Last month I was working on my lesson for Relief Society (an all women organization you can read more about by clicking the link) and it’s been making me think a lot. Well, that happens every month as I prepare my lesson, but this time I wanted to invite our little family to add one more thing to our summer goals (to see more of Utah since it’s where we live and we haven’t been around much, and to have a healthier and happier summer), gratitude. And since we are so grateful for a dinner we had with friends that led to this recipe for the best fingerling potato salad and a new business venture I thought I’d talk to you all about everything. If you haven’t had fingerlings, go buy them. Most grocery stores have them and they are so creamy and wonderful!
A few years ago we were going through a long stretch of unemployment and despite our hard work to change things we just weren’t finding any opportunities. On top of it we had a hard lesson in relationships. We learned that sometimes people can be mean, dishonest and even do everything they can to harm your name and despite your best efforts to fix whatever it was that made them upset (and we still don’t understand other than the possibility that we tried to be friends with everyone which meant friends with people they hated) they were out to destroy. However, despite all of that it was actually the happiest year of our lives. How could that be? We aren’t perfect, and desperately prayed for a job and to forgive that family that was causing us hurt, but we were blessed with the spirit of gratitude and that truly took away the bitterness. Not always immediately, and not perfectly, but it did.
I love this quote from this gratitude talk, “It is precarious to dwell on why we have not been given more. It is, however, beneficial and humbling to dwell on why we have been given so much.” That’s exactly what we were learning. No matter what is going on we could choose to be happy, look for the sunrise and the hope of better days. We may not have had all that we needed or wanted and there may have been those working hard to destroy us, but we knew who we were and we knew we could choose to be grateful for what we did have and choose to be grateful in our disposition. In the talk he mentions that counting our blessings is a good thing, but it’s not what being grateful means in its entirety. No, having an attitude of gratitude is deeper than that.
Then came a lovely dinner with our friend that owns Yogurtland and Title Boxing club. We had our favorite double the meat hold the bread BLT salad and roasted fingerlings which ended up getting a little of the dressing on the potatoes. It was delicious and soon enough we were all purposefully dunking our potatoes into the dressing that was drizzled on our salad. Anyway, that dinner led to a greater friendship and later an opportunity that has changed our lives, allowed us to invest in an amazing new business and to work from our home with a residual income that wasn’t one of those lotions and potions, get rich quick schemes.
Anyway, I’ll leave you all with one more quote from that fantastic talk, Grateful in any Circumstance and I urge you to read it and tell me your thoughts. Uchtdorf says, “How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain?” And I ask the same. Are we letting hard times remove the happiness that could be there regardless of our circumstances? I loved that when I taught this lesson (and I’m sorry if anyone who is in there has to read this and hear it again) so many expressed that gratitude is a choice. We can’t change our circumstances, but we can change our attitude. And when that happens we find that a cloud is lifted and life becomes enjoyable again even when nothing else changes. But not only that, we actually feel better spiritually because no one is meant to live in darkness or depression. We all deserve joy.
What Are Fingerling Potatoes?
A fingerling potato is a small, stubby, finger-shaped type of potato.
They grow naturally small and narrow and are fully mature when harvested.
Fingerling potatoes should not be confused with “new potatoes”, which are small, immature potatoes.
What Do Fingerling Potatoes Taste Like?
Fingerling potatoes have a flavor very much like new potatoes.
The skin is very delicate and doesn’t need to be peeled before cooking.
They have a firm texture and hold up well to cooking.
How Long Will Potato Salad Keep?
Potato salad that has not been out for more than 2 hours will safely keep for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
Potato salad that has been above 41 degrees for more than 2 hours should be discarded.
Fingerling Potato Salad
Fingerling Potato Salad
Ingredients
- 1 pound fingerling potatoes, washed
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pinch of black pepper
- 1 cup or to taste [Cilantro Lime Dressing] -click the words for the link
Instructions
- Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the butter.
- Once melted, throw in the potatoes, salt and pepper.
- Toss gently to coat and place the lid on the pot.
- Turn the heat to low or medium low depending on how low your burner goes (some bring to such a low temp it's barely on) Allow the potatoes to cook for 20-30 min or until tender, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and toss with the dressing.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Recommended Products
Shelah
While looking at recipes for mayoless potato salads I came across your wonderful recipe for Fingerling Potato Salad but in the mist of reading the post for the recipe I found your passage from Grateful in any Circumstance and your wonderful words. It spoke to me and tugged at my heartstrings.
Sweet Basil
Shelah,
Isn’t it interesting how the right things at the right moments can come in the most interesting ways? I am so glad to hear that it spoke to you as it did me.
Tom @ Raise Your Garden
Wow those were some great quotes that put life in perspective. Sometimes I’m running around like a chicken with my head cut off getting back from work tired and then I run into a mess that my two year old made. My response had not always been great but you’re right we are so blessed to have what we do and I need to do better about not taking things for grantid. By the way I love the fingerling potato salad.:)
Sweet Basil
Thank you TOm! It is so hard to not take things for granted but I’m working on it!