Simple, Yummy, Summer

Though I'm a chocoholic, here's what I've been craving and enjoying this summer:



Yep, apples, celery, raisins, and walnuts.



My family doesn't care for this salad (more for me!), so I only make enough for one:

1 apple

2 or 3 stalks of celery

1/4 cup of raisins

1/4 cup of chopped walnuts

1 tsp. of mayo, just enough to coat the apples so they don't brown too quickly

Chop up the apple and celery stalks, toss in the raisins and walnuts, and coat with the mayo. It's even better if the apple and celery have chilled in the fridge overnight- cool, crispy, fruity and green at the same time. I suggest you make this the same day you plan on eating it as the apples still brown rather quickly, and if the salad is left overnight in the fridge, the walnuts and raisins get soggy.

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Dear Daughter is expressing interest in learning about "meal preparation." In tiny, baby increments. She's good at mac and cheese, makes a terrific toasted ham/cheese/potato chip sandwich, and has learned how to make chicken flavored ramen noodles. I know, I know, basic stuff. Today she had some excess broth left over from the noodles as Toddler only wants "oodles" when it comes to ramen, no "juice." For a reason that still escapes me, she put the left over broth into a glass, intending to let it cool off completely before pouring it into a sippy cup for the toddler, to see if he likes the taste of it. I asked her how she'd explain the "juice" to him.

She said she'll tell him it's chicken juice. From freshly squeezed chickens.

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*Michelle at Scribbit shares her Aunt Nancy's recipe for Asian Chicken Salad (hey, more ramen!)

*If fruit smoothies are more your style, The Pioneer Woman Cooks a Blueberry Yogurt Smoothie (the color alone will amaze you!)...

*Amy at AngryChicken is making me wonder just where, oh where in my yard I can plant rhubarb, so I can make Rhubarb Hand Pie.

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Finding so many great blogs since my spring blogroll update means I'll have to try to find time to update my links before school starts. I'll keep you posted!