We spent the weekend baking batch after batch of cookies and although it was so much fun and we were making such special memories, I feel like I could use a salad in my life this week! I figured that you might be feeling the same way in a season of Christmas cookies, treats, and more being at the forefront of everyone’s minds. I find that we tend to eat less salads in the winter time mostly because the weather shifts, but I have a few of my favorite salads that are seasonally appropriate for this time of year! These salads are heartier, full of flavor, and nutrition, and you are probably going to want to work one or two of them into your meal plan this week! My top 10 favorite winter salads are going to help you balance out all of the cookies you might be consuming from now until Christmas!
There's only a month left of summer and there is a little part of me that is panicking. What will I do without my favorite fruits like berries, peaches, melons, and figs? I am just not sure I am ready to give them up. I mean I love apples and grapes, but they don't speak to my soul in the way that summer fruits do. I am however ready for a relief in the heat and all things pumpkin and cozy, but until then you can find me making dishes like my fig and melon salad with prosciutto and savoring the last days of the their season.
When the days become as hot as they have been lately, my meal planning becomes super simple. I want fresh, light, and easy. And what's easier than throwing together some yummy salads a couple of nights a week? I love creating salads with whatever I have in the fridge and my favorite trick to take a salad from good to great is adding some fruit to the mix! There is something about that sweet bite from fruit mixed with the other salad ingredients that is so delicious, especially if you are eating salads a couple nights a week as your main course, fruit helps to keep your taste buds excited! My grilled flank steak and cherry salad is the perfect summertime dinner, combining some of my favorite flavors onto a plate!
How was your holiday weekend? We had a great weekend celebrating our anniversary and enjoying an extra day together yesterday for Memorial Day. One thing is for sure, we had a cheat weekend, indulging in whatever we wanted in the food department. Did anyone else out there have a weekend filled with burgers and ice cream? Well we did, and today we are back to eating healthy, trying to make up for our glutenous past couple of days. If you are attempting to do the same, I have the perfect healthy salad to get you going in the right direction. My watermelon, cucumber, and mint salad is light, flavorful, and is super good for your body, especially coming off of a long weekend.
Memorial Day in my mind kick starts summer. I immediately start thinking about watermelons and ice cream cones on a hot day. And since I do not need to be eating ice cream cones every day, watermelon is my next favorite summertime treat.
Summer is my favorite season. Yes, it's dreadfully hot, dry armpits aren't an option, and makeup runs off my face, but there is something about the time of year that makes me so happy. I love the flush in my cheeks, the sound of lawn mowers running, the nightly smells of grills around the neighborhood, and most of all, my favorite fruits come into season. One of my favorites since I was a little girl has always been the peach. When they are sweet I could eat them by the dozen. I put them in drinks, eat them alone for a snack, make marinades, and love throwing them into salads. And speaking of salads, my peach caprese salad is my current lunch obsession and I can guarantee you that it will keep your tummy happy all summer long.
I'm aware it's not officially summer and that peaches aren't actually in their prime just yet, but remember I'm pregnant and when I set my sites on something food related...well there is just no turning back. I took one sniff of a peach at the grocery and I was a goner. I have been eating them for three weeks now and can be spotted eating at least two a day.
