As a mom of 4, it's not often that I can take the time to create or find a big, fancy meal that everyone will enjoy. In fact, usually it's hard enough to find something quick and easy that everyone enjoys. But what I found out tonight, it's not about the preparation, it's about the perception! If the kids get mac-n-cheese and nuggets 2 times a week, of course anything different, like enchiladas, is going to blow their minds - even though enchiladas are relatively easy to make. And no, my kids don't eat mac-n-cheese and nuggets twice a week, nor do I make enchiladas more than once in a blue moon, even though I just confessed that they're easily prepared...but I digress.
Last month, my husband, my best friend, and I went out to dinner at The Iron Cactus in Austin, Texas. I was on a health kick, as I usually am, so I ordered a salad. It turned out to be the best salad I had ever eaten in my life. It was a bed of raw spinach topped with blueberries, strawberries, grapefruit pieces, orange pieces, candied walnut pieces, goat cheese, grilled chicken, and a citrus vinaigrette. Absolute heaven! I knew I would have to eat that salad again! I don't make many trips to Austin, so last time I went to HEB for some grocery shopping, I picked up a few of the items from that amazingly wonderful salad.
Well, tonight I decided that it would be salad night for everyone! It couldn't have worked out better for me because it was one of the easiest meals I have ever prepared, and it was a huge hit! Since I have a very picky husband, and the babies aren't really into salads yet, so I decided to make this a do-it-yourself buffet style dinner. Best idea of the day!! I boiled, cut, and chilled some chicken thighs (breasts or tenders would work as well, but thighs are what we had) and put them on a plate. The next plate had green apple pieces, sliced strawberries, and grapefruit pieces on it. I also cut a few pieces of fresh broccoli, had carrot slivers, and pecan pieces out for everyone to pick from. As a base for the salads, I had a bag of Spinach and Spring Mix, and a bag of Classic Romaine Mix. I brought out every bottle of salad dressing we own - which is about 7 bottles ranging in everything from Ranch, to French, to Citrus Vinaigrette.
Everyone built their own salads, and every bowl was clean at the end of dinner. The best part was the fact that the kids thought it was such a cool dinner because they got to build it themselves. If they didn't want grapefruit in their salad, they didn't have to put any in their bowl. If they didn't want pecan pieces, they didn't have to pick any out of a pre-made salad. This is definitely a dinner we will be having again, and often! Healthy, fun, and it made mom look REALLY cool!!
No comments:
Post a Comment