My apologies, it has been waaay too long! I've been going on hyper speed for the past couple weeks.
Wishing I could slow down for a bit and take in another Wisconsin sunset! *sigh*
Looks like this will have to do ;)
Next up: life update!! (but first -- sneak peak of this fab recipe)
Some excitement to share with y'all! Last week, I had my birthday, as well as my graduation, & I shot an NFL commercial! It was a really busy yet awesome week!
Here's yours truly at the shoot :D Go Bengals!
But seriously...this salad was my favorite dish that I made this summer. I make it at least twice a week. It has become a staple.
And it's Gluten Free, Vegan, Specific Carb Diet friendly, and Paleo!
Here's what you need:
Serves 2 hungry folks
1 red bell pepper, sliced very thin
1 cucumber, sliced thin on a mandolin
2 large carrots, sliced thin
1/2 red onion, sliced very thin
1/4 - 1/2 cup blueberries
7 strawberries, sliced
3-4 Tbsp cilantro, minced
3 Tbsp chopped almonds
3 Tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
sprinkle of sunflower seeds
baby spinach
Dressing
1 ripe avocado
juice of one lime
1Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 drops pure liquid stevia alcohol free
2 Tbsp water
Pinch salt
Chop all your veggies either on a mandolin (carefully!) or with a sharp knife. Mix your dressing together in a small bowl or food processor. (I just used a bowl). Mix until it is a creamy dressing-like consistency. Toss the fruit, nuts, and veggies with the dressing in a large bowl until well coated. Top a bed of baby spinach with a large helping of the salad. Garnish with almonds, pepitas, and sunflower seeds (and more dressing if desired). Eat chilled.
My goodness, this salad is SO easy, SO delicious, and SO addicting!! There's something about the creamy buttery avocado dressing with the sweet and juicy blueberries/strawberries, the crunchy almonds and the fresh cilantro make this salad irresistible!
My family got to try this when I debuted it in Wisconsin, and my mom declared that this was her favorite meal I made all week.
It's cool and crunchy, sweet, tangy, and completely and utterly satisfying. And its unbelievably healthy too! Lots of protein from the nuts and seeds, healthy fats from the avocado, antioxidants from the berries, and wholesome nutrition from the veggies!
Finally, it is just gorgeous with all the bright colors. Red, orange, lime green, dark green, blue and purple! In one word---fabulous!! :D
What are you looking forward to this week?
Also -- what did you guys think of the finale of the Bachelorette? Can you believe that she chose Josh??!! I kinda saw it coming...I mean come on, he's from her hometown!
