Mixed Greens Salad With Fresh Fruit and Candied Pecans

Mixed Greens Salad With Fresh Fruit and Candied Pecans

For Father's Day, we kept it pretty low key around here. No big activities other than the field trip to get the nail out of our tire. Actually, we had a large bolt plus the washer in our tire. That made for a fun trip to the Sears Automotive Store. As we drove to the outskirts of our city, my children marveled, "Where ARE we?" While our tire was getting fixed, the kids played hide and seek in the plastic sheds on display in the main part of the store. For the record, the kids played "Whisper Hide & Seek" so as not to cause too much a scene. Ha. Who am I kidding? It was a mild disaster. I think we've been banned.

After than funtastic morning, I think my husband had some good sense not to make any big demands for dinner... we stuck with a simple grilled main course - burgers and hot dogs - with some delicious North Carolina corn. He did ask, however, if I could make him a SALAD WITH FRUIT ON IT. After I picked my jaw up from the floor, I assured him that I could, indeed, make him a salad with fruit on it.

Simple Shredded Beef Fajitas (In A Slow Cooker!)

Shredded Beef Fajitas (In a slow cooker!)

The other day, my friend said that I need to post more "recipes that aren't really recipes..." I know exactly what she means. Please, Erin, just tell me to throw a couple of ingredients into my slow cooker and, like magic, my kids will have dinner before dark.

These simple shredded beef fajitas couldn't fit the bill better ... truly a recipe that's not really a recipe. Throw some beef in the slow cooker, add water and spices. Done.

We try to keep a decent amount of meat on hand in the freezer from our local farmers so we never have to run out to the grocery store last minute. I know you know what I am talking about... "A quick trip" to the grocery store always seems to cost me at least twenty-five dollars. How is that possible? If we keep a few staples on hand and some meat in the freezer, dinner is much less of a hassle.

Sauteed Ruby Red Swiss Chard and Mushrooms

Sauteed Chard and Mushrooms

Just over a week ago, I had the opportunity to attend an amazing food writers' conference in Philadelphia - Eat Write Retreat. Packed into 2 1/2 days, there was a lot of eating and writing, but truly not much "retreating." One of my favorite sessions of the weekend was a presentation by local mushroom farmers, Tony and Joe D'Amico. We got a close up look at a mushroom's journey from farm to table and were wowed by the live displays they were able to bring in for us to explore.

I have always been a mushroom fan. I never met a mushroom I did not like. Their versatility is incredible - a large portabello mushroom can be its own meal, while smaller mushrooms - chopped, sauteed, or blended - add flavor and texture to almost any dish. Thankfully, for the past few weeks, I have been happy to see local mushrooms popping up in my weekly CSA box. Due to our extended gray and dreary spring, we are also still getting a steady supply of local chard. I could eat one bunch of chard all by myself - like a lot of leafy greens, it has a tendency to shrink down into an incredibly small amount within minutes over medium heat. Perusing my fridge the other day, I knew the perfect side dish for dinner would be sauteed chard and mushrooms.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

It is really, really nice if you have the time (and you remember) to soak some dried beans and cook them slowly. Alas, no such luck here! Canned beans are a pantry staple in my house for days when I need instant gratification. The other night, I needed a super simple side dish to accompany the delicious local bratwursts my husband was grilling outside so I grabbed a can of black-eyed peas from the cabinet and a cutting board and, in under 5 minutes, made this delicious salad.

This time of year is the perfect time to whip up some easy side dishes! This is one of the easiest I have made in a while and it was a big hit with the kids and adults. 

Ingredients:

1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 tomato, chopped
1 or 2 slices of purple onion, diced
handful of parsley, chopped
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tablespoon olive oil
kosher sea salt

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse the black eyed peas. Add the chopped tomatoes, onion, and parsley.

2. Toss with the lime juice and olive oil. Season with kosher sea salt. Serve!

Fresh Strawberry Birthday Breakfast Smoothie

Strawberries from Hall Family Farm

It is finally strawberry season around Charlotte! I love this time of year and my kids always beg to go strawberry picking. Yesterday was my birthday so I decided to start the day with a strawberry smoothie! In season and delicious... the perfect birthday combination.

You can really put anything into a smoothie but I generally put in a few standard ingredients that I always have in the house - plain yogurt, a banana, and 1 or 2 medjool dates.

For this breakfast smoothie, I added in a handful of fresh strawberries, a tablespoon of chia seeds, honey, a few ice cubes, and I was on my way.  

Happy birthday to me!