Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Word Verification

I'm really sorry, but I had to do it. Word verification is up. The comment that broke the camel's back was a link to a cigarette website. I just have had enough.

Thanks Y'all.

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Salads #s 5 &6

It is a beautiful day. We are going to have a really good meal this evening. The menu includes ribs, German potato salad, grilled asparagus and a cucumber/vadalia onion salad.

The cucumber salad could not be easier. Slice a cucumber thin and a Vadalia onion super thin. Poor a little white vinegar over the cucumber and onion. Add a pinch of salt and a couple of tablespoons of sugar. Mix it all up and refrigerate for an hour or so. Drizzle some good olive oil over it just before eatin it up.

German potato salad is a little bit harder but so worth it. Boil and cube 5 potatoes (or about one per person). I leave the skins on the potatoes, but do whatever floats your boat. Then brown a four slices pieces of bacon and resist the urge to eat them. Crumble them instead and lick your fingers if you have to. Chop up about half a cup of onion (Vidalia or Noon Day are the best)and saute those in the bacon grease. Let the bacon grease cool off a little and whisk in 1/2 cup cider vinegar, 1/4 cup sugar and two tablespoons mustard. Chop up about a quarter cup of dill pickles. Stir everything together. Be gentle - you do not want German mashed potatoes, which are yucky.

If the salad appears to dry, simply mix up some more vinegar, sugar, and mustard and add it. You may also add a boiled egg, but I don't like the way the yolks taste in this dish. I suppose you could omit the yolk.

I will try to post a picture of the meal later on today.

Monday, March 8, 2010

Salad #4 + Toddlers

I know it is late and this will most likely be a very disjointed post, but I have a very good excuse - TODDLERS. A few of my sisters are still making babies. As a matter of fact, a sister-in-law should present us with another one in June.

Today, I got up, delivered my Monkeys to school and went to watch E-man and Jack-Jack - the progeny of sisters #2&3. These are most excellent little people, however, little people take a whole different kind of concentration and I am major out of practice. We had a good day and my Mamala spent much of the morning with us. However, at the time of this post, I am completely wiped out.

Let's get to the salad. I did not make the salad today. I did show up with a grapefruit, but my most beautiful mother brought the salad.

She put together mixed greens (get them in a bag at the store) broccoli slaw, dried cranberries and sun flower seeds. We had to dig for dressing, but sister#2 had some decent Italian. Very good salad - savory and sweet.

Just a note about broccoli slaw: This stuff is awesome. It is the inside of a broccoli stalk shredded with some cabbage and carrots. You can put it in all sorts of stuff.

Sunday, March 7, 2010

Salad #3

I didn't feel motivated this morning, so I just ate a grapefruit by itself. Still, fruit for breakfast is the point isn't it?

Manly made his chicken fajitas for us today. He slices chicken breasts very very thin and marinates them in Fiesta Chicken Fajita Seasoning mix and a little water for a few hours. He grills them or, if the weather is bad like today, cooks them on his griddle. They are served with warm tortillas, shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded Monterey Jack & cheddar cheeses, caramelized Vidalia onion, jalapeno peppers and sour cream. To make it a salad, just put a bunch of lettuce on a plate and stack the other ingredients.

I'm so full I can barely breath right now.

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Salad #2

Salad #2 was romaine lettuce, grape tomatoes, carrots, a handful of nuts with balsamic vinaigrette (balsamic vinegar, brown mustard, chopped garlic greens and olive oil)

Since I am so full of salad, I don't want dinner so salad #3 will be tomorrow.

Salad #1

The first salad of Salad Week is green apple, red pear and blue berries. Great breakfast in the library.

Friday, March 5, 2010

I Declare 3/6/10 The Official First Day of Salad Week

It was a beautiful day here in North Texas. Manly took me to eat lunch at Mama Mia's in downtown Dallas. That's some good eatin. Then we hit the Farmers Market where I bought romaine lettuce, valley grapefruit, red pears, cucumbers, asparagus and Vidalia onions. I just couldn't bring myself to buy tomatoes this early in the season, they just don't taste right.

Since it has warmed up, I am declaring it salad season. I have endive, leaf lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, collards, Swiss chard and bunching onions in my garden. Fresh stuff from my plot along with fresh stuff from the farmers market should make for some yummy salads this week. Now, I just need to tell Manly so that whatever he decides to cook can be used in a salad. (his chicken fajitas are perfect in a salad).

So salad week will begin tomorrow here at Aunt Debbi's garden. I plan to build a salad for each meal and post the evidence. If you would like to play along leave me a link in the comments.

Is there any such thing as a breakfast salad?

Happy Salad Season Y'all.