What a week it’s been and it’s crazy to think it’s been a short week too with the long holiday.  One of the girls started to feel a bit under the weather on Tuesday so Wednesday it was off to the doctor where we found out it was a virus and an ear infection.  Sick baby = sad mommy.  It’s one of those things were you wish you could take away so they wouldn’t feel so bad.  I guess that’s what happens when you becoming a mommy.  My mom still wishes the same and I’m …..well, I’m old!  Now to change the subject from my age…I knew it was only a matter of time that her sister would start feeling yuck too.  So this morning when we woke them up to get ready for their day I had two little girls with runny noses.  Which means we have gone through a lot of tissue in a very short week.  I’ve actually had to go to wipes because they are gentler on their little noses.  I’m crossing my fingers this works it’s way through their bodies and I have happy healthy little ones running around again.

Now let’s talk about this chicken salad.  As you all know, the girls are in school and by the time I finish packing their lunches I’m looking for a quick solution for my lunch.  This is how this salad came about.  I wanted a easy salad I could make during the weekend and just place in tupperware to grab for my lunch during the week.  I think what makes the salad even better is the honey herb dressing.  It’s a healthy alternative to the traditional mayonnaise drenched chicken salad.  I haven’t spent as much time as I have wanted running or hitting the gym lately so a healthy chicken salad alternative is a good thing.

Enjoy and I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  I think I’ll be very busy wiping running noses.

Chicken Cranberry Salad

Print Recipe

2 cups cooked rotisserie chicken, cubed

2/3 cup celery, finely chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 1/2 Tablespoons 2% Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp Honey

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions:

Combine chicken, celery, cranberries, and shredded mozzarella in a large bowl and toss till combined.  Set aside.

Combine parsley, green onion, thyme, basil, mustard, yogurt, honey, olive oil, and garlic in the food processor; process until smooth. 

Add dressing to the chicken mixture and combine until incorporated.

Makes about 4 sandwiches.

Summer is officially coming to an end.  Labor Day weekend is upon us and that means those last cookouts before autumn rolls in.  I have to say I love Labor Day weekends not only because it’s a long weekend (and a much needed break from work) but because it means a number of other things.  Like college football season!! I know weird right?  Even though I didn’t go to a college with a football team there is nothing like college football to me.  I really look forward to the start of the season and this weekend it starts it all off.  Actually tonight started it off and it happen to be the night my husbands team was playing.  Go South Carolina!  It’s very likely that every weekend some sort of football will be watched, but I draw the line at NFL (sorry).  Now, another reason I love the Labor Day weekend is because it means cooler weather and some of my favorite holidays are quickly approaching.  It makes me smile just thinking about it all.

Another thing that makes me smile is this pasta salad because it’s a perfect side dish for those upcoming Labor Day weekend parties.  It can serve a big crowd and no one has to know that it’s super easy to make.  It’s really important to let the tomatoes and yellow bell peppers marinate for at least 15 minutes in the lemon and olive oil mixture.  It really gives this pasta salad great flavor.  I have also added chicken to this recipe.  I actually prefer it without the chicken but my husband likes it with so I usually split it up and add half with and half without.  Again, a really great side dish for your last summer cookout.

Oh and I have to share some other very exciting news that happen this week.  I was lucky enough to find a ticket to BlogHer Food in San Francisco for the 8th and 9th of October (thanks Carrie from Deliciously Organic).  I’m so excited I can’t hardly wait to meet all the other amazing community of food bloggers and learn, learn, learn.  It’s going to be so much fun!!  I’m also looking forward to sharing with you all my adventures.  So stay tune!

I hope everyone has a wonderful and super relaxing Labor Day weekend!   

Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

Print Recipe

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

1 shallot, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 pound pasta, such as penne or fusilli

12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Instructions:

In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, shallt, garlic, thyme, and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, yellow pepper, and lemon zest and gently toss.  Let marinate at room temperature for15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and run cold water over pasta to stop the cooking.  Set pasta aside and let cool slightly.

Add the pasta to the the large bowl with marinated tomatoes and yellow bell peppers and gently toss.  Stir in mozzarella, spinach, and basil (and chicken if using) until well combine.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

What a weekend!  We all enjoyed having my mom in town to visit this past weekend.  Even though we had Bonnie the Tropical Storm make a short stop on Friday morning we still enjoyed our long weekend.  We were all non-stop.  From heading to the indoor “Monkey Gym” to an adventure to the book store to find new books.  We had a blast!  The thing is with the girls everything is an adventure in their eyes.  Again, another reason why it would be wonderful to be a kid again.  Everything is always happy and fun.  I still remember when they were 9 months and I thought to myself this is my favorite stage, but each stage since has continued to amaze me.  Of course, now I think 2 1/2 is the best stage.  I’m sure this will continue all the way up until they are teenager…right? 

Yesterday we were all sad to see my mom head home but we always know there is next time.  She is always planning her next visit before she leaves.  Which is always great because we all love having her here.  Just wish we could live closer….maybe one of these days it will happen.

So let’s talk orzo….I actually made this salad the night before my mom came.  I knew it was something she would like and it’s always nice to have a few things in the refrigerator to snack on especially when you’re on the go like we are with the girls.  After making it I had a hungry husband though, he had one large bowl and started to go for the second one when I had to say “whoa! I’m cutting you off!”  In only two short days the orzo salad was gone and we all got to enjoy it.  It’s really a great salad with or without the chicken.  I prefer the chicken myself because it can really turn into a great to pack for lunch or have as a main dish.  Also, great for a summer cookout. Enjoy everyone!  

Summer Orzo Salad

Print Recipe

1 1/4 cups uncooked orzo

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (such as a rotisserie)

1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tsp minced garlic

Juice from one lemon

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp fresh black pepper

Instructions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well.

Combine pasta, chicken, spinach, tomatoes, red and yellow bell pepper, basil, oregano, and mozzarella in a large bowl and toss well.

Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk.  Drizzle dressing over pasta mixture; toss well to coat.

Adapted from CookingLight.com

Sorry I’ve been missing in action everyone, but I have been a busy mommy.  The girls have kept me on my toes these past few days.  This weekend we had a lot of fun together, but I think we were all happy when daddy came through the door last night.  We all missed him this week and we were all happy to have him back home and have our routine back to normal. 

Ok, now onto this yummy summer salad.  With the temperature being so hot here in Florida all I want these days is a light and fresh salad.  This salad is that and it combines two of my favorites, mango and scallops.  Did you know that mango’s are high in Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium, Copper and Vitamin A?  And they are delicious!  Here in South Florida is very common to find a mango tree pretty much everywhere.  Actually we have one right down the street.  I have co-workers who bring in bags of them.  I know what I’ll be making a lot of this summer.  This salad is super yummy and in my opinion perfect for any summertime meal.  And if you don’t prefer scallops, try shrimp or chicken.  The shrimp I would cook the same as you would the scallops.  And if you decide on chicken, just pick up a store-bought rotisserie chicken and you have an easy meal in minimal time. 

Enjoy everyone!

Scallop and Mango Salad

Adapted from Redbook

Print Recipe

1 lbs bay or sea scallops, rinsed

1 large ripe mango, halved, pitted, and diced

1 large cucumber, quarters lengthwise, cut into chunks

1 bag (about 1/2 ounce) of spinach

Dressing:

1 1/2 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger root

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

2/3 cup canola oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil

1/4 cup reduce-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions:

In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tbsp dressing on medium for 1 minute.  Add scallops and cook 6 to 8 minutes or until scallops are opaque throughout, stirring occassionally.

While scallops are cooking prepare salad dressing by adding all ingredients into a 2-cup jar with lid and shake well to dissolve the honey.

In a large bowl, toss together scallops, mango, cucumber, and spinach.  Add 1/2 cup of dressing and toss to lightly coat. 

Serve and garnish with lime wedges.  Salad should make about 4 main dish salads.

It’s officially summer and when I think of summer I think of picnics and packing up a lunch and heading somewhere.  Well with us the only place we headed this weekend was the beach and even then we had a short visit because the storm clouds started to roll in and the rain started to fall.  With it also being super hot here in Florida we were ok with coming home and having our packed lunch inside in the nice air conditioning.  Now onto our inside “packed lunch”….

As you probably already know I’m not a huge fan of mayonnaise but I do love chicken salad so I’m always looking for ways to make it with alternatives.  That’s what I love about cooking too because all you have to do is use your imagination and see what comes out of it.  So with this recipe I just had some fun and in the end yummy!  There is a nice variety of flavors that all work together for this salad.  You have the tart of the apples, the sweet from the honey, the zest from the lemon, and then the herb vinagrette!  Now as I mentioned above I don’t like mayonnaise so I substitute it with greek yogurt that has a similar thickness, but without the fat.  Now, I did add a tablespoon of light mayonnaise but really everything else in this salad makes you forget the it is in it. 

Now even though we didn’t get to have a packed picnic lunch this weekend I did get to pack a sandwich for my lunch this week and yum!  Enjoy everyone and happy summer!

Garden Chicken Salad Sandwich

Print Recipe

2 cups cooked chicken, cubed (such as a rotisserie chicken)

1/2 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup Granny Smith apple, cored and diced

1 tbsp light mayonnaise

1/3 cup 2% Greek yogurt

2 Tbsp Herb Vinagrette (see recipe below)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp honey

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 tsp ground coriander

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon zest

Topping and Bread of choice

Herb Vinaigrette

1/2 of juice of one lemon

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 cup basil, chopped

2 Tbsp honey

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

Instructions:

For Vinaigrette: Blend all ingredients in a food processor until smooth.

For Chicken Salad: Combine chicken, celery, apple, mayonnaise, vinaigrette, lemon juice, honey, coriander, pepper, salt, and zest and toss well. 

Line bread with toppings of choice and spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad to make each sandwich.  Serve and enjoy!

Next Page »