Strawberry Salad, Summer Reading, Swimming, & Song Lyrics

 

It is a day for alliteration.  None of my topics today have anything in common except summer and the letter S.  Let's start with my favorite salad this time of year: Strawberry Spinach Salad with strawberries purchased at a local farm stand and fresh spinach from our garden.  It's the homemade dressing that really makes this taste so good.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Whisk together 2 Tablespoons chia seeds, 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup distilled white vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and 1/2 Tablespoon dried onion.  Cover and chill for about an hour in the refrigerator.

In a salad bowl, combine a bunch of torn spinach leaves with about 1/2 quart of sliced strawberries.  You can also add some slivered almonds.  Pour dressing over the salad and toss.  Refrigerate for about 15 minutes.

 

I just finished reading Queen Bees & Wannabees by Rosalind Wiseman in hopes that I can help our 14 year old daughter understand and navigate her way through high school Girl World.  This book really explained why girls play the roles they do in their social cliques, and it touches on boys as well.  The one thing I have yet to learn, though, is what makes a girl a queen bee/mean girl in the first place.  Is it just her personality that she was born with?  Is it because of how she was raised or the behavior she saw in her own mother?  Is it from the media that she's been exposed to?  Does it have to do with how she was treated by her own peers at one time?  I'd really like to know how these narcissistic girls become the powerful, controlling heads of their social environments.  As difficult as it is to watch any of my children be excluded, snubbed, or laughed at, I think it would be even harder as a mother to see your own child be the mean one who ridicules and harasses others.  I am seriously hoping that the private Catholic college prep high school we are sending our daughter to will not have nearly as many scary issues as the ones presented in this book.  However, if I'm wrong, this book has shown me ways to deal with these potential problems.  I wish I had read it fifteen years ago when our older daughters were becoming adolescents.

 

After two full weeks of uncovering the pool, scooping out debris, vacuuming, dumping in pounds of chlorine and stabilizer, and fishing out toads and their eggs, our swimming pool is finally ready for humans to swim in.  Our children spent hours in it the past few days.  Just look at that blue sky yesterday afternoon.  We haven't had many days like this all year.  It was glorious!

As for me, I sat in my lawn chair with my SPF 70 sunblock, big sunhat, and polarized lens prescription sunglasses to try to make up for those foolish teen years of covering myself in baby oil while sunbathing for hours a day.

 

Finally, my teenagers have managed to pull me away from NPR, Fox News, and Joel Osteen on our Sirius XM radio in our SUV to introduce me to The Blend.  When I heard Humble & Kind, I ran home to see the music video and share it with my husband since this is the message we're always trying to leave with our own children.  I'll close today by leaving with you the lyrics of this song by Tim McGraw.

Humble & Kind

You know there's a light that glows by the front door
Don't forget the key's under the mat
Childhood stars shine, always stay humble and kind
Go to church 'cause your momma says to
Visit grandpa every chance that you can
It won't be wasted time
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When the dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

Don't expect a free ride from no one
Don't hold a grudge or a chip and here's why
Bitterness keeps you from flyin'
Always stay humble and kind
Know the difference between sleeping with someone
And sleeping with someone you love
"I love you" ain't no pick up line so
Always stay humble and kind

Hold the door, say please, say thank you
Don't steal, don't cheat, and don't lie
I know you got mountains to climb but
Always stay humble and kind
When those dreams you're dreamin' come to you
When the work you put in is realized
Let yourself feel the pride but
Always stay humble and kind

When it's hot, eat a root beer popsicle
Shut off the AC and roll the windows down
Let that summer sun shine
Always stay humble and kind
Don't take for granted the love this life gives you
When you get where you're goin
Don't forget turn back around
And help the next one in line
Always stay humble and kind 

Lyrics and song can be found here:

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/timmcgraw/humbleandkind.html 

Favorite Summer Salads

This time of year is perfect for salads with so many fresh vegetables coming from our gardens or local farmers.  Although my children are not big salad eaters, my husband and I love them.  Below are some of our favorite salad recipes that I tend to only make in the summer.

Pasta Salad

This is my favorite Pasta Salad recipe.  Cook 2 pounds of pasta al dente.  Drain, then toss with enough Italian salad dressing to coat it.  Chill in refrigerator several hours.  Slice 1-2 sweet peppers, several carrots, 2 green onions, and a can of artichoke hearts, drained and quartered.  Add these to the chilled pasta.  Finally, add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon of dried basil, 1 teaspoon of pepper, and about half the bottle of Italian salad dressing and toss gently.  Serve chilled.  This makes a big bowl of salad that is perfect for a picnic or patio cookout---plenty to share with friends and family.

Creamy Potato Salad

Out of all the Potato Salad recipes I have tried, this is definitely my favorite.  Pare and cook 6 medium potatoes (Yukon gold or red are especially good) in boiling water for about 20-25 minutes. You want them tender but not mushy.  Drain well and put in bowl.  Add 1 cup sliced celery, 1/2 cup of chopped onion, and 1/3 cup chopped sweet pickle.  If I have some on hand, I also add several strips of cooked, crumbled bacon at this time.  Combine 1 1/4 cups of whipped salad dressing, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of celery seed, 2 teaspoons vinegar, 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, and 2 teaspoons of salt (I sometimes add more of this.)  Add this mixture to the potatoes and other vegetables.  Toss lightly to coat.  Carefully fold in 2 hard-boiled eggs that have been coarsely chopped.  Cover and chill thoroughly.  If we're having a lot of people over, I double this recipe.

Ranch Dressing

For regular tossed salads, I like to use the following Ranch Dressing recipe given to me by a good friend.  To make the dry mix: combine 2 tablespoons salt, 2 teaspoons parsley flakes, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, and 1 teaspoon pepper.  Keep in an airtight container and shake or mix well before using.  When you are ready to make the dressing, add 1 tablespoon of the mix with 1 cup of whipped salad dressing or mayonnaise and 1 cup of sour cream or plain yogurt. Chill.  I add no MSG to this, and it tastes fantastic.

This post is making me hungry.  I just happen to have some pasta salad left in the refrigerator, so  I think I'll go have a bite.