Favorite Salad "Recipe"

Unfortunately, I am feeling a bit under the weather today.  :(

Maybe it's a culmination of my travel, eating out so much this last week, or staying out in the sun too long for Mother's Day.  In any case, I had to skip the gym today, which is always a bit worrying.  It's so easy to put off the next workout for tomorrow, or the day after, and so on...

Well, at least I can eat right!

I put together one of my favorite salads ever, which I eat every day, as long as I've been a good grocery shopper and food prep-er.  Yes, I think I just made up a word.

It helps to have a tasty salad ready to go, especially when your fruit drawer looks like this...

Hmmm...  One of these things is not like the other!

Diane's Favorite Salad!
Recipe from My Guy's mom  :)

Ingredients
4 cups Romaine, chopped
1 cup Red Cabbage, chopped
1/2 cup Carrots, chopped
2 Tbsp. blue cheese

2 Tbsp. dried cranberries

1 Tbsp. French fried onions
Olive oil, to taste (optional)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.

2. Enjoy!

Really, I have to explain why I love this salad so much.

- It's colorful!  You know that I love eating all of the colors of the rainbow.  :)

- The ingredients comprise a range of tastes makes the salad interesting to eat, instead of just bland and boring lettuce greens.  The saltiness of the blue cheese and french fried onions is contrasted with the sweet carrots and dried cranberries.  The crunchiness of the french fried onions is also contrasted to the crisp lettuce and cabbage and the chewy cranberries.  Each bite is a different experience!

- I can prep my salad ingredients for a few days at a time because all of the ingredients keep well, even after being pre-cut.  It's probably obvious that I like having quick, pre-prepared items in my fridge.  :)

What's your favorite salad?  I'm always on the lookout for new toppings and flavor combinations.  :)

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Shrimp with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Feta!

Hello all!

I am finally back to cooking!  I haven't washed a dish or pan in about 4 weeks, can you believe it?  Luckily, between all of the walking and hiking up towers, none of the pastries that I ate didn't pack on a single pound!  I came in right at the exact same weight, to a tenth of a pound.  That's crazy!

Still, I'm pretty sure that I'm a bit thicker in the middle and lost some of my arm muscle.  Ick.  So what does that mean?  Back to healthy recipes (and the gym)!

I actually made this recipe before I left for my trip, because it's so easy with most of the ingredients coming from my freezer, pantry, and garden.  No grocery shopping?  Yes!

Shrimp with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Feta

Adapted from here


Ingredients

Olive oil

1 medium zucchini, diced
1 cup grape tomatoes, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound frozen shrimp, thawed

1 Tbsp. fresh oregano, minced

1 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
1/4 cup water
Feta, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, and garlic to the pan.  Cook about 3 minutes.

3. Add shrimp and sauté 1 to 2 minutes, until warmed through.

4. Add the oregano, basil, salt and pepper.  You may reserve some of the herbs for sprinkling over the finished dish, if you prefer fresh herbs.

5. Stir in the water and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

6. Serve immediately and sprinkle with as much Feta as desired.  Enjoy!

What's your favorite go to pantry/freezer meal?

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