The Salad and a Baby Post

Breakfast: yogurt
Lunch: Autumn Chopped Salad
Dinner: 4 egg whites w/onion and 1 Butterball Everyday Turkey Smoked Sausage link
Dessert: yogurt

Another great day. Kind of rocky in the beginning, but it got exponentially better once I got to hold and squeeze a newborn baby. A great friend I've had since junior high gave birth early this morning to her second little one, and since it was the weekend I was able to make it down to see them. It was wonderful to not only see her, but to share in the excitement of a new life.

One o'these days, it'll be my turn.

Until then, I'll blog about the Autumn Chopped Salad I made today, because that's just how boring I am.

I got the recipe from Pinterest a week or so ago, and since we went grocery shopping this morning (for the first time since July 26th, I might add) I bought the ingredients and decided to give it a whirl today.

What the original recipe says you'll need:

*6 to 8 cups chopped romaine lettuce
*2 medium pears, chopped
*1 cup dried cranberries
*1 cup chopped pecans
*8 slices thick-cut bacon, crisp-cooked and crumbled
*4 to 6 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
*Poppy seed Salad Dressing (I like T. Marzetti)
*Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

 What I actually used:
*1 1/2 chopped romaine hearts
*1 small pear
*1/3 cup dried cranberries
*2 slices Butterball Everyday turkey bacon
*1/3 cup Crystal Farms Reduced fat feta cheese
*2 tbs poppy seed dressing (I used Maple Grove Farms of Vermont)
*1 tbs Carbonell extra virgin olive oil
*1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar

I just changed the proportions when I made it because I was only making one salad. You could change it however you like. For instance, I don't think I'll add the feta next time because I don't think I'd notice the difference. The pears, cranberries, and poppy seed dressing are what make this salad good for me. Although the cranberries add a lot of extra calories, a little goes a long way and I think it's worth it.

Anyways, that was my day. I had an amazing salad. Got to love on a precious baby girl (and dream of my own, one day). And spent a majority of the day with my mother. Pretty wonderful, if I do say so myself.

And I obviously do.

'Night y'all!