FOR CRYING OUT LOUD SALAD.

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD SALAD.

Dedicated with love to my sister, Maribel, who taught me how to

make this dish in Madrid, 25 years ago...and I still love it!!!

It was Thursday, my day off, and I was heading to the supermarket to buy

some very needed groceries. It was one of those weeks...I was down to some

milk, ham, mayonnaise ....wilted lettuce...an empty juice bottle...ugh... a couple

of tuppers filled with who knows what from who knows when...two onions and a

bag of frozen Ciabatta rolls.

Ready to open door, I reached for my keys in the drawer of the foyer's table...

But, they were not there! I shouted, "OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...where are

my keys?", then searched frantically in my purse....I searched the house,

high and low.

NOTHING!!!

Well, I was trapped with nothing to eat in my own house. Maybe I can call Sandra

and ask her to bring lunch. I dialed her number, and as she said hello, it went

dead..."OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD...I can't believe this!!!". Let me tell you,

I looked for my cell phone's charger high and low, and as my nerves got worse

I noticed I was hyperventilating...OOPS, I needed one of these:

But I didn't find one.... maybe an Ingles' plastic bag will do, I thought as I

looked under the kitchen sink....but it was like this:

I was doomed...suddenly, I had an idea. A good cook can always make

something of nothing and so I decided to forget I was temporarily stranded in

my own house and took the ham out of the fridge...

There was about 3/4 lbs. As I sliced it ...I thought about those keys again...

afterward I put it back in the cold, and went for the onions!

I sliced them into very thin rings, cried like a fool and said, "OH, FOR CRYING OUT

LOUD...why are spanish onions so mean to me!"

I added 1 cup of water, salt and covered them with plastic wrap then

microwaved for 15 minutes on high until they wilted and became translucent.

I strained them and added half a cup of the liquid.

While still warm, I added the ham, the Hellman's Mayonnaise and gave

it a twirl to mix well.

OOOPS, the mayo became very liquid...but , I figured the cold would

fix it. What do I have to loose?

MY KEYS???

Into the refrigerator it went. And... as I suspected, the cold made the mayonnaise

really creamy and yummy! Next I toasted some ciabatta bread and VOILA!!!

Lunch was served!!!

Once I finished wiping clean my plate with a piece of bread, I felt much better!

Then, it came to me....did I look in Alonso's cart? The one filled with a million

Hot Wheels? I dashed to his room and turned the cart upside down and said,

"OH, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD ...there they are!!".

THAT LITTLE RASCAL....

he took MY keys for HIS cars!!!