Spinach Salad
June 11
This is an old favorite and you’ve probably already made one in the last couple of months. The only difference may be the dressing.
Serves 2.
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Asian Chimichurri Salad
June 10
With restaurants just beginning to open (happy to say Pacific Catch is open) I’m still not ready to venture out, but I want to support my local restaurants. This is one of my favorite salads. We’ve had it several times during the self-quarantine. I’ve listed the ingredients for those of you who want to make your own version.
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Belgium Endive Salad
June 9
I call this Belgium Endive Salad because that’s what they call Endives here in the groceries. I don’t think this salad is from Belgium. Wait, I know it’s not because I made it up one day when I had too many endives left over from another recipe. It’s a light salad and great for a hot day.
Serves 2.
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Steak Salad
June 8
This warm salad is another one I stole from a now closed restaurant. Simple ingredients, high in flavors.
Serves 2.
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Asparagus Salad
June 7
This salad is very versatile. It can be served at room temperature at an outdoor BBQ, or heated as a side dish. I actually use this as a side dish on Thanksgiving because I can make it the day before and reheat it easily by throwing it in a pan and quickly sautéing.
Serves 2.
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Salade Campagnarde
June 6
This French salad is one of my favorites. It’s the first thing I order when I go to France. And luckily for me, the Left Bank Restaurant here makes a very good one. You want to serve it warm but not hot.
Serves 2.
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Panzanella – Tuscan Bread Salad
June 5
This bread salad is easy to find in every Tuscan restaurant. It was created to finish up the bread from dinner the night before because the Italians don’t waste anything. Good ripe tomatoes make this a nice warm weather salad.
Serves 4.
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Burger Salad
June 4
This salad was inspired by something I used to get at a now closed burger joint.
Serves 2.
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Baby Artichoke Salad
June 3
I came across this salad in Piemonte, Italy and went crazy over its lemony flavor. It’s a great fresh tasting salad for a hot day like today.
Serves 2.
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Bacon Avocado Salad
Go-To Salad
June 1
This is a salad we normally have three or four times a week so I always have the ingredients on hand and don’t have to think about them when making a grocery list. I throw all the ingredients in a large bowl, add dressing, and spoon onto plates.
Serves 2.
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Summer Salad Challenge
For the month of June, I will be making and posting a salad recipe each day. I figure most of you are like me and tired of figuring out what to make. Before quarantine, I was a grab something at the deli type. All that screeched to a halt in March. I hope this blog challenge will give you some meal ideas.
Why a salad challenge? Honestly, I need some lighter foods now that the weather is heating up. Although, I probably won’t be going to the beach or anywhere this summer, I feel the need to lighten up.
Check back often and hopefully I can help you with your meal ideas. Stay Safe and Enjoy.
Mount Tamalpais
Mount Tam, as it is known locally, is the center of Marin County. Not geographically, but being the highest peak of the Marin Hills, it is like a beacon leading us Marinites home from San Francisco.
The mountain is surrounded by national park areas offering up to forty miles of publically accessible open space. Mt. Tam was create by the uplifting, and folding of the North American plate as it slides along the Pacific plate near the San Andreas Fault. Does this mean we could one day loose our beacon?
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Meet Marin County
Marin County, the home of my Briana Kaleigh Mystery Series, is located on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco. The county is one of the original 27 counties created in 1850 by the first California charter.
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R.I.P. Italian Kitchen
Growing up in the provincial west end of Richmond Virginia, there were many events to jar a young girl’s foothold. New schools popping up yearly, good friends moving away, and always the overshadowing “family problems.”
So when I tell you there was one constant that brought us all together—family, friends, teams—you might remember such a constant in your own youth. For me this constant was Italian Kitchen.
New Year’s Resolutions
Another New Year is upon us as we gear up for the monumental changes we plan to make in the months ahead. Have you made your resolutions yet? Or is your list secret and hidden in the recesses of your mind? Are you one who says, “I don’t make resolutions,” yet sets out for a jog on Jan 1 to burn off holiday food when you’ve never jogged before? Or maybe you’ve bought a journal with a lock and key to write down your deepest, darkest thoughts in an effort to gain more control over your life.
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De Medici and De Medici in France
Being a fan of buff men without shirts, I recently started watching The Musketeers on BBC. (d’Artagnan looks a lot like Rafael Nadal’s second cousin) In a recent episode, Marie de Medici appeared as an ex-queen of France. I wasn’t sure if the writers had made a mistake and meant Catherine de Medici who was known as a ruthless mother of three French kings or was there perhaps, some type of de Medici incest rampant in French history. Anything was possible when trying to maintain a monarchy. Just ask Marie Antoinette. Oh wait, she’s dead.
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Creativity Times Two
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines Creativity as: the ability to make new things or think of new ideas.
Whenever I think of creativity, I remember the story of eight year old Abbey Fleck who, after seeing the mess cooking bacon in the microwave made, invented a bacon rack for the microwave that allows for the fat to drain off into a reservoir. Clearly some people are more creative than others, but what if there was a way to improve your creativity? Keep reading.
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Are You Irish?
Yes, it time again for all the Irish Yoga posters to pop out; we’ve all seen them, but you have to love the Irish not only because they gave us Guinness and flavored potato chips. Those problem solving Irish also gave us the submarine, the tank, and the first 4-wheel drive Formula One car.
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5 Things You Need to Know About Poodles
In Bolinas Bongo, Briana Kaleigh is back in Marin County for another adventure. Her best friend’s high-strung poodle, Fifi, joins in the fun. After The Belvedere Club, so many people asked me why I was so mean to Fifi. I’m Not! I love Fifi, but I can’t help it if my main character, Briana is more of a pet turtle person than a dog person.
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