My father, the baby of his family, had one sister- our Aunt Lois- and an older brother- our Uncle Gene. Grandma Fern raised all three of her children, through the worst of the depression, each to be accomplished in their own right. Aunt Lois became a nurse, beginning her career in the Big Apple, while her brothers joined the Canadian military.
When we were kids and family events were held at Aunt Lois’s house, it meant a full house of family (there were twelve cousins in all) as well as one or more of the other « usual suspects ». When the food was served, not only was it good and plentiful but it was inevitabley served with a healthy side of stories, jokes and laughter. I guess you might say that those were the good old days!
It’s hard to narrow down my Aunt’s recipes to just a few of my favorites but I did my best. Here’s a salad recipe that I think stands the test of time. Enjoy!
Dressing:
1 ½ cups mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons wine vinegar (red or white)
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 Tablespoons honey
½ cup raisins
Salad:
2 bunches broccoli (tips only), cut into florets
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup sunflower seeds
¼ pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
To make dressing, combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard and honey. Add the raisins and let stand for at least 30 minutes or ideally refrigerate overnight.
Just before serving, combine all of the salad ingredients and toss with the dressing so that the dressing lightly coats all of the broccoli. Save any extra dressing for another day.