Friday Fav #10 – My favorite Salad

This has been a wild week!  WILD!  I feel like it’s just been a whirlwind.  Now I’m back to my normal routine…putting off laundry to sit at the computer after all my maniacs are asleep.  I’ve hardly touched my computer this week, so this is quite relaxing right now.  Ahhh! :)

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I’ve said MANY times that Lilly Katherine is ME!  She is ME!  She is ME!  She is ME!  (and it just might do me in!) :)  However, here is just one more example to prove that we are EXACTLY alike.  I laughed out loud when I received the results from her Kindergarten Readiness Test.  The test is three pages long, and she did really well on everything, with the exception of two areas.  She can’t count by 5’s (because her mother never dreamed to teach her that.  She’s not my first born, you know.  I forgot that you’re supposed to teach all your kids “stuff,” and not just your first born.) :)  The other thing which needs improvement…please see number 22.  (Seems backwards, but D is the highest score)

Oh, the poor thing can’t catch (or throw) a ball to save her life.  SHE IS HER MOTHER!  It’s not a skill I possess.  It’s not a skill she possesses…and she probably never will.  We’re thinking she’s going to be a dancer, because she flits and flutters around the house all day. :)  I’m not at all pushing dance or keeping her from playing sports.  The Lord just didn’t wire her for throwing and catching (some might call that hand/eye coordination), but my joyful baby girl will find something else in which to excel!

It’s so funny to me how she and Preston are the antithesis of each other!

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Speaking of Preston, his baseball team WON tonight…finally! (Chest bump!)

They are now 1-9.  It’s been a rough season, and Preston REALLY cares about stats, scores, and wins!  It has pretty much stressed him out all season.  In a very Eeyore voice he always says, “We’re defeated!” (as in the opposite of “undefeated”)…but now they’re not!  He was SO excited!  Now, I hope we can win just one or two more before the season ends! :)

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A few more random thoughts…

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Watching the Royal Wedding last week, Lilly Katherine was just enamored by the “Princess” and “Prince” and all the beauty of the wedding, as if it were a Disney fairytale.  She leaned over to me while we were watching, and in this sweet voice of innocence she asked, “Mama, did you marry a prince?”  I responded, “I sure did, baby!  I pray that you will marry a prince one day, too.  A prince just like your daddy that loves the Lord and loves you as much as daddy loves me!”  She just smiled at me with those big, sparkly black eyes.

Oh, Lord, please bless Lilly Katherine with a “Prince” that is just like her daddy!  A man that will love you, love her, and love their babies.  Thank you for giving her an amazing earthly example of a wonderful husband and daddy.

Last week there were horrible storms that swept through the South, and I know there was so much loss.  I am sorry for anyone who was in the thick of the storms or who has lost a friend or family member to the tragedy.

My intention is not to make light of the situation, but to document the happy innocence of my sweet girl.  We were fortunate enough to escape the devastation of the storms, however, we did have a few hours of uncertainty.  The warning sirens were sounding all over town, and it made my kids a little nervous.  LK asked, “What is that noise?” and I told her that it was a siren to warn us of bad weather.  I compared it to the sirens on top of a firetruck or ambulance, but told her this siren was on top of a tower instead of a moving vehicle.  A few minutes later AnnaLeigh asked LK what the noise was, and LK’s very excited response was, “That sound is coming from the castle.  They are telling us the weather is bad.”

I asked her what in the world she was talking about, and she said, “You know, mama, the castle…you said the sirens were on a tower, and they tell us when the weather is bad.”  I had to explain to her that by tower I meant a tall pole, and not the kind of tower Rapunzel lives in.  I am not aware of any castles in the back woods of East Texas. :)  This maniac lives in a happy, princess, fairyland in her mind.

And I love her! :)

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Ok, so finally a new recipe!  This is my go-to salad.  This is the salad that I make almost every week.  The whole family loves it, and it reminds me of my Italian grandmother, MamaSara.  Anytime we eat at her house, she has a salad with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, olive oil, and lemon juice.  The taste of this salad just reminds me of MamaSara, and that makes me happy!

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

(…because I’m too lazy to cut up and wash lettuce…and because my people eat this salad better without lettuce.)

Full recipe at the bottom of post.

Ingredients:

• Cucumber
• Tomato
• Onion
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Lemon
• Garlic
• Salt
• Pepper
• I also often add Fennel/Anise (which has a wonderfully unique taste, similar to licorice.  I don’t like licorice, but I love fennel.)

Cut the cucumbers, tomatoes, onions (and any other veggie of choice) into bite size pieces.

Put all veggies, salt, pepper, garlic, lemon juice, and EVOO in a plastic container with a lid that seals well.

Place lid on tightly, and gently roll around mixing all ingredients and coating well.  Do not shake or you will kill your beautiful veggies.  This is the lazy person’s way of tossing the salad, but it works for me…

Open.  Take a bite of a cucumber or two or three to make sure you like the amount of salt, lemon juice, etc.  Add more flavor if needed.  Doesn’t that look refreshing and delicious?!?  It is…and it is SO easy!

Serve with anything!

Last week…My fav salad with grilled chicken, asparagus, tabbouleh, and rice.  (Rice was there just because Preston had a friend over and I was afraid my tabbouleh would scare him.)

This week…My fav salad, salmon, homemade mashed potatoes, and asparagus.  It’s 1:00 am, and my mouth is watering!

I’m on an asparagus kick.  I’ve been on an asparagus kick since college.  Love it!  (Thank you for helping me fall in love with asparagus, Kristin!)

Recipe for Cucumber and Tomato Salad

(I’ll admit, I’m a “little this, little that” kind of cook.  I don’t exactly have measurements.  For this recipe, I used the following, but adjust to what your needs/taste are.)

Ingredients:

• 1 Cucumber
• 2-4 Tomatoes (I try to have equal amounts of cucumber and tomato)
• Throw in any additional veggies you like.  I often add fennel, celery, bell pepper, or whatever I have in my fridge.  This time I added 2 stalk of Celery.
• 1/2 Small Onion (I don’t eat the onion, but it adds a lot of flavor to the salad.  I’m weird.)
• Juice from one Lemon
• 2 Tbsp EVOO
• 1-2 Cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper to taste (for this amount, I use about 1/3 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper)

Cut the vegetables into bite sized pieces.  Add all ingredients to a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid.  Place lid on and make sure it is sealed tightly.  Gently turn container over and over, not shaking or tossing, but gently turning, to combine all ingredients.  You may need to add additional salt before serving, because the salad tends to absorb the salt as it chills.

Enjoy!

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I’ll leave you with one more random thought.  On May 6, 2003 I received the greatest news I had ever received.  I found out I was going to be a MOTHER!  On this day, 8 years ago, I found out I was pregnant.  I will NEVER forget that moment.  The flood of emotions that came over me is unexplainable.  The moment I looked at the pregnancy test, I dropped to the floor in a sea of laughing tears as I cried out praises to the Lord!  Such a precious and emotional moment in my life.  I get happily teary just thinking about it.  I can’t believe it’s been 8 years, and I am so very thankful that God chose this specific child to knit together in my womb.  I am thankful that God knows exactly what we need, and He knew I needed Preston!  I love my big bug more every day, and I am so thankful to be his mother!

Thank you, Lord!

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.

-Ps 139: 13-14