Creamy Bacon Pea Pecan Salad

Another week has just flown by.  The weather where I live has been so incredible the last few days.  It feels like Fall.  It isn't here for good though.  Next week it is supposed to heat up again.

I have just started a certificate program.  It meets all day most Saturdays until the end of the year.  It has been a good experience so far, but it makes my weekends much less relaxing.  I actually had class three hours on Friday evening and then again on Saturday from 9 am to 4:30 pm.  

Brussels Sprout Salad with Bacon, Pecans, and Raisins

It's Friday! Fortunately, I don't work today.  I had an alternative work schedule and have every other Friday off.

I think I am going to go see an new exhibit at an art museum and see the movie Ready Player One. I read the book a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it.

Southwest Salad with Black Beans, Butternut Squash, Corn, and Tomatoes

I just got back from Mexico last last night.  I went to La Paz, which is in Baja California.  My brother and his family is spending several months there, and I went down to visit with my parents.

It was a great trip.  The water was beautiful, it was warm, and I really enjoyed visiting family.  

Orange Jello Salad

I am originally from Utah.  I have heard that Utahans eat more than their share of Jello and Jello salads.  I don't believe I ate much Jello growing up, and I don't eat it often now.

I do remember my mom making a Jello salad like this a few times of picnics, but it wasn't a regular occurrence.  Before making this salad, I don't believe I had eaten a Jello salad or Jello in over a decade.  

Tomato and Artichoke Gnocchi

I went to a fun Thai restaurant yesterday.  The restaurant doesn't have a set menu.

Each person pays a set amount, and they serve you whatever they made that day.  They served us multiple  dishes.

Green Beans with Tomatoes, Olives, and Eggs

I hope you had a wonderful and relaxing Fourth of July.  I went to a beach in a neighboring state.  The temperature was prefect, but it was a little too humid in my opinion.

I didn't end up watching any fireworks.  We left the beach too early, and by the time we got back to the city, I didn't feel like making another trek to see the closest firework display.  I'm a little lazy.

Almond Chicken Salad with Asparagus

 

It is starting to feel a lot like summer around here.  I usually take a casual walk on Sundays, but last Sunday was so hot I couldn't talk myself into it.

The hot weather has discouraged me from riding my bike to work as well.  During the Spring I rode my bike to work two to three times a week.  Last week I didn't ride my bike to work once.

Beet and Berry Salad

In February, I went to Ocean City, Maryland with some friends for a short weekend getaway.  While we were there we ate at this delicious restaurant.  I ordered salad that consisted of beets, berries, and roasted shrimp.

It may sound like I was trying to be healthy, but it was a delicious salad.  It was beautiful too.  I knew then that I would try and recreate the salad at home.  

Avocado, Mandarin Orange, Chicken, and Almond Salad with Scallions

My attempts at being healthy are inconsistent at best.  One week I eat salads for lunch and the week before I eat Chinese food with a mound of white rice for lunch.

I also seem unable to break my habit of baking desserts.  Even though I'm trying to be healthier, I baked cooked last Sunday.  I also bought four boxes of Girl Scout cookies from a coworker.  I guess I really bought them from my coworker's daughter, but I have actually never met her.

Shrimp Cobb Salad

This isn't the most festive recipe for December, but we need to do everything in moderation.  After all the sugar and decadent food at holiday parties, you may be in need of a healthy yet yummy salad.

Of course, I added copious amount so of bacon and cheese, so this may not be the healthiest of salads.  How are your Christmas preparations going?  I have most of my gifts purchased.  I really only need to buy one more.

Butternut Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Apple, and Sausage Salad with Blue Cheese, Cranberries, and Pecans

What a mouthful of a name!  I didn't know what element to exclude, so I ended up keeping all the components of the salad in the name.  The name may be a bit much, but it is very descriptive and accurate.

I have a soft spot for salads with salads with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts.  I have made a salad with Brussels sprouts, butternut squash, caramelized onion, and dried cherries and another salad with Brussels spouts, butternut squash, feta cheese, and pecans.

Butternut Squash, Blue Cheese, Cranberry, and Caramelized Onion Salad with Walnuts

Last weekend I went to a pumpkin festival.  It has helped me get in the mood for fall even though the temperature is more reminiscent of summer.  Yesterday I wore a scarf to work, and it was too hot.

The pumpkin festival was fun.  They had a corn maze and a hay ride.  You could also pay a little more to fling some mushy apples with a sling shot.  I'm cheap so I didn't.  

Tomato, Basil, and Feta Salad

I think I'm still trying to hold onto summer with this recipe.  Tomato season is over, but I still don't want to let it go.

The weather this week is supposed to get up to 80 degrees, which doesn't help my body transition into fall.

Tomato, Black Bean, and Corn Salad

Fall is in the air.  It is my favorite season.  I like the crisp weather and the colorful leaves.  I even think the barren leaves at the end of the season are beautiful.  Fall starts getting me excited for my two favorite holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving.

I'm not crazy about winter, but I can survive it.  I have a electric heating pad I put on my bed and warm winter books.

Tuna and Cannellini Bean Salad

A few friends and I have a fun tradition of getting season tickets to a local theater company.  This is my third year participating.

The first performance we have seen was last night.  We saw Romeo and Juliet.  The staging was fun.  It may have been set in the 70s.  Mercurio, Romeo's friend who dies fighting Juliet's cousin, wore a sparkly silver suit for part of the play and seemed as though he could have been high.

Tomato Peach Salad with Basil

It seems like fall has started.  The weather is cooler and a little brisk.  At the grocery store today, I saw a few displays with fall baking goods.

I like fall baking.  I'm excited about delicious treats full of pumpkin and apple.  I recently baked some pumpkin muffins, and I anticipate making pumpkin cookies.

Berry, Gouda, Bacon, and Almond Green Salad with Red Onion

What a beautiful salad! It is colorful and bright.  It is packed full of delicious berries.

I used blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries in salad.  Raspberries are perennials and are planted in the winter.  They are grown in colder climates.  The chilly weather is essential for the buds to break.