By Four weeks. I have started keeping my phone charged at all times, which is a thing I do not normally do. I have been carrying it from room to room. I am aware that the baby could come any time in August, theoretically, and some babies have their own calendar, and I would rather be the kind of grandmother who is always reachable than the kind who misses the call because her phone was at fifteen percent. I have told CJ to call me at any hour. He said, Mama, I know. He said it with the patience of a man who has had this conversation several times already this week.
The second edition of the recipe booklet arrived from the printer. Forty-four recipes now — the three additions from the spring. Same cover: Bernice laughing in her Easter hat. New section in the back: blank pages titled "your additions" with a note I wrote: "This book is not finished. Fill these pages." I signed all seventy-five copies again, same inscription as before, and distributed the new ones to the people who should have them. Shanice and CJ got their copy at the weekend visit — two copies, actually, because Shanice asked for one to keep at the kitchen and one to pass to Caleb when he's older. I gave her three. She laughed and said that was more than she asked for. I said, I know. That's how this family works.
When I sat down to decide what recipe to add to the blank pages at the back of that booklet, I kept coming back to this one — not because it’s elaborate, but because it’s the kind of dish that has sat on every table at every gathering where something important happened. A baby on the way feels like exactly the right occasion to finally write it down properly, so Caleb will have it someday too, right there in the back where those pages are waiting.
Classic Macaroni Salad
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 3 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup celery (about 2 stalks), finely diced
- 1/2 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
- 1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
- 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
- Paprika, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni according to package directions until just tender, about 8–9 minutes. Drain well and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Shake off excess water and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- Make the dressing. In a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, yellow mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper until smooth and well combined.
- Combine. Add the cooled macaroni to the dressing and stir to coat evenly. Fold in the celery, red bell pepper, red onion, sweet pickle relish, and chopped hard-boiled eggs.
- Taste and adjust. Taste the salad and adjust salt, pepper, or a touch more vinegar as needed. The flavor will mellow as it chills, so season slightly bolder than you think necessary at this stage.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. For best results, chill for 2–4 hours to allow the flavors to come together fully.
- Serve. Stir gently before serving. Transfer to a serving dish and dust lightly with paprika for color. Serve cold.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 420mg