Cole Slaw

I was lucky enough to grow up in a household where both Mom and Dad cooked.  Mom used the old red and white  Better Homes cookbook and lot’s of Family Circle recipes.  Dad was a fireman and you know how those guys cook. Plus, Dad had cooked at some lunch counters/ diners as a teenager.

Anyway, one of the things my Dad made best was his cole slaw.  This was long before KFC was around.  I never saw him use a recipe, he would just throw together the ingredients.  He’d slice a head of cabbage and throw in some Miracle Whip, just a little vinegar, and some celery seed.  It always turned out great.

Of course, once you get married now you join another person from a household that they believe had the best food around.  The trick is to mix and match until you find the right combinations that satisfy you both.

Here’s the Cole Slaw we now make at our house.

Cole Slaw

In a 2 cup measuring cup, mix together:

    1 cup Miracle Whip
    1/8 cup milk
    2 tbspn sugar
    ½ tspn celery seeds
     ½ tblspn apple cider vinegar

Pour this mixture over about 10 ounces of chopped/sliced cabbage.  We came up with 10 ounces because our local grocers sell precut cabbage in 10 ounce packs.  We use the one with carrots added but you decide if you want carrots or not.

Stir it up real good, cover and refrigerate.  We make it at least two hours before we eat to let the ingredients blend or “marry” as many cookbooks call it.  If we’re gonna have ribs or chicken for dinner and we want some slaw with it, my wife will make the cole slaw in the morning and let it sit in the fridge all day.  Then when you get ready to eat, stir it real good again and serve.

Carrots aren’t the only variation.  My brother’s wife adds pineapple and marshmellow.  I like ‘em.  My Dad would have a “hissy.”  We’ve also been known to put some rasins in there (there's a few in the batch in the picture).  I have some friends who add chopped onions and green bell pepper, but I tend to skip those.   Then, there’s the old Miracle Whip salad dressing or real mayo controversy.  You decide.

So, experiment and I hope you find just the right combination that fits your family.

Enjoy!

Note:  I updated the recipe on 6-7-2013.  I realized I missed an ingredient, the apple cider vinegar.