Copycat Babe’s Salad

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Babe's Or, “How to get your four-year old to love lettuce.”

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Yes, it’s iceberg lettuce, which we all know is primarily water, and of very little nutritional value. But it’s better than him pigging out on the ridiculously soft, buttery biscuits that come with said salad….agreed?  And considering this kid loves carbs almost more than I do, the fact that he turns down those biscuits for more lettuce speaks volumes about this stuff.

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It is simple, sweet, vinegary perfection, particularly at the start of a meal you know is going to deliciously heavy. Gawsh do I love Babe’s.

We rarely go there unless family is in town, because we know we will overeat. There is just too much goodness going around….creamed corn (which I eat NEVER, unless it’s here), green beans cooked in bacon, and flat-out amazing chicken. The fact that my husband and I love love love the smoked chicken makes us feel a little better about gorging on everything else.

So, the salad isn’t exactly health food, but it is lettuce after all, right? We are fortunate that our boy likes vegetables, but if they’re piled all together in a beautiful, colorful pile, it’s just too much for him. Sensory overload y’all.

That being said, I figure if he has it in his mind that he does like “salads”, he will be less averse to trying more adventurous combos later!

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Copycat Babe’s Salad

print recipe

INGREDIENTS:

2 TBS sugar

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 c apple cider vinegar

2 Tbs canola oil (I usually use olive oil in salads, but here I feel it is just too strong)

1 head iceberg lettuce

DIRECTIONS:

First, chill those salad bowls! One thing that makes this salad so great at the resturant is how cold it is. Don’t skip this step!

Next, mix all dressing ingredients together in small bowl or jar. Chill in fridge while you chop the lettuce.

Cut lettuce into bite size pieces and  put into your chilled bowl/bowls. Pour dressing over the top and mix. Grind more fresh black pepper over the top if desired.

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That’s it! No other veggies or cheese. In fact, I’ve read that the simplicity of ingredients in this salad has often led to it being referred to as “Honeymoon Salad.” If you’re interested to see why, you can read about it here…it’s pretty cute.

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Recipe adapted from and with thanks to: Frugal Homekeeping

Cinnamon Sugar Scones

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CSscones

Much to my patient husband’s dismay, I adore antique malls.

Those inconspicuous buildings filled with unforeseen treasure; the sweet proprietors that greet you and wrap your finds;  the stories…of course the stories…behind the objects in the booths.

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It’s all so magical. I don’t usually spend a ton of money when I visit antique malls (though I definitely could!), but I just love strolling…coming up with ideas for previously used and loved items, but more than that, waxing nostalgic what it was like when some of these objects were in use. I’ve always believed I was born a century too late, and I never feel it more than when I mentally attempt to place all these items in their previously known setting or home.

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Raw Kale Salad with Thai Peanut Dressing

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ThaiKale

This could just be titled Kale Salad, I know.

But with the popularity of this fabulous vegetable increasing exponentially, I wanted to share my most favorite way to eat it. And I wanted to make sure that anyone reading this knows that kale does not have to be cooked, baked, or mixed into anything to be delicious.

I adore it raw, as a salad green…so, so much. Here are my reasons:

1.) Kale has such substance, and a nice, crisp texture. So much more enjoyable than spinach, which I don’t love. I eat it, and I like it ok. I just think it can get flat and soggy, and it sometimes has a weird chalky texture.

2.) Kale has a just-strong-enough flavor without the bite of other salad mainstays. Like arugula…too strong, too bitter, something. I just can’t get behind it. I wish I could.

3.) It’s super healthy. We all know that. As a cruciferous vegetable, it has tons of vitamins and minerals, and is believed to lower your risk of both heart disease and cancer. Can’t beat that.

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Throw on some colorful veggies and a drinkable dressing and you’ve got one heck of a salad.

It’s addictive. And with something like this, that’s totally ok. Good for you, even. :) Continue reading →

Honey Macaroons, and Oklahoma

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I don’t love running. I do it occasionally, and I like it, but it’s just not something I necessarily look forward to.

That is, until I am upset, or confused, or when my heart feels like it can’t possibly take any more.  Those are the mornings I look forward to walking through the gym doors. Maybe it’s literal…maybe the motion of the treadmill makes me feel like I’m running millions of miles away from all this sadness. Maybe it’s figurative, and I’m trying to run to a place with no pain. Or maybe, really, it’s all the same. Who knows.

As I mentioned not long ago though, I know I am not made to run away. I know I am meant to live this life, trusting in God’s goodness…as hard as it is to see amidst the suffering sometimes.

And I am grateful for this life. I am grateful for the beauty of this land; I am grateful for my family, and for the beautiful, loving little boy I get to go home to everyday.

But that is what makes scenes like we all saw Monday so hard. Trying to comprehend how a parent does it; trying not to think of the fear and horror running through the veins of that town. It’s impossible to not go crazy with the thoughts. Which is why God’s promises are like water to my thirsty soul right now.

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

For me, there is no greater comfort than knowing someone Who is greater than this world. Because as beautiful as this world is, it can really throw a lot of hurt at you.

So when I am on the treadmill, I turn on music that recites those promises, I close my eyes, and I run. And I’m reminded that God is Healer, Comforter, Protector, Father…he is with those hurting, and he is welcoming those that he took to be with Him.

For now, I have a simple, sweet recipe, and the words from a song I ran to this morning.

“And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare

And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth”

-Matt Redman, You Never Let Go

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Easy Brownie Bite Cookies

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BBCookies

So, I’ve come to the realization that my metabolism is just not what it used to be.

In the past, as long as I was moderately active, I could eat whatever I wanted. I mean, I still refrained from fast food and watched my portion sizes, etc., but I always, always had dessert. Always.

Like, after-every-meal always.

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So when I bake, which is (unfortunately??) one of my favorite things to do, I end up eating what I bake. Obvious, huh.

With my aforementioned dessert habits, what is typically a fairly normal portion size (say, two small cookies) becomes a little over-indulgent when I have two after lunch, and two after dinner. My clothes cannot handle four cookies a day anymore.

BBCookies3 Continue reading →

PERFECT Roasted Carrots

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Carrots

Perfect, perfect, perfect, perfect.

It’s what repeats in my brain when I think of these. This simple, humble side dish is really one of the things I think I could eat every day. Considering that a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with cooked carrots, I know that’s a pretty bold, and maybe weird thing to say. But it is soooo true.

Roasted carrots are probably not one of those dishes that many people think needs perfecting…I mean, they’re just roasted vegetables, after all. But after so many failed tries, I was ecstatic to find something that worked; that gave me sweet, caramelized carrots without any extra sauce or glaze.

Just as with my oven-dried tomatoes, these things are like candy when pulled from a hot oven.

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Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad w/ Bacon and Pecorino

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I am a salad person.

KaleBrusselsSalad

Which has nothing to do with my desire to be healthy.

I eat salad because I LOVE it. Adore. Crave. Never tire of it.

Fortunately, salad=vegetables, so that can equate to healthy eating. Since I save the ranch for my fries and chicken wings and typically use vinegar or citrus based dressings, most of the recipes you will find here for salad are going to be pretty good for you. And delicious of course.

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Because that’s the real reason I love my salads so much. The mix of textures, the crunch, the bright flavors….the complex flavors….you can just get so much from one simple dish.

KaleBrusselsSalad2 Continue reading →