Salad: Warm Mexican Salad

Ok. This one's a little bit different. But don't hate on it before you give it a try; you might just end up liking it.

Yes, it's a warm salad with lettuce. And no, you don't see warm and lettuce used in the same sentence very often. I was actually inspired by a salad that Wendy's serves. I ordered it one time, and loooved it! Basically, it's lettuce greens with fresh veggies like tomatoes, onions, and avocado (not really a veggie, but work with me here) and then a chili mixture poured over it and topped with cheese. And the best part? Because of the spices in the chili, you don't need a dressing! It's perfect just the way it is!

Chop your veggies:

tomatoes, chopped
onions, chopped
avocado, cubed
anything else you can think of that you might like in this type of salad


Make your chili:

1 can each of black beans, dark red kidney beans, and yellow corn
balsamic vinegar
chili powder
cumin
garlic powder
red pepper
salt

Pour contents of cans into pot. Add seasonings to taste, and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Note: I drained one of my cans because I thought it might be a little too much liquid with all three cans. However, you do need some liquid, we're making a chili here, so don't drain off too much. In fact, it would probably be fine not to drain anything.


Assemble your salad:


Place lettuce greens (Spring Mix, leaf lettuce, etc.) into bowl. Sprinkle veggies on top of lettuce. Pour a spoonful or two of the chili over your salad. Top with some shredded cheese and enjoy!


Variation: Add some chicken or ground meat and you've got yourself a main dish!


Note: best served individually instead of one big bowl out of which everyone serves themselves, and because of the cold/warm nature of this salad, it needs to be eaten right away.

Healthy Breakfasts: Smoothies

One thing that I am working towards in preparing to eventually be a wife and mother is healthy eating. It's something that I have a little bit of a passion for anyway, but I know that in being the woman of the family, my children's health is going to depend heavily on me, not only in what I feed them, but also in what I eat.

Unfortunately, "healthy eating" to some means always eating things that don't taste good and never eating things that do. Well no. That's not quite right. Sure you might have to work on changing your palate a little, especially if you are used to eating junk food all the time, but there are so many good foods out there and so many different ways to prepare them; it really is quite fun. Sometimes you just have to force yourself to try something new.

For breakfast lately, I've really been into green smoothies, that is smoothies with raw greens in them. Now when I make a smoothie, I usually am just blending fruit. No dairy, no added sugar, just fruit. On occasion I will add some Greek yogurt if I feel like I need some extra protein that morning, or I will use some coconut milk for a different flavor. I'm not too picky, but sometimes simple is better. When I've got my smoothie how I want it, I wash a good-sized handful of raw greens such as spinach or kale and blend it into my smoothies. It will usually turn the drink green, but it won't be enough to really taste. And honestly, I can't think of a better way to eat raw greens!

So here's what you need to make your own:

fruit juice (I like apple. You can get it without added sweeteners, and it goes with just about any other fruit)
banana
frozen fruit (slightly thawed to make it easy to blend)
handful of greens (spinach, kale, bok choy)
blender

This is not a science here, guys. You can make your smoothie however you please. You need just enough juice to make the fruit drinkable, and enough fruit to give the drink substance. Add a few ice cubes at the end to make it extra cold and give it a little bit of a crunch, and enjoy a yummy, healthy breakfast!

Burlap: Vases

I absolutely love burlap. And green and yellow. And limes. So imagine my delight when I saw this! I mean, how cute and simple is it? And really, you could change it up a bit with any colors or flowers. The limes are nice but not an absolute necessity.

For example, put a little off-white lace between the burlap and ribbon, and put peach colored roses or violet hydrangeas in the vase or jar and you have a completely different look!

Salted Mudslide Cookies

These. things. are. good. I found this recipe on the Internet somewhere, but it was actually my younger sister that made them. And they were quite good. Now this is a dessert for the more sophisticated palate, one reason I love them. These are grown-up cookies. :) Dark chocolate and coffee, sprinkled with just a touch of salted goodness. Mmmmm.

2 cups + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 cup dark cocoa powder

3 tablespoons instant coffee powder

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1 stick (1/2 cup) of unsalted butter, melted and cooled for 10-15 minutes

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup coffee liqueur + 1 teaspoon (Godiva, Kahlua, etc)

1 cup chocolate chunks

sea salt for topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Mix the flour, cocoa, coffee powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix the melted butter and sugars until they are combined. Add the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and stir until mixed. Stream in coffee liqueur and mix. Gradually add flour and mix until a dough forms – it will look crumbly at first, but it will come together. I even used my hands to help at one point. If you find you absolutely need more liquid add in a teaspoon of coffee liqueur, but it should come together. Fold in the chocolate chunks. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Remove dough from the fridge and roll into golf ball sized balls. Set on a non-stick baking sheet with 2 inches between each. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are set and the middles are still soft. The centers should be puffy. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Let cool completely then dig in!

Spiced Pecans: a staple for almost any salad

These things are da bomb! I make them almost every time we have someone over for dinner, and they dress up a salad beautifully. Not to mention they taste. so. good. They take about 10 minutes to make (plus refrigeration), and you can prepare them ahead of time and keep them in the fridge until you're ready to put them on your salad. Or you can eat them by themselves. I usually do about half and half. :)

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon dried ground orange peel
• 1 pound pecan halves
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons water

Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix the salt, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon and orange peel together in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the nuts in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes until they just start to brown and smell toasted. Add the butter and stir until it melts. Add the spice mixture and stir to combine. Once combined, add both sugars and water, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheetpan and separate them with a fork or spatula. Allow the nuts to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage. Can be stored up to 3 weeks.