Salad days

I frequently have a meal-sized salad in warm weather, but relegate them to the side during fall and winter. During October, though, when I was creating the habit of eating three meals a day with no snacks in between, I had a lunchtime salad almost every day. Come to think of it, many years ago, when I lost about 50 pounds and got down to a size 6 (yes. me. a size 6.), I ate a daily salad at lunchtime.

Hmmm.

Romaine, onions, walnuts, Craisins, goat cheese, oil & vinegar.

Anyway. The salad we had last night with our grass-fed beef burgers and oven-roasted "fries" was delicious, and hit the spot for freshness and flavor. I don't like and won't eat a bland lettuce-carrot-onion salad dressed with something gloppy from a bottle. And I don't mix the dressing and pour it on the greens in individual salad bowls.

My ritual is to tear the greens (organic romaine, usually) into a largish bowl, add whatever goodies I'm adding (last night was a handful of toasted walnuts, some Craisins and an onion from the garden), top it with cheese (goat is nice) and then add oil and vinegar. I toss it all together with tongs until the goat cheese, oil and vinegar coat the whole mess o'greens and then I place it in serving bowls.

It's so creamy and delicious you'll think you've topped it with something gloppy from a bottle!

I seriously had forgotten about that salad lunch all those years ago. I, along with my daily menu, was even featured in a weight-loss article for a local magazine. I've gotten rid of the dress I wore for the photo shoot, but I'd sure love to have another picture in the same pose when I get back down there again.

You'll be the first to see it. I promise.