It’s currently 6:50pm on Wednesday, July 31st and I’m a mixed bag of emotions.
Let’s start with the good that’s going on. I’m sitting on the porch. Lovely. What am I listening to right now? Birds chirping, a wind chime, Harlie snoring, and the tap-tap-tap of my fingers on my keyboard. What do I see other than my keyboard and computer screen? A snoring Harlie and a chilled glass of rose wine.
What do I NOT hear or see? My kids. I love them dearly, but they’re OBSESSED with Vacation Bible School and after several invites from a family friend, I caved and took them last night. It’s only 15 minutes away (in this town that might as well be the other side of the state) and it goes until later than the girls can stay (bedtime, yo), but I’m so glad I took them.
Needless to say on night 2 of VBS, I have NO idea what to do with idle time when it’s more or less too early to settle in for veg on the couch and hours where I’d normally be wiping butts, responding to, “MOM??” every 2 seconds, and racing around try to keep the work of the cleaning lady from being for naught. It’s also a great time for a glass of rose if I didn’t already mention that 😉
For the record, I’m not complaining. I’m taking it all in. Etching it into my memory so that next week at this time when there’s not VBS and we’re about to start the nightly tiff over who got to choose the TV show last, I’ll be grateful for the nights like tonight. Because they are so far and few between (and don’t let me fool you – I wouldn’t have it any other way).
The bad? It kind of feels like fall outside (NOT OKAY). Work was a bit chaotic today and my desk is a HOT MESS. I’ve got to unbury it tomorrow and get organized. My lunch was spent on a WebEx call with a few project teammates and I was not so stealthy in chowing down on what leftovers remained of this salad. I tried to hold off until after the meeting, when I was off speaker phone, but the temptation was too great. And WORST OF ALL – the salad is gone. All the leftovers – gone. Were the purposefully asking me questions right after I took a bite? FOUR TIMES.
Dare I say this salad is like TOP 3 of ALL TIME? It really is. Other than the amazing ingredients, I splurge on high quality balsamic vinegars and the peach white balsamic I used in this recipe was absolutely incredible. The serving of this recipe is generous and unlike many salads, will keep you full for hours! Skip the rotisserie to make it lighter (yet still rich in protein) and vegetarian!
- 3 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 3 small or 2 large heads romaine, washed and chopped
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 4 oz fresh mozzarella, chopped, torn, or purchased pearl-sized
- 2 ripe nectarines or peaches, pitted and sliced
- 1 avocado, pitted and diced
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 12 oz boneless, skinless rotisserie chicken, shredded
- In a small bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well-combined. Alternately, combine all ingredients in a small mason jar and shake vigorously for 10-15 seconds.
- In a large bowl, place the chopped romaine and sliced onion. Drizzle with the dressing and toss to coat. Add the blueberries and mozzarella; gently toss and distribute onto each of 4 dinner plates.
- Top each plate with ½ nectarine, ¼ avocado, ¼ of the pecans, and 3 ounces rotisserie. Serve immediately.
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