don’t You, It’s Perfectly Acceptable To Post More Than Once A Day!!
August 30, 2008 at 8:49 am
I just looked at some different templates, and I think there might be several that meet your needs. You can preview them with your current header, or if you give me some specific details about what you want, I can do some looking and make some recommendations (I have a general idea of what you’re looking for, but there’s probably something I don’t know). I have lots of time.
August 30, 2008 at 9:34 am
Happy Saturday Louise!….You are not alone my friend!…I sometimes have the best plans for what I want to post about, & then for some reason the idea just falls flat!! If the words start pouring forth, I know that I am O.K!..if not save the idea for another time!…See your not an crazier than the rest of us! :)…And I am also happy to be able to give you a “happy nudge” toward Fall!….have the lovliest of weekends!…Heidi XO
August 30, 2008 at 9:41 am
Very interesting comment, as always, and a mind-dazzling recipe to boot! Can’t beat a post like that! Oh, I liked the jar of the great looking end result! 🙂
August 30, 2008 at 9:58 am
The salad is just beautiful layered in the jar.
August 30, 2008 at 2:11 pm
I now what you are writing about! There is a undefinable spontaneous element in blogging. Something URGES me to post this or that now. Nice that you say that!
Beatiful recipe! Thanks!
Have a nice weekend!
August 30, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Sorry: I Know…
August 30, 2008 at 2:27 pm
That looks beautiful and delicious.
(And it sounds like your blog guru has help on the way!)
August 30, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Louise: That is reall great that you made it from your garden.
August 30, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Yum! This was great, and funny.
My draft folder has come in very handy the last few weeks when our friend died unexpectedly. I didn’t want to blog sad stories every day, but it was hard to be silly. I also have a list in my side bar of the posts I was supposed to do or finish and got sidetracked. one’s a recipe, hmmmmm 🙂
August 30, 2008 at 6:26 pm
Oh, that is one beautiful salad! I wish I had the homegrown veggies to make it, but I will try it with farmstand veggies.
I’ve been blogging for just about a year now, and I used to have three or four extra posts in the pipeline. Now I find myself struggling to come up with a daily post some days…
August 30, 2008 at 10:10 pm
We central Missourians call that Picallily-Chow chow – well at least that’s what our Mizzourah familly called it. (and I could be entirely wrong – but that’s what I remember and I’m stickin’ to it!)
August 30, 2008 at 10:29 pm
Isn´t that just good that you have plenty of fodder there to fall back to when/if you need to? There will be times when all you have to say is that “I have not much to say but I want to blog anyway.” Many bloggers do that. Don´t do that but recycle some fodder as you have it.
The new layout, font and stuff looks very good. You don´t need a hired staff to do that.
August 30, 2008 at 10:30 pm
Beautiful post, and the salad is fantastic, Louise! About blogging, as for me I can’t post every day, it’s really impossible. I know, it’s not into the spirit of the blogger but for me it would be right to post once a week! I think that a post every day (photo or text) is too fast, the reader cannot dwell on it (of course it’s just in my opinion!).
Have a great week ahead!
Pietro
August 31, 2008 at 6:43 am
Blogging can be fun – and frustrating. I stay with blogger since you have quite a bit of control without any gurus (in spite of the odd incident), but then I mostly post pictures and use Verdana as font. The pictures are hosted somewhere else, so I can resize them at will.
PS Do you deliver the results of that recipe?
August 31, 2008 at 8:56 am
WOW I love the new look!! I thought I was on the wrong blog for a minute. I so do the same thing-I think I’m going to do one post and have all the pics-then I suddenly find myself doing another post and scurrying for the right photos.
The salad looks yum!!
August 31, 2008 at 10:52 am
I don’t care what your post or blog looks like.
I love it.
You know I love recipes.
I enjoyed my visit.
If you are keeping track,
Alaska Sunday is posted.
It’s the trip log with some new photos.
To see the post, Click here.
Troy and Martha
August 31, 2008 at 11:59 am
Nice post.
August 31, 2008 at 1:33 pm
yes, i loe it too – it is so much more you than the previous mass-produced variety!
August 31, 2008 at 2:14 pm
I never would have noticed the spacing if you hadn’t pointed it out, so it obviously bothers you more than many of your readers.
That recipe sounds delicious (except the olives – patooy on them). I am so envious of your garden bounty!
August 31, 2008 at 9:39 pm
It looks great, Louise, and isn’t it nice to be able to use ingredients right out of your own garden?
August 31, 2008 at 11:21 pm
We want the sunset story!
We want the sunset story!
September 1, 2008 at 1:46 am
I have no blog backlog. Hundreds of photos suitable for a post — yes. Anything remotely resembling a completed post, draft, partial post, notes on a post or even well thought out idea for a post — No. That’s why when I hit a period of time when things are busy, dry and/or just generally screwed up, I don’t post. Your way is better, I think, but I shan’t be so foolish as to claim I’m gonna change.
September 1, 2008 at 3:46 am
I liked the way as the food stored. In Brazil we do not have that habit.
With reference to the font of your text, a solution is not in the area for paste right post.
When I have this problem, placing first in notepad. it eliminates any trace of html. After that, and from notepad, you can copy and paste the text in the area of post.
When this happens, do not use Word as the editor of texts
September 1, 2008 at 8:35 am
Well now Louise, I wish you had posted that recipe (gorgeous jar by the way) before I went and pulled my cucumbers and tomato plants out but I’ll save the recipe for next year. Mu ,omd os a;waus fo;;ed i[ wotj fitire [pst bit O mever dpdrafts pr jave a draft fp;der pr ……. heck! I was gazing at the lake while I was typing and when I looked at the computer screen see that my fingers were on the wrong keys. I think I’ll just leave it as is and let you figure out what it says. 🙂 Hope you are having a wonderful lazy weekend holiday. ~ Lynn
September 1, 2008 at 10:11 am
That salad looks Yummy!
September 1, 2008 at 4:17 pm
I do love it! The header! Interesting recipe! I bet my hubs would love to try it out. 🙂
Yes sometimes the blogging muse takes off in her own direction. 🙂
September 2, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Me again – just to say I’m glad you liked my gulls!
September 2, 2008 at 2:01 pm
That looks delicious! I think I am going to print it and put it in my notebook!
September 3, 2008 at 9:22 pm
If the salad tastes as good as the picture looks then I can’t wait to try this! I like the idea of putting it in the mason jar – nice touch!
September 4, 2008 at 10:21 pm
The salad was delicious! Thank you for sharing the recipe. I will be making more as soon as I finish this batch.