Friday Friend Recipe #217 - Spinach Salad no.4

Come with me as I continue to countdown my Friday Friend Cookbook!

What is it, you may ask?

In a nutshell...
About 19 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.
I decided to count those down!
Why?

Because  one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog"
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said,  "you'll never EVER do that."
Well,  maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings me to recipe #217

My Mom's Spinach Salad

This is Spinach Salad #4 in the Friday Friend Cookbook.  You really can't go wrong with a salad of any kind--that is unless you don't eat greens.  

Now days you can buy spinach any time of year, but it still reminds me of early spring--a salad we would have when the buds were just starting to appear on the lilac bushes.  In my mind a spinach salad is a sure sign of spring!

Spinach Salad

Bev Hambelton

Kennewick, WA

6-8 cups spinach

1 cup sliced celery

2 cans drained mandarin oranges

1 cup sliced mushrooms

3/4 cup nuts

1/2 cup sliced red onion

dressing:

1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

1/4 oil

2 T orange juice

2 T honey  or 3T sugar

Mix first 6 ingredients together in a bowl.  In a jar, mix dressing ingredients. Shake well.  Just before serving, add dressing and nuts.

********

My mom was a stay at home mom until I entered the 7th grade. Then she went back to work--I don't think she had any career aspirations, I think it was mostly financial at the time, but she was a good worker and she found her niche as a Optometrist's  receptionist and assistant. She could spot bad fitting glasses at 50 yards--and wouldn't even watch a certain TV channel's local news because the newscaster had 'bad fitting' glasses, and it bugged her something awful.

My mother first worked for Drs. Nelson and Elson

Then Vista Optical

Then Dr. Coburn  (seen below)

and she finished her career in the 'eye' field at Duane's Optical.

One time while at work at Duane's Optical, my mother-in-law, walked in for her appointment.  The foyer was full of patients and my MIL walked up to the counter and said in a loud voice "Oh my, are these your grandchildren?"  (my mother had pictures of my boys on her desk) and my mother say, "why yes they are."   My MIL exclaimed, "Goodness, I have never seen such attractive children!"  

My mom answered,  "Well yes they are, aren't they?"

My mother-in-law came back with, "I just can't get over how beautiful they are!"

This went back and forth a couple more times while the patients waiting looked on in wonder -- wondering why that lady is gushing over random kids on the receptionists desk, when finally my mom let them in on the joke.  She said "We share grandchildren."  And as the story goes, everyone waiting for their appointment chuckled and guffawed.  (there were probably only 2 people waiting, but it made them smile.)

Below are two photos of the grandmothers of my children--- 39 years ago at my oldest son's baptism picnic. (what?  your kids didn't have a baptism picnic?  weird.)

and then upper left and lower right (2 aunts are also pictured) --18 years ago at my middle son's graduation dinner.

They love their grandchildren! 

While searching for photos to put into this story--I came across a few of what must have been a time when they 'updated' the examining rooms at Dr. Coburn's office.  They are funny to see -- it doesn't look a think like my optometrist's office today. What the heck is that floor lamp doing in an examining room? 

Loved the style of glasses then!

That's my story!

This is recipe #217 only 150 left to go!