We are officially in my favorite food season. All the fresh vegetables! I have to say, in Florida we are in this season most of the year, but when the weather is as hot as it is right now all I crave is cool, refreshing salads like this Cucumber Avocado Salad.

I have made this simple salad several times over the last few weeks and each time I make it my daughter and husband dish out the compliments. They are currently the only salad eaters in the family (in addition to me) although my oldest son does like his veggies, just served in a more deconstructed version and not in salad form. I’m good with it.

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When I first learned of Fattoush Salad, I felt like I hit the jackpot. All the fresh vegetables, and the crunch of seasoned, toasted pita scattered within the salad…does it get much better? I don’t know about you but I need a little crunch in my salads – I have a weakness for crunchy croutons so I try to healthfully swap for nuts instead. Toasted whole wheat pita (I love the Joseph’s brand) is another go-to of mine after discovering this Middle Eastern inspired salad.

My version of Lebanese Fattoush Salad isn’t as traditional as it could be. I didn’t have sumac on hand and most recipes you will see do use sumac (it is dark in color and has a tangy lemony flavor) so instead I used za’atar which is a blend of spices that does typically includes sumac. Traditionally made or not, this is one of my favorite salads. This is the za’atar spice I use, thanks to my friend Liz‘s recommendation years ago.

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For the past month I’ve been on a ‘quest‘ to lose some weight that I put on during the second half of last year. My quest (which can be appropriately defined as a journey towards a goal) is not only to lose weight, but to lose body fat, gain muscle and basically become the fittest version of myself that I’ve ever been. I like being active, and I want to feel fit and strong (and good) while being active. Especially with my family. I have 3 incredible kids to keep up with and I want to feel good while keeping up with them.

I’ve never had a problem getting motivated to workout, but I found myself in a bit of a rut so I signed up with a personal trainer I know from my previous gym, Jeff Higuera, last month. I started training with personal trainers 2 years ago and it’s been the best investment I have made for myself. Working out is just part of the equation and since I’ve made a goal to get in 5 workouts at the gym (sometimes I only make it to 4 and I’m okay with that) and hit 10k steps daily my activity level is covered. What I’ve been struggling with (ironically) is nutrition. Obviously I enjoy healthy food, my biggest problem is I enjoy too much of it. I also enjoy pizza but that’s another story. Two weeks ago Jeff challenged me to track my meals in My Fitness Pal for 31 days. That’s all I needed to hear so here I am 15 days in and down about 5lbs. The first week of tracking was the hardest, but now that I’ve got most of my everyday foods logged in and I know what to stock my fridge with each week I’m in a good groove. I’ve read and agree that a big part of weight loss is eating the same type of foods every day. It doesn’t mean it has to be boring, but sticking to the same types of structured meals has helped me stay on track.

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This post was sponsored by Sabra.

Hey, do you know what today is? National Hummus Day! Let’s celebrate with some … hummus, of course (and a coupon – get your couon here – available today only!).

I don’t know about you but when I’m asked to bring an appetizer, or if I’m having people over for a get-together, a veggie plate is a no-brainer when it comes to figuring out what food I’m going to put out to snack on. A veggie plate with hummus, that is. (I love how Sabra refers to this as the #UnofficialMeal, it really is!). Sometimes I make my own, but most of the time I grab my favorite Sabra flavor or spruce up my own version using their classic – like I did today with this Lemon Pepper Hummus.

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What’s great about having a food blog is you basically have a food diary that documents what you’ve eaten over the years and if you’re lucky, a little story behind it. For example, I stumbled across this recipe for Greek Salad & Hummus Pita Pizza in my blog archives recently and was instantly brought back to a season that I remember eating these very very often. These pita “pizzas” are so incredibly light and delicious I really wanted to share them again with you, in case you are looking for new ideas for lunch or light dinners. ‘Tis the season for light dinners right?

Since I’ve been in a bit of a lunchtime rut these last few months, I know what I’ll be having this week. 🙂

If you haven’t already and have a minute, would you mind filling out my first ever Reader Survey? It’s my way of getting to know you a little better. Thank you to everyone who has already taken the time to complete it, I’ve loved reading through your answers and I appreciate you so much!!

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I originally posted this Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad a little over a year ago. I made it again recently and decided to snap some new pics (the ones in the original post were from my iPhone). It’s one of my go-to salads (one that I will most likely be having for lunch today) and really fills you up with a good amount of veggies and protein. It’s funny, and a little ironic, because as I’m rereading my thoughts in my original post as I just scheduled initial assessment for my gym’s 60 Day Comeback Challenge for tomorrow this morning.

Earlier this year, I made a commitment to make health and fitness a priority in my life. I know I am generally very health and fitness focused but I had some personal changes and goals I wanted to work towards, especially after having my 3rd child. Joining a new gym and really stepping up my work outs have been a game changer for me. I feel stronger than I ever have in my life and am really proud of my accomplishments at the gym. I wake up before the crack of dawn 4 days a week and am excited to get to the gym – how many people can say that? I love my trainers, my workouts and the overall postive vibe and people at my gym.

Now, although I feel stronger and have the gym situation under control, I still struggle with food. Plain and simple – I like to eat! 🙂 My Fitness Pal is going to make a comeback in my life to help my achieve my goals in the 60 Day Challenge (and maybe help me win some cash too!). I’ll keep you posted here and hope to share any food and recipe ideas that are helping me along the way.

Stay tuned…and enjoy this salad in the meantime.

(Originally posted August 19, 2014)

There a couple reasons why I’m loving this salad so much lately. One, it’s incredibly filling and full of flavor. Two, it’s low in calories, carbs and is helping me lose weight! For the last couple of weeks, my husband and I have been buckling down and tracking our food and activity in My Fitness Pal, as well as using our Fitbits to keep us motivated to move. I’m happy to report that in just a couple of weeks of really paying attention to what we are eating and how much exercise we are getting in, we are both losing weight at a healthy, steady pace.

It’s no secret that I’ve been trying to shed some baby weight for the last 10 months and I’ve been majorly frustrated lately because I’ve been stuck at a weight since February. Unfortunately for me (as I’m sure many others), my weight tends to affect my mood more than I’d like to admit. I get by by wearing yoga pants most of the time, but when it’s time to put on real clothes I usually get hit with a reality check that doesn’t make me feel all that good (ugh).

My goal has never been to be “skinny” but to be comfortable in my skin, be healthy and fit and feel good about myself in my clothes. For me to get back to that place, I know I need to muster up a little extra will power and motivation and make smart choices, keep my calories in check and move more. So that’s what I’m doing! (Believe me it has not been easy. But with each successful day that passes it gets easier, more routine and more doable. I am looking forward to reaching my goal!)

I have made myself this salad recipe a couple times in the last few weeks, most recently this weekend for both my husband and myself. It’s obvious that I love it, but I was extra happy to see that my husband loved it too, especially because he has never been a huge tuna fish lover (like I am).

It’s light, filling and simple. It is great for lunch, but would make a nice healthy dinner salad too. Feel free to add whatever veggies you have on hand (if I had cucumbers and tomatoes they would have made it into my bowl).

Also, I have been cutting back on salad calories lately by just dressing my salads with red wine vinegar, oregano, salt and pepper. If you want to add a drizzle of olive oil, feel free to, but if you love vinegar like I do then I think you will enjoy this just how it’s prepared.

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Mediterranean Chopped Tuna Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Yield: 1 salad
• Category: Fish

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Ingredients

• 1 can Italian tuna in olive oil, drained well (or whatever light tuna you prefer)
• iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, sliced or chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 onion, sliced or chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• pepperoncini, optional
• a couple of splashes of red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil
• dried oregano flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. Add lettuce, celery, pepper, cucumber and onion to your salad bowl. Top with feta and tuna. Splash with red wine vinegar and sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper, to taste.

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Notes

For a less filling salad, use only half a can of tuna.

(Disclosure: There are affiliate links in this post.)

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I have a confession to make. I haven’t been cooking much at all the last couple of weeks. I go in spurts it seems, feeling the urges to cook earlier in the day or on the weekends. But come dinnertime, my meal that is planned barely comes together and when it does it is definitely not measured or documented or looking pretty enough for a picture – so it really won’t be making it’s way here to the blog. I feel like this every summer it seems (though add pregnancy to the mix and whoa), so I’m not too surprised. The difference is most summers I spend more time using my grill at dinnertime and with the rainy, muggy afternoon weather we’ve been getting that just hasn’t been happening as much as I’d like. Instead, ironically, I’ve been using the heck out of my slow cooker instead.

Now, this salad. This Garden Farro Salad was a product of burst of cooking energy I had last week. In fact, I made it again yesterday. I am so hooked on the simplicity and freshness of this farro salad that I can’t stop eating it once I stop. And it is so good for you!! If you’ve never cooked with farro, you must add it to your list of grains to try, it’s become one of my favorites. And as far as za’atar, you must add this spice to your list as well. I just learned of it from my friend Liz, who adds it to her famous Syrian salad that I crave daily, and I ended up ordering a bag of it from Amazon recently – or you could always make your own.

Enjoy!

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Click here to pin this Mediterranean Lentil Salad recipe!

There are certain foods I find myself slightly obsessed with. Any type of food that can be described as mediterranean can easily fall into that category. There’s just something about the simplicity of the food from that part of the world, the flavors that come together with just a few fresh ingredients – well let’s say, that food makes me happy. This simple lentil salad most definitely falls into that category.

Unless I’m cooking it at home, I don’t get a mediterranean fix that often as far as restaurants are concerned. I just haven’t found a ton of restaurants in my area (other than a couple favorite Greek restaurants) that serve good hummus, pitas and falafels locally. Maybe I need to look harder. One place I tend to eat at often enough (to get that fix) is at a place in our mall’s food court – of all places, yes I know.

They are that place that serves gyros, lavash wraps, hummus, all kinds of fresh tomato and cucumber salads and my favorite falafel. I’m sure most malls have a place like this, but what I love about this one is that it’s run by the same owners, a married couple and sometimes their son, for over 10 years (well at least that’s how long I’ve been going there).

Last time I was there, I ordered a falafel pita and had to choose 2 sides to go with it. I usually go for the tomato & cucumber salad and hummus, but this time I spotted something I hadn’t seen before  – a simple lentil salad.

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There was a time, just a short couple of weeks ago, that I thought I may never eat a veggie again. I think these things happen during your first trimester, I know, but I was starting to get concerned when days (a week?) would go by and I may have only munched on a single baby carrot – mostly out of guilt. I missed my veggies, but not really. I loved the crunchy kettle chips or cheese and crackers better.

I think I’m starting to make up for lost time. I’ve been a little obsessed with eating healthy salads again (as long as I don’t have to make them myself) and craving a few old friends. Some of these old friends came together randomly in a bowl one afternoon last week and became my new favorite lunch/snack to munch on. It feels good to know that it’s nutritious (and possibly cancels out the plenty of potato chips that were in it’s place not long ago) and it’s incredibly easy to make and keep in the fridge for a few days.

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Last weekend, my sweet boy turned 8 years old. So hard to believe how fast my baby is growing up. We celebrated his birthday with a morning of bowling fun with a few buddies, followed by watching the Gator game at home with our family. It was pretty much the most perfect day.

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