Summer Salad

I warned you that summer was here and therefore I am busy.



You haven't seen many blog posts this season, but don't worry. I have about a billion lined up just waiting for text.

This summer has been a mixture of crazy and fun. Let me just cue you in on a few points.

My sister is pregnant.
My sister in law is pregnant.
My OTHER sister in law is pregnant.
I'M PREGNANT! (6 weeks...)

My parents took on a new church in a new area.
They're moving.

We vacationed, put on a conference with 1000 teenagers, updated multiple areas of our house. We went to the beach, traveled, had multiple sets of company.

I planned two elaborate baby showers...and am currently making plans for a wedding I'm in this fall.
AND I HAVE A CHILD UNDER THE AGE OF 1. That right there tops everything.

Those are just a FEW of the major things we took part in this summer, but here's something to know: during all of those previously mentioned fun and crazy things, we ate food! I know... you're surprised.

So I have many recipes, some crappy pictures, and about 20 blog posts waiting to be published. Over the next few weeks I'll share some of the things I made this summer.



Starting with this salad.

I don't even know what to say about this salad other than OOHHH EMMMM GEEEEE!

It is SO good.

I called it a "Summer Salad" because I don't know where the recipe originally came from; therefore, I don't know what it's originally called. Plus I made it this summer...and it has so many delicious things in it that I couldn't call it a chicken salad, or even a berry salad. So it's a summer salad.

If this isn't summery, then I don't know what is.

Summer Salad

Ingredients:
1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
Mixture of romaine lettuce and spring mix
1 lb strawberries, sliced
1 cup blueberries
2/3 cup blue cheese
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp. olive oil

Directions:
I personally don't think you can wreck salad...so that's why I don't have real quantity measurements for the lettuce. Start with as much lettuce as you think appropriate (I probably did 6 or 7 cups) in a large serving bowl (this is a large salad.) Place the shredded chicken in the center of the lettuce. Spread the berries around the outside of the chicken. Sprinkle the blue cheese over the whole thing. Spread the peanuts in the center and drizzle lemon juice and olive oil over the entire salad. Finish with salt and pepper.

If you are skeptical of the dressing, you could leave it out and serve something else on the side. But know this: every time I've had this or made this people wonder what in the world is in the dressing...and NO ONE has ever said they didn't like it.



Recipe from: I'm not sure, but I wish I had made it up.

Roasted Garlic

There is basically no reason NOT to roast garlic. It's cheap. It's easy. And it tastes amazing. 

I literally put two heads of roasted garlic on one pizza last night. It would taste great mixed in a dip. Or spread on crackers.

Or smeared on garlic bread. 

Or you know... put in everything.

Did I mention it was really easy to make? Just peel as much of the papery covering off the garlic as possible. 

Cut the top off the head of garlic, about 1/4-1/2 inch so each clove will be exposed to the olive oil. Enclose the garlic in a tinfoil cocoon so that no heat or oil can escape.  

Bake for about 30 minutes. 

Once the garlic has slightly cooled just squeeze each clove out of the paper. They literally just pop right out.  

Roasted Garlic

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic

1-2 tsp of olive oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Remove the papery outer layer off the garlic. Cut the tops of the cloves off about 1/4 inch so each clove is exposed. Place the garlic on a square of tin foil. Drizzle the oil over the tops of the cloves spreading it around so each clove is completely covered. Fold the top of the foil over the garlic and place in the oven (either directly on the rack, or I use a cake pan.) 

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the garlic is soft and lightly browned. Remove from oven and serve. 

Your house will smell all delicious and wonderful.