April 12, 2011
i can't believe i forgot to add berries to this bowl. i love strawberries with salads! ...now i could stop writing this post right here and let you go away thinking that maybe i have a perfect relationship with salad. maybe it's my favorite thing and i have no trouble eating it by the bowlful, every day. but that would be a blog facade. so allow me to elaborate: 
dcdressing

director's choice dressing
adapted from the camp shetek cookbook. perfect for salad and sandwich.

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T. canola oil
1 tsp. poppy seed
1/4 tsp. salt (or more to taste)
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. mustard
**pour all ingredients into a jar and shake well before serving. store in the fridge.

salad. i like it. i may order it from time to time at a restaurant. deep down, i don't get super pumped for it. i eat it because it goes well with things. i eat it because it's good for me. because it looks pretty on my plate. because it's better than a lot of other options. sometimes i eat it first to get it out of the way. salad is business. anyone with me? what do you do to make sure you get your green, leafy things? in a way that doesn't feel like a burden? here are things that help me:

-first, buy green things! believe it or not, you won't eat them unless you choose to buy them first :)
-plan. figure out how you're going to finish up the romaine before it starts wilting. 
-add slices of chicken. or strawberries! or some cheese. i enjoy salad more when it has company.
-put a bowl of spinach (or whatever you have) on the table with dinner. simple. 
-learn to love vinegar & oil. once you get hooked on this combo, you won't look back. 
-don't let it get too complicated. if i try to toss in everything that i could possibly think of in an effort to -make the perfect salad, every time, it gets to be too much. and it won't become a habit. 
-have some greens ready to eat in the fridge. 
-easy one: when you make a sandwich, add something green. i'm a big sandwich lover. 
-a good dressing!! this is the biggest one for me. the recipe above is one that i've been keeping on hand lately. we love it. and it makes great sandwiches, too! put it in your fridge today :)

now you tell me. 
how do you help yourself love greens?

9 comments:

Anneliese said...

1. i just used the last of my homemade italian....so i will refill the bottle with this dressing!
2. i shock myself with this statement...but i will add raisins. i don't even like raisins! but there is something about it.
3. i try to stick to my moms 5 veggy rule. helps me make salad more interesting/tasty/more veggys= better for you, right?

jularun7 said...

oh man, our favorite is SOOOO simple and we eat it like it's candy ... well, maybe not candy. :)

Baby spinach, olive oil (we like oregano infused), balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and avacado if we have it. drizzle the olive oil and balsamic, generous with the parmesan and S&P to taste. AMAZING!

Moments and Impressions said...

I love salad... I have no trouble eating it - even for breakfast. I make this (oil/vinegar) based dressings all the time, but I have never made it with poppy seeds. Now I have to.

Sandwiches are harder for me... I have a hard time loving cold sandwiches. Weird huh?

Miranda said...

I can't wait to try your dressing recipe. I love making dressing at home.

Here's my rule of thumb for a non-boring salad: add a fruit, a nut (or seed), and a cheese. Whatever you have or whatever is in season. It can be fun to come up with different combinations. Today it was strawberries, feta, and pepitas. Two days ago it was apples, blue cheese, and pecans.

A Place to Reside said...

I've been cooking more with spinanch. I add it to meatballs, mashed potatoes, omelettes, etc. I like that it adds color and nutrients. Lately, I've been picking up a bag of spinanch every time I go to the store.

Miranda said...

Miranda's Super Spinach Smoothie:
1 cup raw spinach
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries
4 oz. either OJ or plain nonfat yogurt (whatever you have on hand)
2 T. Flax Seed
2 T. Wheat Germ

Throw in a blender and chug down first thing in the morning. 2/3 of your folate for the day! Plus 175% vitamin C, good source of vitamin E and 11 grams of good for your belly fiber. :-)

Unknown said...

I love that you called salad business! I can totally relate to that feeling, almost of feeling obligated to eat it. I love your suggestions for dressing it up in order to love it more -- a little homemade dressing goes a long way!

When it comes time for dinner, though, it's usually the first thing to be eaten on my plate, too :)

Laura Railing said...

I love poppyseed dressing. And anything to add crunch- croutons, cucumbers, etc. I also love avocado but only with that kind of dressing. I guess I just love salad. Flavor and freshness are key though!

marta said...

mmm. mmm. thanks for this delisch post. am about to fix myself some green salad right now! i love berries, red peppers and nuts or sunflower seeds in my salads. am also crazy for a delicious dressing.

p.s. did you tear out martha stewart's one jar dressings this month? they look divine.

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about this blog

Hello, I'm Summer. A people-loving introvert whose hope and life is in Jesus. His promises are my passion and my ministry is homelife. This blog is a place for me to write about everyday things. Especially food. My favorite thing to do is sit around a table, lingering over a long meal with good conversation. I live with my husband and our 2 littles. We like blizzards, thrifting, grammar, guacamole, cheerful hearts, nice manners, good movies, and making simple, real, nutrient-dense food.

"If Christ be anything, He must be everything."
-C.H. Spurgeon

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