How is it Sunday night already? Weekends always go too fast, no matter how much or how little we have on the schedule. This weekend was a much needed low-key break from the summer craziness! Ben and I saw Guardians of the Galaxy, went out for our weekly froyo trip, cleaned and organized the apartment, stopped by our local wine shop for their free Sunday tasting, and finally made it to church for the first time since .....Easter?? I'm so happy I don't have to work on Sundays any more!
Speaking of work, I'm officially down to my last two weeks at the zoo before launching out on my own. It is exciting, surreal, and starting to kind of freak me out, but I'm doing my best to enjoy this phase of life and trust that everything will work out! I know for certain that I'm headed in the right direction, I have the support of everyone who matters in my life, I truly do believe in myself, and heck--we never really know what the future will bring so why not pursue what makes you happy?
Nothing is for certain, so don't ever settle for a life that is leaving you aching for something more. Write down what you want to ultimately achieve, do some work, and get out of that comfort zone! I'm looking forward to blogging more and focusing on my Etsy shop which has been languishing in neglect all summer! So many exciting projects and goals that I want to transfer from my mind into reality.
So that's my quick life update! Let's get to the recipe!
Giant "more is more" dinner salads are apparently becoming a thing in our household. They are just so fresh and tasty, and a perfect way to take advantage of all the summer produce!
Like all my recipes these days, this dinner is fast, easy, and not really a recipe at all. Just keep adding all the produce in your fridge or anything else you think might go well with the flavors! (Blue cheese? Hard boiled egg? Leftover pulled pork?)
Salads are like a blank canvas, and I love creating delicious works of art.
Oh, and this salad is husband approved. It's extremely hearty and you can eat a ginormous portion because it's mostly veggies! The BBQ Vinaigrette is maybe the best part.
BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad
Serves 3-4
Ingredients
-2 heads of romaine, chopped into bite size pieces
-3 chicken breasts, diced
-Seasoning for the chicken (I used a BBQ seasoning mix plus Chipotle Mrs. Dash)
-Bacon! (As much as you want. I've been loving the uncured nitrate-free thick cut bacon at Aldi!)
-1 ear of sweet corn (you can slice off the kernels raw, if it's fresh!)
-1 can white beans (or black beans)
-1 avocado
-Tomatoes
-Red onion
-Other random veggies that you love
-Cilantro
BBQ Vinaigrette
-1/4 cup BBQ sauce (I was going to make my own, but then got lazy and used Sweet Baby Ray's)
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (Bragg's is the best)
-2T olive oil
-a big squirt of yellow mustard
Cook the bacon until desired level of crispiness, then set aside to drain. Leave half the bacon grease in the pan, season the chicken, and saute the chicken in the hot grease until browned and cooked through. Chop all your veggies, and then shake all the vinaigrette ingredients together in a jar. Assemble all salad ingredients, drizzle with vinaigrette, and enjoy with a bold red wine!
