Salad for Summer

Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. 

They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 

Good Morning! Isn't the sun bursting through the trees magical? Every time I see the sunrise I get excited. Every. Time. I feel like celebrating. "You did it, Lord! You did it again!" 

Now, don't get confused. I do not really get verbally excited in the mornings. I am not really a morning person at all. But these days, I find myself getting up in 6's more often than I'd like. (Yes, I tell time like a third grader.) However, even though I lack energy in the morning and am not big on verbal communication, I do feel like each morning is a gift. And I LOVE gifts. 

But still, let's be honest, it is a gift I'd rather receive while still in bed, under my covers. However, since my meetings with my pillow are often shorter than planned, I start my mornings with coffee. And the more the merrier. 

 In my ideal world, I'd start my morning with coffee and cookies. How lovely. When I studied in Spain, I had cookies, nuetella, and coffee every morning. Let me tell you, the Spanish have the right idea. (I also walked every where, which helped the weight gain. But that is beside the point.) 

These days, I am trying to eat a little bit healthier, since I have that big event coming up. You know, my wedding. It's a great motivator. And to keep myself from getting bored from eating the same healthy foods over and over, occasionally I try to spice it up. 

One of my current favorites is the Summer Salad. You could buy it at Panera, (Bread Co. For you STL natives) or at Paradise Bakery.... or you could make it yourself! Yay! Feel empowered. 

I know, my food photography needs some work.

This recipe is like most of my recipes- it consisted of what I had on hand. But let me tell ya, it was a winner! It hits all of my main categories: fruit, veggies, protein, and good fat! 

Recipe

Salad:

• Lettuce- approximately two or three handfuls. I use a combanation of romaine and spinach. 
• Avocado- I used half. 
• Chicken- one half of a rotisserie chicken breast
• Strawberries- five
• Blueberries- a small handful 
• Peach- anywhere from 1/2 to a whole peach. The amount depends on how much fruit you have already eaten that day, (if you're monitoring your sugar intake, which I sometimes try to do, depending on my mood.)
• Celery- 4-5 stalks. 
• Cucumber- half. 
• Red bell pepper- 1/2-1 whole. (If you haven't had many veggies today, go for the whole!)
• Almonds- 1/2 cup. (Or any other nut your prefer!) If you buy already chopped nuts, it's easier. Candied nuts are tasty, but again, it depends on how much sugar you want to eat.  

I also made the dressing- just a simple vinaigrette. You can make your own too! I used to be intimated and thought you had to have the magical chef touch to make your own. You don't. But if you need some help, you can look at this helpful chart on a wonderful cooking blog called Cook Smarts to get some ideas. All you have to remember is that the dressing should consist of (approximately) 60% oil, 30% acid, and 10% other flavors. 

Dressing: 

• Olive oil
• Lemon Juice 
• A little bit of honey
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions: 

Wash your lettuce. (Always a good idea.) Then slice your avocado in half, and twist. It should come apart. Then cut it into cubes, and then use a spoon to scoop it off the peeling. Pick the chicken, (if you took the easy way out like I did and used a rotisserie.)  Slice up your strawberries and your peach. Cut the celery into 1/2" pieces. Slice the cucumber and then cut the slices into four pieces. Then cube your bell pepper. Mix all your salad ingredients together! 

Whisk dressing. Add ingredients as necessary for taste. Drizzle over top. 

Enjoy! 

We hope your day is going well! If it's not... maybe some coffee and a couple little cookies will help. 

Happy Tuesday!

Much love, 

xo The Attic 

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Also, the first pic of the sun? I snapped this morning (in the 6's) using the app VS CO Cam. It's an awesome photo editing app. Check it out.