Salad For Breakfast?

I've been reading more and more lately about the benefits of having salad for breakfast but couldn't quite make the leap to try it. No toast? No banana? No cereal with almond milk? Why on earth would someone chose to eat this way?

Probably because it's yummy, filling, and a great way to get your greens in early in the day. 

No-Meat Athlete posted a great salad recipe that, while it had chickpeas, celery, slivered almonds and baby spinach, also had melon. blueberries, and a strawberry-agave dressing. I made a big batch of the salad on Monday and have been eating it for breakfast all week and loving it. I'm stuffed and stay full full until lunch. 

I haven't got quite to the point where I eat salad as a pre-exercise meal, even though that's recommended. I still want a little bread lining my belly before I tackle cardio. But I'm enjoying it as a post-workout snack so much, I'm now on the hunt for other breakfast salads. 

Quick unrelated side note, but writing about food reminded me of it. The other week when I was at the doctor's office waiting to be seen, I picked up a back issue of Good Housekeeping to flip through. I turned to the recipe section and stared in horror at the bloody animal carcasses that covered the pages--some braised meat monstrosity. I've been reading vegetarian magazines for so long, I forgot what it's like to come upon pictures of bloody meat, decorated with parsley. 

Bon Apetit!

Photo from No Meat Athlete

I GREW THIS SQUASH!!!

I have found the inner farmer in me and her name is Sue.

Split personality aside, check out this squash I grew! Oh sure, Blair built the square foot garden, dug the earth, researched, bought, and combined the soil components and planted the seeds, but I watered the plants and therefore take full credit for creating life. 

Oh, it's the cutest little squash. First food I ever grew from seed. And there are a lot more baby squash out there still. 

You all need to hope and pray our green beans don't survive. Otherwise this could be a l-o-n-g summer of blog posts filled with photos of vegetables. 

Cheers,

Dena

Writing A Short Story

I've spent the last week immersed in writing a short story. I'm at about 3,000 words in and the first draft is almost finished. Sci-fi. An idea I've had for years as a novel that I'm testing out first as a short.

What I've discovered is that while my head is in the world of story, I don't feel much like doing other writing and my blog is taking a hit. 

Just to throw something new on the page, here's a quick list of highlights and lessons from this past week: 

• Lesson #1: All soy chicken is not made equal. Last week I made "chicken" burritos that had us salivating for more. I made them again last night with a different brand of soy chicken. Absolutely gross. Who knew?
• There be squash! Our square garden has LARGE LEAFY GREEN THINGS growing in at least half the squares. I told Blair I hoped we harvested a lot of squash. His reply: "This is further than we've ever come before so everything could die tomorrow and I'd still count it as a win." Love that man of mine. 
• Lesson #2: I CAN and WILL kill most plants under my care. One of three of the rose plants I planted is already dead. Pretty sure Iris Sutcliffe owes me some money on that bet. 
• Lucy has taken to hiding in the back of my office closet. Hurt feelings? Not feeling well? Needs a quiet, restful place to plot my demise? Hard to tell...
• My editor sent me the back cover copy for my book. Can't wait to see the whole thing put together. 
• Lesson #3: I have GOT to figure out a way to get more yoga back in my routine. I bent at the waist the other day and hamstrings were so tight I couldn't touch the floor. NOT GOOD. 
• Lesson #4: It's time to stop fooling myself that I'm going to prepare a large salad for lunch each day with gourmet greens and a wide assortment of vegetables. Food is rotting in my fridge as I pour myself a second bowl of cereal each day at noon and vow to do better tomorrow. 
• Watching the Biggest Loser finale last night was great, but it seems like 90% of the former contestants they bring back have regained some serious weight. So what's the point of the show? 

You're now pretty much up to speed on the exciting life and times of Dena. Stay tuned for our next episode where Dena shares how she did some laundry and more than likely killed yet another plant.