My Favorite Salad Ever -- from The Tomato Head

Missy Tippens

This post is not going to be very long, because my favorite salad ever is from a restaurant, and I can't find the recipe for the dressing!

The good news is that my son is moving back to Atlanta this weekend! He's heading back to Georgia Tech, starting graduate school in January to get his PhD in Space and Planetary Physics and will start working on campus after Thanksgiving. The bad news is that we won't be regularly visiting Knoxville, TN, anymore, so I won't get to eat at The Tomato Head (sob!!).

When I recently visited him, he knew where I would want to go for lunch. He said it was a given. haha So I took a loving last photo of my very favorite salad ever, their Caesar (with Benton's Bacon added).

This amazing salad is made of romaine, mushrooms, black olives, and parmesan.

I could assemble these ingredients. I could even order Benton's Bacon.

But I cannot for the life of me find a recipe for the dressing, which is unlike any Caesar dressing I've ever had. It's more tart and vinegary (not really creamy at all). Maybe I'll call them and beg for it.

I did search and find that they've shared a lot of recipes online. You can check by clicking here. But you won't find the Caesar.

I did discover they use balsamic vinegar in some of their dressings, so I think I will do a little playing around in the kitchen to see if I can come close. If I ever do, I'll be sure to share it!

In the meantime, I may have to make the 3-1/2 hour trip when I'm craving this forever favorite. :) (Hmmm, I wonder if my son could bring me a salad in a cooler while moving??)

Salad dressing or not, we're thrilled to have him close by once again! As my oldest son once said about me: I love having all my chicks home. :)

www.missytippens.com

Broccoli Salad

The dog days of summer have descended on Texas. We've been at or above a hundred for several days now. Perfect weather to stay inside and write. And when it's hot like this, I'm always up for some sort of salad. But one of my favorites, whether it's a side dish or a main course, is broccoli salad. The crunch of the broccoli, the sweetness of the dressing and saltiness of bacon come together in a perfectly satisfying medley.

Start by chopping two large heads of broccoli into bite-sized florets. Rinse and put into a large bowl.

Add half a pound of bacon that's has been cooked and chopped, one small red onion, chopped, 1/2 to 3/4 dried cranberries or raisins and 3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds.

Toss everything together and set aside while you make the dressing.

Whisk together 1 cup mayonaise (I used light), 1/8 tsp stevia extract OR 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar until smooth. Then pour over broccoli mixture and stir to coat.

I cannot tell you how much I love this dish. And it makes a big batch, so we can have it as a side for dinner and then there's plenty for me to have for lunch the next couple of days. I can't think of a more delightful way to eat broccoli. I've even been known to eat it for a snack.

You know, for months now we've had deer coming up behind our house to feed in the morning and again at night. It began with two pregnant does. Then we got one or two more. Then they started bringing their babies around. One of the mamas took in the orphaned twins... And when I looked out the other morning, this is what I saw.

There are eight in this photo. About ten minutes later, there were eleven of them. I love to just sit and watch them. At least until the drama starts. Someone annoys someone else and the fight is on until one or more ends up ostracized. 

Oh, and did I mention I have a book releasing a week from today?

Reunited in the Rockies is book four in my Rocky Mountain Heroes series. And you can read a free preview of the book here. 

Now it's your turn. Are you feeling the summer heat? What are some of your favorite quick meals when the heat is on?

Three time Carol Award finalist Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she's not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more a mindyobenhaus.com.

Winter Lights and Salad

I goofed.

This post was supposed to go up last week, but I lost track of my days. I'm chalking it up to the 10 hour drive home from Maine on Sunday. I felt like I lost a day.

So, anyway....

I spent Thanksgiving in Maine. Honestly, we weren't sure how to spend our first Thanksgiving without my husband. Our daughters felt strongly about being together, but my Maine daughter's schedule didn't allow for her to fly home.
So daughter number one, her cat, and my dog, made the trek north.

Someone was excited.

The last time I spent Thanksgiving in Maine, we nearly died in a snowstorm, but woke to a winter wonderland.

These wild turkeys came out to play once the holiday was safely over!

This time, the snow fell the day before, but I awoke to this on Thanksgiving morning.

It's a little hard to see, but I loved the scarecrows steering the boat.

As Ruthy and Jan can attest (and Kav too!), it gets cold up north in the winter.

Portland, Maine has a tradition to combat the dreariness. They light the city up.

I love the idea. I'm a little less enthralled by the colors. Call me a traditionalist. The brightness is supposed to dispel the darkness of winter.

I'm a fan of white lights so this was a little over the top for me, but if it keeps people happy, then I'm all for it.

This is the work of a local artist.

We got to see the tree-lighting ceremony. Everyone sang along to the carols despite the cold.

It wasn't a traditional Thanksgiving, but it was just what we needed this year.

On to food - I've been eating tons of this salad. The blanched kale has a hearty winter feel. It's honey mustard chicken, toasted sunflower seeds, sliced beets, pomegranate arils, croutons on a base of kale. It's my go-to meal at the end of a long work day.

Hope you have something good to eat too.

Broccoli Salad and Oh, those Cows

by Mindy Obenhaus

This has been an eventful week here on the ranch. Living in the middle of woods, I have come to expect the unexpected. Every time I look out the window, I never know what I might see.

During the winter months, Cowboy Smokey, the fella who runs cattle on our land, puts out hay for the cows in another pasture, so the herd tends to stay in that area, near their food source. But now that spring is here, cattle are on the move. Imagine waking up, looking out your window and finding this is your backyard. 

Let me tell you, this former suburbanite couldn't have been more excited. I love watching the cows. Observing their behavior and social interactions. Sometimes even the bull takes a turn watching over children. He's the big while fella.

And then there are the calves. 

There's often a group of them together. They play, sleep, groom...and are oh, so curious. Though one of their mama's is never far away.

At least on a normal day. But on that one morning, as the herd disappeared one by one into the woods, there was a lone calf left behind, bawling for his mother.

Except his mama didn't come. Instead, something else had its sites set on the calf. Can you see it in the background?

Here are some better shots.

That nasty coyote wanted that calf for breakfast. Of course, we weren't about to stand for that. So we rushed outside with the dogs barking like crazy while we yelled for that coyote to "git." 

Well, he did "git" and the calf ran the opposite direction. And, after an hour or so of hearing mama cow call her calf and calf answering back as they tried to find one another, they were finally reunited. Though if I'd thought she'd listen, I would have taken that mama aside and told her a thing or two about parenting. Like, keep an eye on your baby. 

And then there was Easter. I made one of my favorite salads. Yet for as much as I love this salad and always ask for it when we're out, I've never made. So Easter was the perfect time for me to make my first broccoli salad and it was very simple.

Chop two heads of broccoli into bite size florets, rinse and put into a large bowl.

Add half a pound of bacon that's been cooked until crisp and chopped, one small red onion, diced, 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries and 3/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds and toss everything together.

Love those vibrant colors.

Now for the dressing. Whisk together 1 cup mayonnaise (I used light), 1/4 - 1/2 cup sugar (1/4 cup was sweet enough for me) and 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (I added a splash more). Pour over broccoli mixture and stir until coated.

We took this when we went to a friend's house for dinner Sunday evening and everyone loved it. Best of all, there was a little leftover, meaning more for me. The combination of flavors--not to mention the bacon--will turn even broccoli haters like my husband into broccoli lovers. 

Ah, but this story doesn't end here. I told you it was an eventful week. I'll share the rest with you tomorrow as I fill in for Cate Nolan. But here's a clue.

Hmm... What could those cowboys possibly be up to?

Now it's your turn. How was your Easter? How do you feel about broccoli? And what are your thoughts on that calf/coyote standoff?

Three-time Carol Award nominee, Mindy Obenhaus, lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com

 

Differentiating Meals

There's this thing in education - one of the newer fads, if you will, called differentiating instruction.

In theory, it's great. It's basically grouping within a class, but not calling it grouping and actually creating the groups based on interests, learning styles, talents, etc.

I say in theory because every teacher I have ever spoken to about this says it is way too much work to have it happen on a regular basis in a self-contained class. Sort of like creating separate lesson plans for each lesson for each child in your class. Um, nice - in theory.

In reality, we modify it.

It occurred to me that differentiation is rather similar to cooking meals for my family. I start with a base and then change it up to meet preferences.

Just like education today is not the way it was when I was in school, my meal prep is nothing like my mother's.  She was of the I cooked it, you eat it mindset. I have too many horrific memories of struggling to swallow tongue. I just cannot inflict that on my family.

Today's recipe comes via just such a differentiated meal.

My husband was having flank steak. I really wanted a salad that had beets. So I improvised.


 I took some of the flank steak

and simmered it in horseradish sauce.

 I had some beets that I'd cooked and then frozen. I'd planned to use them in a smoothie, but I had the sudden inspiration that they would taste good in my salad.

You can still see the ice in this photo.

The icy beets were delicious.

I plated it with the greens in the middle with the horseradish steak on top. The horseradish acted as a dressing. Then I arranged the beets and slices of orange.

Really, all very delicious. This is definitely a salad I will make again. The flavors really blended together well.

So, the sad news around here is Fenway busted something in his other leg. I fear it's another ripped ACL. We're off to see the surgeon this afternoon.

He is such a sad pup tonight.

But earlier today, something he was dreaming had him happy!

So, what is dinner time like at your house? Do you "differentiate" or "make 'em eat tongue?"

Strawberries, Blueberries and a Salad

Summer Salads and Strawberry Blueberry Vinaigrette

I planned to make something new and delicious this week, but I was writing instead. That excuses me, doesn't it?

 

Plus, I went to the farmer's market this weekend and the first strawberries of the season were there. Along with rows of gorgeous flowers.

 

 

Some of these came home with me!

Don't look at the prices. Rather horrifying.

So sweet.

 

So I had to do something with strawberries. So, in honor of them (and the blueberries appearing on my supermarket shelf thanks to my southern friends), I bring you this delicious repeat.

 

A few weeks ago, we ordered salads at work and I got one that had blueberry vinaigrette with red onions and feta cheese. It sounds like an odd combination, but it was very tasty. (Although way too many red onions made their way into my serving. It looked like an onion party at the bottom of the bowl when I was done!)

So fast forward to this Sunday. I had some luscious looking strawberries from the farmer's market.
Emphasis on looking. They didn't taste quite as sweet as they looked, but they were good and were the first of the season, so all is forgiven. Plus they made an amazing vinaigrette!

 I had lettuce - romaine and red leaf. To that I added slices of avocado and diced red onion. I sliced some strawberries on top. Because I was making this a meal, I also added in some pieces of my salmon burger.

It sure looked pretty.

But the best part was yet to come.  I finally found a use for those Talenti jars that have been mysteriously accumulating. :)

First I mashed some blueberries and strawberries. I added them to the jar with some red wine vinegar and olive oil to taste. I mashed some more, then put the lid on and shook.

I drizzled it over the salad. (Doesn't that sound like a fancy chef word? I drizzled it. Better than I dumped it on top.)

 The salad was so delicious and so refreshing that I made it again on Monday. This time I added sliced almonds and they gave it a fabulously satisfying crunch.

Oh - the red onion added just the bite the salad needed. I accidentally left them out on the second night and their absence was noted. :(

I've noticed that I tend towards adding fruit to salad. Am I alone in that or is that a habit for anyone else?

Want other strawberry salad ideas? Mary Jane shared one a few weeks ago for strawberries, spinach and goat cheese.

Attack of the Tree Pollen

So the last two weeks have sort of gone missing.

These beautiful trees were preceded by the nasty stuff that makes it difficult to breathe...or stop coughing... or think... or do anything more than veg on the sofa.

Okay, I don't usually whine about allergies, but I've never had them as bad as this year. I was pretty much immobilized for a week.

Which wasn't such a bad thing because:

a) I was on Easter break; and

b) this cute guy had just had surgery on his ACL and couldn't do anything more than sleep.

Fenway would probably be embarrassed that I posted his naked leg, but he's a dog and doesn't know I'm posting it. :)

Still not feeling too well, but at least he got some air!

The good part was I did a lot of reading.

I did not do a lot of cooking.

So I had to dig back into my phone photo library, and I came up with these three simple meals that I threw together.

They're pretty self-explanatory.

First up:

I buy salmon burgers from our local health food store. I like them better than salmon steaks. I added a bed of couscous, some fresh asparagus, some roasted beets, and I sprinkled lemon juice over the whole thing.

Simple and tasty.

Second two are salads. I made a lentil salad and a salmon burger salad. Have you figured out I love to add fruit to my greens? I love using the fruit instead of dressing. Not just because the calorie count is lower, but because I love fruit in my salad.

Finally, my church had this sign posted for Easter. Wouldn't the world be a better place if we all kept this message in our hearts?