Summer Salads: Part 2

I love cooking from what is available seasonally. As much as I sometimes want to grab for that container of strawberries in the middle of Winter, waiting 'til Summer has proven to result in major payback. Not only are fruits and vegetables cheaper when they're bought in-season, but they are OH SO DELICIOUS too. Lately we've been eating lots and lots of watermelon, cherries, and berries. Also squash, peppers, tomatoes & of course- the star of summer: corn on the cob. :)


Tonight I made a very unusual-sounding salad recipe using green beans and strawberries as the base. I wasn't sure how this was going to taste in the end, but I was pleasantly surprised- it was scrumptious! If you decide to give it a try I hope you enjoy it too!

~Strawberry & Green Bean Salad

with Feta, Mint & Pistachios~

Serves 4-6

1 lb. fine green beans

1 lb. strawberries

2-3 Tablespoons pistachios

1 small bunch fresh mint leaves

(I used some from my yard!)

4 oz. feta cheese

salt & pepper

Dressing:

2 Tablespoons raspberry vinegar

2 Tablespoons superfine sugar

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

pinch of salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1. To make the dressing, mix the vinegar, sugar, mustard, and salt together in a bowl until smooth. Slowly poor in the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture has emulsified. Cover and refrigerate until required. 

2. Blanch the beans in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 1-2 minutes, so that they retain plenty of crunch. Drain and quickly toss in a large, cool bowl. Hull and halve the strawberries, then add to the beans. Stir in the pistachios and mint leaves. Toss the salad with enough dressing to coat lightly.

3. Break the feta cheese into chunks and scatter over the salad. Add a good grinding of pepper and serve immediately.

Happy & Healthy Food to You,

Gail

Summer Salads

There's nothing better for dinner on a warm Summer evening than a fresh, cool salad. :) Soups & casseroles have their place no doubt, but a salad made from some of Summer's freshest picks? I'd call that gratitude at it's best. 


This week we've practically lived on salad. Just this week I've made:


*Whole wheat pasta salad with olives, feta & fresh spinach
*Baby red skin potato salad
*Waldorf fruit salad with walnuts
*Romaine salad with grilled red peppers & red onion
*Chicken Fiesta salad


Today I thought I'd share the Chicken Fiesta Salad recipe. It's really delicious and sooo easy to prepare too. Matthew and I ate it in two days it was that good, and we usually take three or four days to eat up something in this house when I make a big bowl of it. Not this time! Ha!


My mother made us this salad the week after I gave birth to Cole. I wasn't about to step into a kitchen and start cooking cause I had a longer-than-normal recovery period (at least it felt like forever) and wasn't feeling the greatest (hormones didn't help either!). My mother was an Angel from Heaven who stepped in and took care of everything for us. Thank you, Mom! Making this recipe brought back sweet memories of that week spending time with our newborn baby Cole, moments with Matthew, and sweet conversations with Mom. {I cannot believe 9 months have already passed!!! Time flies!}

~Chicken Fiesta Salad~

{adapted from Better Homes & Gardens cookbook}

4 cups torn romaine lettuce

1/2 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

1 8-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed & drained, or

1/2 of a 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey (I used 

a rotisserie chicken)

2 small tomatoes, cut into thin wedges (or cherry tomatoes

cut in half)

1 cup shredded carrot

1/2 cup sliced pitted ripe olives

1 recipe Chile Dressing

3/4 cup crushed tortilla chips

Place the lettuce in a large 2-quart salad bowl. Layer ingredients in the following order: cheese, beans, chicken, tomatoes, carrots, & olives. Spread Chile Dressing evenly over salad, sealing to edge of bowl. Cover salad tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for 4-24 hours. To serve, toss lightly to coat evenly & sprinkle with crushed tortilla chips.

Chile Dressing: In a small bowl stir together 1/2 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing, one 4-ounce can chopped green Chile peppers, 1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, and 1 clove garlic, minced. Makes 3/4 cup.

Note: Chilling the salad for up to 24 hours allows the flavors to blend. Layer the ingredients one evening and have a read-to-serve meal the next. 


Prep: 30 minutes Chill: 4-24 hours Makes: 4 main-dish servings

Vintage Bridal Shower

I had the pleasure of hosting a vintage lingerie bridal shower with 3 other maids' of the Bride at our home a few weekends ago. The bride is a very dear friend of mine...and now she's all off and married! Missy & Michael---I couldn't be more happy for the two of you!

Here's some pictures and collages I created to give you an idea of our evening. We chose the colors red, black & turquoise for the shower and tried to use them throughout our decor. (I apologize in advance that some of the photos are of poor quality.)

The Invitation:

Inside it invited guests to an

"Old Lace & New Love"

vintage lingerie bridal shower

My delightful friend, Missy,

playing the part in the "Photo Room"

I created a room where guests could have

fun and be silly by creating their own phrases

on chalkboard painted cardboard quote cut-outs

and an assortment of vintage hats, gloves & purses.

Hostesses & Bride:

One of my favorite details were the drink tags

we made using leftover scrapbook paper from the

invitations. I already have a lot of turquoise in my home

and getting to bring these little goblets out was fun

cause I don't use them that often and they just

happened to work perfectly with our color scheme!

Above: turquoise goblets with scrapbook paper name tag,

coffee filter pom poms, the food table, red velvet cupcakes

with cream cheese frosting & strawberries, red roses.

What my make-shift mantel looked

like before all the presents arrived! I

used the vintage dancer print in the decor

cause the Bride is a dancer (it used to hang in my

room when I was growing up).

More decorations:

Above: tree decorated with coffee filter flowers, vintage

ballet dancer print, coffee table glamour, refurbished

goodwill lamp

My chalkboard adorned with a natural

coffee filter flower & red ribbon chain

If you're interested in making these flowers,

they really are a breeze. All you have to do is crinkle

each filter til they are crumpled and soft, spread them out,

then pinch in the middle of each filter and arrange with your

fingers until you get the look you want. If you want them really

fluffy and layered you can stack several filters. Secure with

a pipe cleaner or ribbon and you're done!

Vintage details:

Above: vintage 1950's Ladies Home Journal Magazine

lingerie ad, vintage paper dolls (I played endlessly with

these when I was younger), vintage silk

robe with tulle that belonged to my great Aunt.

It's hard to see in this photo, but the scrabble letters

read: "MISSY AND MICHAEL SITTING IN A TREE....

FIRST LOVE.....THEN MARRIAGE...

And married they are indeed!!!

~~~~~~~

I hope you enjoyed the party!

Gail

Freedom in Christ! & Fourth of July Waffles

This Fourth of July I thought I'd share some verses that are good reminders to me of our FREEDOM IN CHRIST!! How grateful I am that we have freedoms here in the USA, but without the freedom that Christ brings....oh my...I would be lost. Thank you, Dear Jesus!!


"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1)

"We are under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope that He will continue to deliver us." (2 Corinthians 1:10)

"In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and he answered by setting me free." (Psalm 118:5)

May those verses resonate through your heart today!

And now onto a delicious waffle recipe! Good for today (though it's a bit late for breakfast now) or any day of the week. Enjoy!!

~Fourth of July Waffles~

Adapted from my mother's recipe of "Popular Waffles & Pancakes"

*Makes 8 7" waffles*

2 free range eggs- beat

beat in remaining ingredients:

2 cups organic buttermilk

2 cups organic whole wheat flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons coconut oil

Heat waffle iron; cook. Top with a little butter,

your favorite organic berries, & a drizzle of pure

maple syrup. Yummy & healthy!!!

HAPPY FOURTH of JULY!!!

Gail

Cole Eating Rice Cereal

We've been hearing for months not to expect much out of the first "real" feeding experience, cause most babies don't take to it that well and will only eat a tablespoon or so. Sooo....we were happily surprised that he not only took to it right away, but that he was coming back for more! He ate the entire bowl and was as happy as a clam! ;)

If this video doesn't show that we are new and adoring parents, I don't know what will....

He looks so small and cute in his feeding chair. ;)

Messy face!

More more!

Not too happy...

A few tears, but he's alright. :)

Happy Weekend!!!

Gail

Lately {In Pictures}

A little bit of what we've been up to lately...

Enjoying lunch and red velvet cupcakes (yum!) in honor

of my sweet sister Gwen's birthday ;)

{L-R: sister Gloria, Grandma Linda, sister Gwen,

my mother Cindy & Cole}

Honorary Auntie Katie Joy getting some

lovin' in with Cole

My dear nephew Levi (1 1/2) "holding" Cole.

He was so sweet with him!

Kisses for cousin. :)

Tummy time!

He had had enough tummy time at this

point....aww...much better!

I love how innocent he looks when he's

asleep in his car seat. Melts my heart!

Smiling while asleep. Precious!

Profile. I love his slopy nose...because

he got it from me!

This was so cute. One night when I was folding

clothes in the nursery and he was in his crib,

he started to fall asleep....and while doing so...

started stroking the ears of this Peter Rabbit stuffed

animal. It was precious!

And for those of you wondering about the hazard of

sleeping in that mass of stuffed animals...no

worries. I was there the whole time keeping an eye on him.

Normally they're not all over the place like that!

Yummy veggie and chicken spring rolls for dinner

with peanut sauce and orange slices. The bad

photography doesn't do it justice...they were sooo

good! {and healthy too!)

~Reading with Daddy~

Tuned in to "Tootle" the train.

Looking at the pictures....

"Hey Mom, we're reading!" :0)

{YAWN}. Someones getting sleepy.

Matthew is such a good Dad. ;)

I love this chunky, cute face.

Playing with Daddy. ;)

Smiles and Giggles

He gets such a kick out of standing

in front of the mirror and seeing

his reflection. It always makes him smile!

Happy little fella ;)

Daddy & Cole

We finally got a stroller! Yay! I'm excited

because now it's going to be easier to take him

out or on walks... or rather...."strolls". ;)

Me and my little guy. (me with no makeup- I

wasn't going to put some on just for a stroll

down the street...sorry!)

The sweetest little face ever!

His "puppy" face ;0)

Yummy "flowering" jasmine tea

A little ball of tea leaves open up when

you pour the hot water over it.

Isn't that cool? ;)

Have a fabulous weekend!

Gail