My mom loves to cook and bake. When ever there is a holiday my mom will have us over for dinner. Everything my mom makes is all homemade and you can taste it. This time my mom had my extra camera and did step by step pictures, so I could do a post on my site. The following is all pretty much my mom's work. I am just putting the post together for her. My mom will show you how to make Potato salad, Macaroni salad, Pistachio pudding salad and quick and easy corn on the cob.

6 to 8 Potatoes boiled in their skins — cool to room temperature then refrigerate in their skins ( this keeps the starch in the potatoes )
6 to 8 eggs boiled, peeled refrigerated

Potato Salad:
Peel potatoes and cube
Slice eggs in half, put yokes in food processor for silky smooth sauce (keep 2 eggs to slice over top of the finished salad)
pulse the yokes till they are fine crumbles then add:
1 cup mayo
2 tablespoons mustard
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Pulse to combine into a silky sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Add sliced celery, radishes and minced onions to taste. I like a lot of veggies so I slice at least 4 or 5 ribs of celery, 3 radishes and I mince up about 1/2 onion really fine so my picky daughter cannot see it!!
Gently stir all together in a really big bowl – slice the 2 remaining eggs and lay on top then sprinkle with paprika

Macaroni Salad:
Same sauce as for potato salad
Boil 1 – 16oz. box of any shape pasta and cool ( do not rinse ) We need the starch on the pasta.
Boil eggs, peel and refrigerate then follow steps as above
I add the same veggies as for potato salad, then add 1/2 pound of cubed ham and 1/4 pound of cubed Colby/Jack cheese
Stir gently and top with slice eggs, dust with paprika

Keeping the starch in the potatoes and on the pasta helps to prevent the salads from getting watery. Remember: if you have a picky eater that you must chop the veggies very small, my picky girl is 34 years old and hates her veggies !! Hope you enjoy these.

Pistachio Pudding Salad:
1 small box instant pistachio pudding mixed well with 1  lg.can of crushed pineapple and the juice
than add 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans, a large amount ( 1/2 bag) of mini marshmallows multi colored is my daughters favorite and 8oz. of cool whip. Stir gently and put in serving vessel. For those of us old enough – this used to be called the WATERGATE SALAD.

Now for the corn on the cob. After you husk your corn and clean it you can wrap it plastic wrap. Make sure to cut strips of paper towel for easy opening. Do not, I repeat DO NOT put butter on the corn. If you do the plastic wrap will melt. After your corn is all wrapped you can put it in the microwave. You microwave for 3 minutes then turn it and go for another 3 minutes and then serve. The corn is done to perfection.

Mom made cup cakes and Blue Berry Buckle

Mom's secret to the perfect BBQ chicken is to par boil it first and while still warm put it in a sealable dish and seal it with your BBQ sauce. When the chicken cools it will suck the sauce in. Then you put it on the grill to warm it up and to give it that grilled taste.

This was my dinner plate and I had BBQ chicken, grilled pork loin, potato & mac salad.

This is my mom's dinner plate and she had black stuffed olives.

After dinner we went downtown to watch the fireworks. The day was great and I was able to spend quality time with my family and friends

Downtown in Grand Rapids, Michigan 2014