It’s day 5 of my staycation instead of vacation and sadly, I’m kind of on the struggle bus. I don’t feel well physically (neck pain….still) and I did nothing today other than make and deliver cookies to all the people in my life with COVID-19…plus a few bonus friends who I miss seeing on the regular. Literally, that was my day.
My kids are quite literally bouncing off the walls. I packed them in the car to go deliver all of the cookies (5 stops) and they unbuckled at every stop and were goofing off to the extreme. CRAZY PEOPLE. What does one do with young children during a pandemic on a crappy day? I’m fresh out of ideas. Help, please!
As I was preparing to bake today, the oven preheating reminded my olfactory sense that my 4 homemade chicken pot pies that are now in the freezer (and which were REFUSED by both of my children…WHA!?!?!), had bubbled over and created quite the burning mess on the bottom of my oven. I nearly set off the smoke detector in the final minutes of baking and had forgotten to run a self cleaning cycle. So, 2 batches of cookies in, I turned the oven off, allowed it to cool, and then cleaned it. Quite thoroughly, if I do say so myself.
I promptly caused 2 sticks of butter to EXPLODE in the microwave during the melting process, necessitating a complete microwave cleaning, as well. To say I was annoyed is quite the understatement. Fortunately, I had no little helpers involved in the process – they were off making a complete mess of fill-in-the-blank room.
I can’t even begin to think about meal planning for the week. I’m gearing up for the Thanksgiving meal on Thursday. I’ve never cooked a 15-pound turkey before and I’m having some anxiety around the whole thing. I’ve got some research to do between now and Wednesday, for sure. Or if I try a brine, perhaps I’ll want to get on that by Tuesday, even. It’s a good thing I’m off work all week. This whole Thanksgiving thing is stressful and admittedly, I always assumed my first time hosting Thanksgiving would be for an actual CREW of people. Sigh…PLEASE SEND ALL THE TURKEY RECIPES, FOLKS! I’m going to have a LOT of bird to put to use!
What I’d like to make but probably won’t (because of the choosy mouths I’m feeding), is this salad. Every Thanksgiving meal needs a pop of color and this salad is perfect for the holidays with the festive pear and cranberries, the tart-and-sweet dressing, and flavor punch of gorgonzola. Plus, it’s super easy and won’t add to the stress of holiday cooking…or everyday meals. Win-win!
Pear and Gorgonzola Salad
This fall salad is perfect for an easy dinner and can double as a holiday recipe for all to enjoy!
Ingredients
Dressing:
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tsp honey
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper, to taste
Salad:
- 5 oz spring mix, spinach, or arugula
- 1 pear, cored and diced
- 1 oz (1/4 cup) crumbled gorgonzola
- 1 oz (1/4 cup) chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a small mason jar, combine all dressing ingredients. Shake vigorously until well-combined. Set aside.
- Place the lettuce/spinach in a large bowl; drizzle with the dressing and toss well to coat. Add in the remaining salad ingredients and toss again. Serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe slightly adapted from A Food Lover's Kitchen
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1/2 recipeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 468Total Fat: 34.0gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 512mgCarbohydrates: 39.0gFiber: 6.0gSugar: 26.0gProtein: 7.0g
Love salads with ALL the things? For sure. Gotcha covered.
- Kale, Sweet Potato, and Avocado Salad
- Pear, Apple, and Bacon Salad with Creamy Poppyseed Dressing
- Kale Salad with Honey Dijon Vinaigrette
- Chopped Italian Salad
- Greek Salad
- Kale and Brussels Sprout Caesar Salad
Be well,
