I’ve been in quite the funk lately. For no reason really, other than maybe I just haven’t been treating myself very well…i.e. over-indulging in food and drinks, not enough sleep or exercise, and just too much stinkin’ thinkin’…you know the drill. I am at the point in my life where I really know myself and I know when I get in these “not feeling well” funks the only way out of it is changing my way of thinking and discipline. The power of Positive Thinking is no joke…it can really make or break your day whether your mind is in a positive place or not. And as far as discipline goes…for me, just recognizing the things that I know make me feel better, writing them down and putting them somewhere where I can look at them throughout the day really helps change my frame of mind. Also surrounding myself with positive people and quality family time are super important. Sometimes you just gotta know when to feed the soul.

Here’s what’s on my “What Makes Me Feel Good List” right now (taped to my bedroom mirror):

Take vitamins every day

Swimming

Yoga

Pilates

Running

Lots of Water

Unplugging early in the evening

Getting to sleep before 11

Waking up early

Routine

These are things I know I can accomplish most days…actually, every day. Daily exercise is very important to my mental well-being so rotating my favorites helps to motivate me and keep things interesting. It all sounds very simple…but I think when we get into those “funks” we really have to focus on simple…and before you know it you are feeling like yourself again.

On my quest to “de-funk” my attitude…I’m really trying to eat clean. Lots of fruits, veggies and good protein make me feel good so I’m trying to stick with all things healthy at the moment. I’m starting my days off this week with a Super Juice that I make in my juicer (bunch of kale, 2 celery sticks, 2 apples, 1 cucumber and 1 beet) and sip on it while I get the kids ready for school (and before my coffee!).

Of course, just because I’m eating clean and healthy doesn’t mean I won’t be eating well. This Spinach and Eggplant salad is one of my absolute favorite salads to eat for dinner or lunch. I can’t take credit for this creation, I actually have been ordering it at our local pizza place for some time now and just started finally making it at home.

I start with a base of fresh spinach leaves and then pile on the red onions, tomatoes, parmesan or mozzarella cheese and of course strips of the Baked Breaded Eggplant that I love. I make a quick dressing out of red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. If I have some kalamata olives around I add those too.

Delicious!!

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Spinach and Eggplant Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Salad

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Ingredients

• 1–2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
• shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• 2–3 slices Baked Breaded Eggplant, warmed in oven or toaster oven and cut in strips
• kalamata olives, optional
• Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon
• 1 small pinch dried oregano
• small pinch salt and fresh ground pepper

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Instructions

1. On large plate assemble salad starting with fresh spinach leaves. Top spinach with cherry tomatoes, sliced onion, shredded cheese, kalamata olives (optional) and eggplant. Dress lightly with Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette, to taste.

For the Vinaigrette

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar or air tight container. Shake until well blended.

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The post Spinach and Eggplant Salad and Getting out of a Funk appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I’ve been finding it really hard to find time to blog lately…between a long vacation, birthdays, school and now a new member of our family, my time has been well accounted for and unfortunately blogging has not made the list. It’s all good though…it’s been a fun and full couple of weeks.

And speaking of a new member of our family…I would like to introduce you to

Dexter.

He is the sweetest little guy. I adopted him from my sister Lina, who has been his foster mom for about a month now. He needed a home and once we met him it just felt right. He’s a Black Lab/Hound mix and is 14 weeks old…and he fits right into to this already crazy household!

Ok…on to the eats. I made this last weekend for lunch and it was such a treat! We don’t eat crab cakes too often, for the obvious reason that crab meat isn’t cheap, but when we do we relish every bite. My husband goes nuts over crab cakes.

When I make crab cakes I normally follow the Old Bay recipe found on the side of the can…but this time I got a little creative. I added lots of pressed garlic and used Dijon instead of regular mustard. They turned out great and I am happy to say I would make them this way again! I served them over a delicious salad full of good stuff…fresh spinach, romaine, red pepper, red onion all tossed in a homemade dijon vinaigrette.

Garlicky Crab Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup panko
• 2 TB mayo
• 2 tsp Old Bay
• 2 tsp fresh chives, snipped (or 1 tsp dried)
• 1/2 tsp Dijon
• 1 egg
• 4 cloves pressed garlic (or finely minced)
• 1 lb lump crab meat

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine panko, mayo, Old Bay, chives, dijon, egg, garlic and crab meat. Mix gently and form into patties. Broil or fry until golden brown on each side.
2. Serve with a squeeze of lemon or additional mustard.

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If you read one of my earlier posts, you know that I had the “dilemma” of being overstocked in the produce department this past week (due to a recent shopping extravaganza at Costco).  One of my overstocks was a 2lb bag of green beans.  Although I just love eating green beans, the thought of sauteing them or steaming them just wasn’t appealing to me, probably because of the hot weather, so thankfully I remembered this recipe that I make every summer.

I found this green bean salad recipe in one of my Southern Living magazines (one of my favorite magazines for recipes) a while back and after making it the first time I knew it would become one of my go-to summer salads. My mom and sister request it all the time when we get together. I love salads that include green beans in them, this Three-Bean and Vidalia Onion Salad being another favorite. For the green beans, I like to keep them still crunchy so I lightly steam them first using a steamer basket then running under cold water.

The dressing is simple to put together, light and lemony – just how I like it. You use only about half the amount for the this salad so save the leftovers to drizzle over your next salad or even use as a marinade for grilling shrimp or chicken.

This Green Bean Salad with Feta is so tasty, and healthy too. It’s light and filled with crunchy green beans, walnuts and tangy feta dressed in a lemony vinaigrette. So good!! It’s great for BBQs because it’s light and easy to make.  If you like feta, you will love this salad!

I love this salad so much I turned it into this Lemony Green Bean Pasta Salad!

Green Bean Salad with Feta

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds green beans, trimmed
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup Lemon Vinaigrette (see below)
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Lemon Vinaigrette

• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Cook green beans in boiling salted water to cover 8 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking process; drain and pat dry. Place in a serving bowl; cover and chill at least 2 hours.
2. Add sliced onion and Lemon Vinaigrette to beans, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with feta and walnuts. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

For the vinaigrette:

1. Whisk together first 6 ingredients in a small bowl; gradually whisk in oil until blended.  Makes about 1 cup.

Recipe from Southern Living Magazine, July 2004

 

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More picnic salads for summer:

Caprese Rice Salad

Tangy Mustard Broccoli Slaw with Mango

Lightened Up Broccoli Salad

7-Layer Salad | Brown Eyed Baker

Mexican Street Corn Salad with Black Beans | Fifteen Spatulas

Star Spangled Fruit Salad | A Family Feast

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