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Thursday, July 6, 2017

OLD BAY SHRIMP SALAD AND FAMILY DINNER TIME





 Does your family eat dinner together every night?

From the time I was a kid, dinner time was equated with family time.
It was important to me to continue this ritual throughout Junior Goo Shoes' childhood.

True, I was aware of the many studies which showed eating together as a family 
reaps a multitude of benefits, such as kids making healthier food choices,
being less likely to be depressed,
and decreasing the chance that they will turn to drugs and alcohol.

But in my house, it was also a matter of practicality. 
It was the only time of day that we were all together, 
and could sit down to share the details of our day.
Admittedly, those "details" from Junior Goo Shoes 
sometimes consisted of just one word -- "Good."

The nights when he was more verbose 
compensated for those meals of monosyllabic utterances.
And, not for nothing, it gave Junior GS a chance to hear about things 
that were important to us........
our political views, insights into what we were like in our younger days, 
our values, and the like.  
Sometimes, it was a chance to be plain old silly together.
Just before the end of the school year, 
 the dinner dynamic in our household began to change
"I won't be home for supper. I'm going out with my friends."
If I was lucky, I was told this early enough in the day to plan accordingly,
but more often than not, I'd be setting the table for three,
when Junior GS finally let me know it was one place setting too many.

This went on for a good week or two, and I became increasingly frustrated.  

If I prepared a meal for the three of us, undoubtedly he'd have other plans.  
If I assumed he wouldn't be home, 
it was a sure bet that he'd bound through the door, asking what was for dinner.


On one of these nights when I didn't know whether Junior GS would be home or not,
 Mr. GS said he felt like having a light supper..........
"Something like shrimp salad would be good."

I did a quick google-search for "something-like-shrimp-salad,"  
and, in the end, went with a recipe from Southern Living, but made a few modifications.
 I used more mayo than the recipe called for, and added worcestershire sauce for flavor. 

I knew Junior GS wouldn't eat anything-like-shrimp-salad,
so I kept some cooked shrimp on the side for him to eat plain, 
should he decide to grace us with his presence.

As it happened, he didn't eat home that night.
I mixed the shrimp I had set aside for him into the something-like-shrimp-salad,
which gave Mr. GS and I more than enough for two meals (yay, leftovers!).


Two things were made clear that night.
First, I'd be making this shrimp salad again and again - it was delish!
Second, I had enough of Junior GS' BS about dinner time.
So, I made a suggestion to him that went something like this:

"Since you work Monday - Thursday till 5pm, 
why don't you plan to have dinner with us on those nights?
One, you'll get a healthy meal into you, instead of eating Taco Bell seven nights a week;
Two, it's free. You won't have to spend half your paycheck on buying your own dinners;
Three, in a couple of months you'll be off to college, 
and nightly family dinners will be a thing of the past."
(True, this last one was a risk - 
I wasn't sure if it would be an opportunity for him to assert his independence).

Four, which remained unspoken, was that we hardly ever see him anymore, 
and I really missed the three of us having dinner time together.
A sappy sentiment from mom would have surely backfired.

Mr. Goo Shoes had a "good-luck-with-that" look on his face 
as I uttered my "Declaration of Mom-Dependence,"
but to our utter surprise, Junior GS simply said, "Okay."
And just like that, family dinners were back on the table, at least for four nights a week.


If you want the original shrimp salad recipe from Southern Living, click here.

If you want to take my word for it that this was the best 
some-thing-like-shrimp-salad I've had, follow my adaptation, below. 


OLD BAY SHRIMP SALAD
Recipe adapted from Southern Living



1 1/4 pound cooked shrimp, chopped
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup finely diced onion
2/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp old bay seasoning
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
salt to taste 

Mix together shrimp and next six ingredients. 
Cover and chill 2 hours before serving. 




Today, as you ponder what to make for a light meal,
give this recipe a try.
It might just be the best something-like-shrimp-salad ever.  




LINKING WITH:
Best of the Weekend 
Home Sweet Home
Home and Garden Thursday  
Cooking and Crafting With J & J 
Metamorphosis Monday





20 comments:

  1. Your salad looks delicious, Amy, and very refreshing on these hot evenings. I, too, grew up eating at 5:00 on the dot. It didn't really change for us as we lived in the middle of nowhere and there were no fast food places for miles. In the city it's much more different and my kids got in the habit of getting huge hamburgers and milkshakes after school and then not hungry for dinner. I just continued the routine and left a little on the stove in case one was hungry. And then I had leftovers. Funny thing, they ate so much junk in college, when they came home they wanted dinner every single night!!

    Thanks for a great post. I love how you tell a story!

    Jane x

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  2. I love how you tell a story too Amy.

    We ate at five every night as well and although we didn't eat that early as adults, we still had dinner each night as a family. I think it's important.

    xxx

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  3. I love anything shrimp so I will be making this soon....already printed it up! So far we don't have the "I won't be home for dinner" thing going with my son, just "I'm not in the mood for this" even though he requested it! I put it out to my son and husband every week to choose what they want to eat. They eat alike and I eat different. So I cook two meals every night....there are a few things we all eat. It is craziness, just a different kind than yours!

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  4. Hi Amy, oh I too think having the whole family home for dinner is so important. I am glad that JGS agreed to have dinner with the both of you.
    You shrimp salad looks so good and I bet is delicious. I will be pinning this.

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  5. Love your stories, love your logic and love your recipes, always à la Amy! Your Old Bay Shrimp Salad looks and sounds scrumptious. JGS is a (well fed, for sure) cool dude!

    Poppy

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  6. this looks delicious!Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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  7. This looks so good, especially for a summer meal.

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  8. We find wonderful fresh scampis in Brittany and I'm going to try the recipe with that!

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  9. Looks like the cat is out of the bag with this Maryland version of Shrimp Salad. :-) Most of the folks that grew up in Maryland, fix Shrimp Salad the same way but we may use a little less Mayo. This is a wonderful recipe and thanks for sharing it with the rest of the site. One last note though....I am from Maryland and settled in Florida about 20 plus years ago but never knew that shrimp was bad for you when it pertains to Gout. I use to eat shrimp a couple of times a week and now can only have it about 2 times a month due to getting gout from eating too much of it along with other foods. I do miss the shrimp but still enjoy the recipes when I get a chance to fix them. :-) :-) Enjoy!

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  10. This looks great and I have some shrimp leftover from a boil so it would be perfect! Any suggestions for a sub for mayo?

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  11. Hi Melissa, I'm having some trouble with the "Reply" button not working on my blog, so sorry for the delay in responding. I honestly don't know what to use in place of mayo, as it is the foundation for the dressing. If you figure something out, let me know!

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  12. Try smashed or puréed avocados in place of mayo. Plain Greek yogurt might work too.

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  13. One of our granddaughters asked my wife "Can we have a real supper tonight, you know, where we all sit at the table?" It surprised us as we always did while our kids were at home but apparently, the next generation doesn't see the importance.

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    Replies
    1. It’s a shame, isn’t it? There are so many extra-curricular activities, there’s no time left for family dinners.

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  14. How long will this last in the frig

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    Replies
    1. From Ms Toody: I would keep it only two days.

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  15. Just made your shrimp salad and it's delicious! This is a keeper for sure. Thank you for sharing

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  16. What do you serve this with?

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    Replies
    1. Corn on the cob, cole slaw, potato salad, macaroni salad, caprese salad, pasta salad, tossed salad, french fries......I'd say pretty much anything goes with it!

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