Goal #53: Cook 3 things from every cookbook I own (45 recipes/15 cookbooks=45 recipes)

I realized I had never posted this recipe.


I made my aunt’s salmon croquettes a few months back but I’m just now getting around to posting the recipe. I’m babysitting for my dear friend and lucky for me they are asleep and I have a few hours to myself to get caught up on my blog posts. 

I love my Aunt Linda and I love her cooking. The women in my family are amazing cooks!!

Salmon Croquettes
Linda Switzer

1 large can pink salmon, drained, bones removed
1 small onion, minced
1 large egg, beaten
1 T. creamed horseradish
½ tsp. dried dill week
1/3 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
¼ tsp. salt (more if desired)
1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper
Yellow cornmeal
Peanut or canola oil for frying

Flake salmon into mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients except cornmeal and oil. Mix well. Divide into 7 or 8 patties. Press patties into cornmeal.

Heat oil on medium high heat. Add patties and fry on each side until medium firm and browned. Drain on paper towels.

These are delicious served with a sauce of mayonnaise, ketchup. Horseradish, lemon juice and a little mustard (remoulade sauce). 

Goal #47: Go fishing

On our recent visit to Mississippi we had the opportunity to go fishing with my mom and step-dad. My step-dad, John, bought the boys cane poles, crickets, the whole shebang. We headed out to my mom’s boss’ lake and Ryan could not have been more excited to try something new. 

It was about 70 degrees when we went out and thankfully, dry. This was a great change from the weather in Chicago. It had been snowing off and on and in the 30’s. 

The fish weren’t really biting. The water was really stirred up and murky from all the rain they had recently fallen. My boys got a little bored but my step-dad caught a few (and made it seem, to the kids, like that THEY had caught it. He‘s cool like that). They got super excited to reel in their fish and see it up close, flopping around.

Ryan was a little afraid of the crickets and carried them like this everywhere.

We had a lot of crickets.

Lucas had his own way of holding his pole.

Ryan loves his GiGi.

Ryan picked some weeds beautiful flowers for me.

This dock made me nervous. Of course I forgot Ryan's life jacket. I don't think the water was more than a few feet deep where we were but you never know...

Up first was a catfish. Apparently, they have some kind of barbs on them by their fins that will really hurt if they get you with them. I had no idea. I’ve seen that show Hillbilly Handfishing and there is no way in….heck... that I would stick my hand or foot up in a hole to have a giant catfish latch on knowing that they have these barbs that will “sting” you. We threw it back.

Then a few white perch were caught that we kept. Ryan was a good sport and actually held it, or tried to hold it, (they have paper thin mouths) and take it to the cooler.

We saw several water moccasins. Eek! They were just chilling in the sun.

There were a few other small fish that we put back but we did catch a bream that was cute enough to have in a tank. He went back home though.

After awhile it was starting to get hot and the boys’ minds had moved on so we decided to go on home. 

Lucas loves John!

What a fun experience for my boys. Ryan can’t wait to go again…when it warms up here.