“Gratitude… turns what we have into enough, and more.” – Melody Beattie
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
I took a break from blogging over the holidays so this is my first Wednesdays Unplugged post this year! I had to share a little of our Christmas (so I can remember in years to come!). We celebrated Christmas Eve at our church followed by dinner with church friends. We gathered with family at our son’s home on the 26th. After opening gifts with our immediate family, extended family joined us for dinner… there were 19 of us! We are so grateful for both dear friends and family.
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I brought the salad in today’s post for dinner Christmas Eve. When our host announced he was making lasagna (they were leaving for Paris the next day) I searched for a best Italian salad. When I found this one the recipe maven (Mama C) said she felt silly sharing this family recipe because it was so simple, but it was the one everyone always asked for and the one she grew up with almost every day. Simple can be the best, as guests that night raved about it. Some keys to making it: make sure to use plain olive oil, not extra virgin, for a milder flavor; use WHITE balsamic vinegar; add the ingredients to the salad one at a time, being sure to mix with two spoons until every lettuce leaf is covered before adding the next ingredient. I confess this has already become my favorite salad! I don’t consider it an Italian salad (she said she never uses oregano because that flavor is so bitter), just a delicious basic salad.
BEST GREEN SALAD with homemade dressing
- 5 ounce bag torn butter lettuce
- whites only of 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 4 teaspoons olive oil (not extra virgin)
- 3 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- scant 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Use a pre-washed bag of lettuce or, if starting with a head of lettuce, make sure the leaves are rinsed and dried. Place your lettuce in a large bowl.
Rinse the green onions, snip off the root end and slice the white part of the onion thinly. Add the white onion slices to your salad.
Add the dressing ingredients one at a time and toss with two spoons to mix well after each addition.
Serve immediately and finish leftovers within an hour or so. Leftover salad will get soggy, but keep it refrigerated if saving it.
