Summer Salad ideas

Girlfriend, yours are sounding incredibly good to me.  Of course they (doctors) don't want me eating light, but again, the ideas you posted above are certainly light, and sound delicious! :=)

Neee, so good to see you again!  'Light' is necessary for me (obese, diabetic--and it's over 100 degrees here) but you could enjoy several versions of these with some additions that would add calories per your doctor's orders....sour cream, yogurt and dill for a creamy dressing is the first thing that comes to mind...

Linda, While I'm not at 100%, I am feeling 100% better than I have been, so I'm tickled to be here; thanks!

Sour cream, yogurt . . . ??? uh huh.

How DID you manage THAT!?

Now, anyone who knows me KNOWS that the first thing that is going to come to my mind is . . .

PRO-BIO-TICS!!! Baby, Probiotics!!!

an instant turn-on.

It definitely works for me, Linda! THANKS!

Neee, I make my own yogurt, with all the probiotic cultures--I buy the cultures at the healthfood store. Also make my own kim chee and sauerkraut, using the lactic acid fermentation method. Very good for the gut specifically and for overall health....I'm telling you, I'm with you on the healthy food mindset!

No refined sugar (especially NO artifical sweeteners) or white flour. Low glycemic index foods only. (agave nectar and whole grains/whole wheat).

And GARLIC. LOVE the garlic! And shiitake/maitake mushrooms....I could go on and on....

Linda,

Every single person that I introduce to the agave nectar (natural sweetener) looks at it (the bottle), and then IMMEDIATELY backs away from it.   I get them, though, by asking them to sample just a drop of it; just a drop is all that it takes -- they LOVE it, inspite of themselves.

I'm impressed with your yogurt-producing skills -- you gooooooooo, Girlfriend.  I've heard my grandmother speak of how they made these products back in the day, but you're the first of my generation I've heard to speak knowledgably on it.  

My weakness is  . . .I ain't tellin', but it's definitely not with lacto bacillus type products, the sugars . . .good for you!  I see you know about the mushrooms.  Of the three varieties known to help with cancer, there is one of them (mentioned on my cancer article) that is also supposed to prevent hair loss during chemotherapy.  Needless to say that I shall (and really should be at this moment), eating lots of those mushrooms.  People, especially hairstylists have always raved about my "beautiful" hair.  I never thought much about it, but that's the way it is, human nature, that which I once took for granted I'm started to appreciate, A GREAT DEAL!  I'm being told, "Don't worry, it grows back."  I know that, but will it grow back as thick, and the same grade that it is now?   Yep, the mushrooms -- I need to move on those. 

You are so knowledgeable on quite a few topics; it seems that there's nothing I talk to you about where  you aren't well-versed. 

Thanks, Linda!

Neee, great minds think alike!  'Cause I KNOW there's a LOT I don't know...but it's so great to talk to someone who can also talk knowledgeably on the same subjects.

These sound fantastic to me... I also LOVE a good tomato salad... sliced fresh tomatoes sprinkled with fresh herbs of your choice, a light sprinkle each of freshly ground pepper and sea salt, and then drizzled with EVOO and allowed to stand for about thirty to sixty minutes at room temperature.

Mmm, yes...marinated tomatoes....with maybe some artichoke hearts and capers....yum!

There you go... now, if only I had those artichokes! That would be my feast, tonight!

Oh yum, those are all good ideas! :)

Thanks Samantha!

I don't have any good ideas myself, usually if I make salads around here, it's a version of a "chef" salad-

With red leaf lettuce, greed leaf lettuce, romaine lettuce, a little bit of kale, chopped green and red onions, fresh mushrooms, grated carrots, well-drained sliced black olives, finely shredded ham and/or turkey, a couple of hardboiled eggs (finely diced), radish slices, very thinly sliced celery, fresh chopped cilantro, fresh diced tomatoes, and then whatever dressing everyone wants. :)

That chef salad sounds wonderful--I rarely put that much onto a salad unless I'm at a restaurant with a really great salad bar; just lazy, I guess.

I do have walnuts, grapes, green onions, mushrooms, turkey breast, feta cheese, mesclun and baby spinach....LUNCH!

I love spinach leaves with strawberries and almond slices, sometimes with ranch dressing and sometimes with a honey-mustard type of dressing.

mm...strawberries. thanks for reminding me--strawberries in a spinach salad with a little balsamic vinegar, maybe a little chopped chicken breast and almonds for protein.

Yum!

I also like salads with good mixed greens (not iceberg lettuce), sliced mushrooms, boiled eggs, grape tomatoes, and any other veggies I can throw in there.

I'm not a fan of iceberg lettuce either, Jodie. I've even taken to growing my own baby mesclun in containers rather than pay the huge prices for it in the grocery store. The only time I would eat iceberg is shredded in a taco....

I always keep romaine on hand as a good "all-purpose" lettuce, as well. Iceberg has no taste, in my opinion, and virtually no nutritional value. The crispy parts of the romaine are great, shredded in a taco, too. Not only that, but it keeps much better than the iceberg.

I've never tried growing my own lettuce, Linda. That's interesting.

Iceberg has no flavor at all. It's good for increasing water intake, but I can do that with other veggies and lettuces.

I love left over chicken mixed with jarred salsa served with lettuce, and a little bit of cheese, and Italian dressing, yum!

Another advantage to grilling the beggies is that they retain enough flavor to make them edible to those of us who have been forced to eschew salt.