As I write this the rain is coming down outside and the
forecast doesn’t show it stopping until late this evening. It looks like a long
day of bored kids and rambunctious cooped up dogs. I have to admit it doesn’t
have me feeling happy feelings for Fall but, I am proud of myself to say that I
have remained optimistic about Fall this year. The sunshine we’ve had has
helped and, of course, as it does for so many, the emergence of pumpkin spice coffee
creamer alleviated sadness of saying goodbye to summer.
I have a special place in my heart for the strawberry summer
salad that my mom makes. It’s the dressing that really gets me. It’s sugary
sweet and full of vinegar. Just the way I like it. But, you can’t really call
it all that healthy. Well, an elf could but not a human. So, I began my quest
for new summer food looking for a salad dressing that I would love just as much
but would be on the more acceptable side of healthy.
After some thought, it hit me. What better flavor for summer than poppy seed? It took quite a few tries, but finally, it all came together. My excitement was probably disproportionate to the accomplishment, but, come on, a good poppy seed salad dressing is something to excited about!
It is also something that you can make ahead of time and bring for a work lunch, but, I should warn you, this dressing won’t last more than a couple of days. After that, the Greek yogurt and vinegar cease to get along. It’s very sad.
So, enjoy the happier times when all ingredients are getting along swimmingly (they truly do like each other). The dressing is the perfect summer salad dressing and goes well with any variation of chicken and spinach. The only thing it may not be is all that much healthier than my other favorite salad dressing. Maybe if you skipped the heavy cream, but why do that?
Add Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar and mix well. Note: Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar can be added to taste. Play around with these for slightly different flavors 🙂
Each Christmas morning we have fresh berries with homemade whipped cream. A little treat that makes a sweet morning even sweeter. Of course, there is always more heavy cream left over than the three of us could eat, which leaves me with the task of deciding what to make with it. Last year we used it to make the cream sauce for our lobster dish. This year, we decided to just make more whipped cream. Yum!
2018 was generally a good year. We had a few great vacations, the girls started new hobbies, and my work was anything but slow. 2018, however, did see one tragedy. My will-eat-anything daughter, Maddie, turned into a picky eater.
The girls’ new activities are in full swing. Maddie is on her way to become a world-renowned violinist, and both girls are on their journey to be celebrated dancers. Okay, maybe not. Still, our schedule is full of lessons and practices. And we haven’t even added Riley’s harp lessons yet! (more…)
