By The Fourth was good. I am going to start with that because I need to start with that. The Fourth was good. Larry came. He looked thin but he ate two hamburgers and a piece of cake, which is his minimum, which means he is still Larry, still eating like a trucker, still alive and hungry and present. He wore his old jeans and his CAT cap and he smelled like diesel and he sat in the lawn chair and watched the kids with sparklers and he laughed, and the laugh was full and real and I recorded it in my memory the way I record everything about Larry now: deliberately, carefully, against the day when the memory is all I have.
Dave grilled. The corn was perfect. The potato salad was mustardy and correct. Gayle brought the beans. The cake was chocolate and perfect. The fireworks were at the fairgrounds and we all went, the whole family, seven of us plus Gayle, eight total, crowded into two cars and a lawn blanket, and the sky exploded in color and Josie covered her ears and Justin pointed at the biggest ones and Tyler watched with his usual steady attention and Amber leaned against me and I put my arm around her and the fireworks lit up her face and for that moment, that one perfect moment, everything was right.
Larry fell asleep in the chair again. I covered him with a blanket again. He woke up at nine and said he had better get home and I said stay, just tonight, and he said no, kid, I need to get back. He always needs to get back. The road is where he lives, even when his house is fifteen minutes away. He hugged me at the door, a real hug, longer than usual, and he said drive safe, and I said you drive safe, and he pulled away and I watched the truck disappear and I stood in the driveway and the fireworks were still going off somewhere, distant now, fading, the way everything fades, the way nothing lasts except the love and the recipes and the memory of a man in a lawn chair laughing at sparklers in the dark.
The leftover potato salad was good the next day. Potato salad is always better the next day. Some things improve with time. I hope Larry is one of those things. I hope the thin is temporary. I hope the laugh is permanent. I hope, and I make potato salad, and I wait.
The potato salad got all the glory that day — and it deserved it — but the coleslaw is what I keep coming back to, because coleslaw is like hope: cool and creamy and better when you give it a little time to sit. I’ve been making a lighter version for a few summers now, ever since I started paying more attention to what I put in front of Larry, watching him eat and counting it as a blessing. This Creamy Skinny Coleslaw goes right next to the hamburgers on the picnic table, and it holds up in the fridge the next day when you’re standing in the kitchen thinking about who laughed and who hugged you longer than usual at the door.
Creamy Skinny Coleslaw
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes (plus chilling) | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 4 cups green cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup red cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 cup carrots, shredded (about 2 medium carrots)
- 1/3 cup plain non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Prep the vegetables. Finely shred the green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots. Combine them in a large mixing bowl and toss together until evenly mixed.
- Make the dressing. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the Greek yogurt, light mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, celery seed, and garlic powder until smooth and fully combined.
- Combine. Pour the dressing over the cabbage and carrot mixture. Toss well until every shred is coated. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Chill. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld. For best results, chill for 1–2 hours — or make it the night before. It only gets better.
- Finish and serve. Give it one more good toss before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve cold alongside burgers, ribs, or anything coming off the grill.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 55 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1.5g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 95mg