Herbed Beet and Goat Cheese Salad with Palmetto Olive Oil Company's Tuscan Herb Olive Oil

Love and support comes in all different forms and these past few weeks I have see a lot of that. I am not just talking about Valentine's Day. I am talking about every day little gestures that let you know you are important in someones life. In this way, I am fortunate!!

As you know we had our HUGE Icepocalypse and it seems like one of those weeks when no one has gotten the motivation back to do much of anything. Unfortunately for me, I have been busy on this computer searching for my future and closing up last minute things from my past. Last weekend, thanks to some really great supportive friends, I had a cleaning out party!! They surprised me by not only the brute strength of moving boxes but with flowers and mimosas. Mimosas make all things better!! All girls know that! Quickly, with their liquid courage, a job that seemed overwhelming was almost fun. Almost... Well, anyway there was a lot of laughing and even more encouragement. It feels good to be loved!

So, a little bit about the local product used in this recipe. On my birthday an amazing person went out of their way to drop a gift at my door so I would have something to open on my special day. Sweet, huh? It made my so happy!! The very thoughtful gift turned out to be this fabulous Tuscan Herb Olive Oil from Palmetto Olive Oil Co. here in Greenville, SC. I am obsessed with it!! I am using it on everything but at the same time trying to save it for only the best entrees. Lol! The other day after I got done tossing fingerling potatoes in this my hands smelled heavenly and were so soft that I debated using at as bath oil.

Joking, of course! Hmm... maybe!

Mediterranean Tortellini Pasta Salad

Who does not like a picnic? Whether it be in a park or on your back porch, this is the perfect time of the year for al fresco dining. In the summer, I try to eat my dinner on my back porch every night. I just love it. Listening to the birds and taking my time with every bite; it has really become the best part of my day.

This recipe was made out of things that I had in my fridge and was supper simple. Feel free to substitute any alternative ingredients that you like. If you don't have capers, add fresh herbs. It was filling and fresh and I think quite pretty. I ate it for dinner on my back porch then took the rest to work the next day to share. Enjoy!

Melon & Chicken Herb Pasta Salad

 

Melon & Chicken Herb Pasta Salad

What is better summer eatin' than a pasta salad?  I woke up this morning to make a fab pasta salad for a friend and I to snack on while we were downtown at the Fidelity Moonlight Movie in Falls Park. I love this event. Every Wednesday night in May and September here in Greenville, SC they transform the park downtown into an outdoor movie theater. It is a BYOP (bring your own picnic) and BYOB event and it is tons of fun. A few friends introduced me to this event last year and this year my goal was to go as often as possible. Unfortunately, due to the gloomy, cold weather we have been having here in SC we never made it to the movie but we did eat some awesome salad!   I was so excited with the results that I had to share them with you. I plan to go next week though so if you are there, let me know and we can share some good eats.



Lemon Balm in my backyard

When I got my issue of  Eating Well Magazine this week, I was so happy to see a whole section on healthy pasta salads. I grew up eating pasta salad at every summer cook out or picnic and while they were tasty, they were laden with pepperoni and tons of cheese. The concept in this magazine is: 1. Pick a Pasta, 2. Load Up with Veggies, 3. Add Lean Protein, 4. Boost Flavor and 5. Dress It. It is really so simple and can be as healthy as you want. In this recipe, I chose to use quinoa pasta which was a personal choice since I am trying to limit my wheat intake but you can choose any pasta that you might love. I chose fresh herbs that I have on my back porch and chicken that I had grilled the night before. This recipe really was so easy and quick. I look forward to using this concept to make many pasta salads this summer. Tune back in for my latest creations!

Ginger Tuna Steak Salad

Summer is here y'all. And for me one of the best thing about summer is fresh salads of all types. I have been experimenting with flavors, and this has become one of my recent favorites.  Since our dietary cleanse in April, at my office we have been taking turns bringing in lunch. We have really done a great job providing nutritious lunches that save us all a lot of time, money and calories. This is one of the entrees that I have come up with. It has been requested multiple times and is always a hit.  I plan on taking this to pool parties, picnics and even the beach this summer. Enjoy!

Southwest Quinoa Salad

This is a recipe that I have come up with after our 21 day cleanse that we did about a month ago. It is great as a side dish or as a meatless lunch entree. I had not really experimented with quinoa much  but now I am hooked. As my garden comes in this summer, I see many ways that I can change this recipe using the vegetable that is ripe at the time, and that makes me very happy! There is nothing better than eating local and in season both for taste and the environment. Stay tuned for some upcoming variations...

Grandma Ethel's Fruit Salad

Grandma's Fruit Salad

This is another one of those recipes that I must have on a holiday for it to really be special- my Grandma Ethel's fruit salad. This salad in not hard to make and it is the perfect sweet accompaniment to any dinner.  We  always ate it as a side dish not dessert. It allows for a little bit of sweetness in an otherwise savory meal. As a child, this was the special dish that I waited for on special occasions and one of the main reasons was it's "cherry factor."  I told you I love cherries. My Grandma always knew this and would add just a few extra (a whole jar) for my sister and me.
One of the special memories that I have of my Grandma Ethel was the numerous family dinners that she had for holidays. At her house,she had this huge dining table stuck in this little room. There would be 12 or more people around the table, but once everyone got seated no one could get up or out of the room. We were in there tight.  My sister and I would have special seats; one on either side of Grandma. Everyone would sit, eat and talk; passing the dishes along, person to person, family style. Once everyone got their share, the fruit salad would always end up back in front of my Grandma. She would then proceed to pick cherries out of the remaining salad and give them to my sister and me. Our parents would give us a disapproving look and protest mildly but Grandma always won and so did we!