Baseball and Strawberries

The past week or so, Andrew’s job has kept him out a little later than normal.  He helps coach baseball, and, along with the beautiful weather we have had lately comes…. Baseball practice.  Since I get home around 5:00 each afternoon, and he does not get home until 7:30 or 8:00, I have had a little bit of extra time to put into making dinner each night.  And by the time 7:30 or 8:00 rolls around, he is more than ready for a good dinner.  Actually, by the time 7:30 or 8:00 rolls around, I think he would eat just about anything, good or not!  

My battle with food has been ongoing.  Our rocky relationship started years ago.  I think that every girl has some sort of issue with food, and the consumption thereof.  The degrees differ, and the issues are expressed differently, but I think we have all had a struggle with food and eating, even if only in some itty bitty way. 

In college, when my issues with food and eating began to interfere with my daily life: my health, my relationships, my goals, it became obvious that something had to be done.  Something that really helped with my healing process, and in my reconciliation with food, was taking a cake decorating class.  Up to this point, I had always had a weakness for sweets, and this class really helped me to embrace that weakness! It was therapeutic in that it helped me see the literal beauty of food.  It helped me see food as an art form.  And just as food can be aesthetically beautiful if put to use in a certain way, it can also be a beautiful thing for our bodies if consumed and used in a proper way.  

These days, I have expanded my diet from just sweets.  Although I do try to consume a healthy variety of foods, I still prefer sweets.  And indulging in something sweet is something I do daily.  I think that indulgence has its place in a person’s life and diet just as control does; both are perfectly acceptable in moderation. 

With this principle in mind, and with extra time on my hands, I have begun the process of spreading my efforts in the kitchen from baking to actual cooking.  My meals are never fancy; in fact, they are very basic.  For instance, I hard-boiled my first egg ever last week. 

On the menu for last night: Spring Strawberry Salad.  Here is the original recipe.  I made some slight altercations in order to fit Andrew’s taste.     

Spring Strawberry Salad

• 1 bag of salad
• 2 chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
• 1 pint of strawberries
• 4 ounces of goat cheese
• 6 ounces of almonds, sliced or whole (I used whole because that’s what we had)
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing

Place the chicken in a skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette over medium heat.  Cook and stir until the meat is browned, about ten minutes.  Put the meat in a bowl and let it cool. 

Place the lettuce into a large salad bowl; scatter strawberries, goat cheese, and almonds over the lettuce and toss or stir.

Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 4 tablespoons of raspberry vinaigrette over the salad and top with chicken.

The salad can be served warmed or chilled. 

I wanted to add blueberries to the salad, but they were extra expensive at the grocery store yesterday.  Since I was really craving them, I compromised and bought a sixty-nine cent Kroger brand blueberry muffin mix and had a blueberry muffin with my salad.  The muffins were a perfect compliment to the light, springy taste of the salad. 

And Andrew LOVED it!  In my book, that means it was a success.  

It is freezing and gloomy outside now, so strawberry salad seems a bit out of place.  But it was a great little splash of spring against the yucky winter backdrop!  And, if you ask me, spring cannot get here soon enough!

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