A little taste of Summer: Strawberry Spinach Salad

I'm not sure about you, but I can't cook to save my life. I love the idea of it. I love food. I love to be creative. I love trying new things. But for some odd reason, I am slow to enter the kitchen and quick to order take out. This needs to change. This summer, I am living in an apartment and will not have access to a student meal plan or unlimited funds to dine out daily. I guess it’s time to stop buying TV dinners, start buying fresh ingredients, and whip out my mother’s recipe box. I’m kind of excited, to tell you the truth. What adds to my excitement is the fact that this summer I am privileged enough to be able to live with a dear friend of mine, Jillian. We both are passionate about serving others, living lives that revel in God’s glory and goodness, and learning how to better exemplify biblically feminine women. She is also a supreme decorator! Just a side note. Let’s just say that this summer will be a season of smiles, independence, and hopefully, weekly, homemade dinners. J

As such, I feel compelled to tell you all about the most delicious summer salad. I first encountered this salad at my friend Beth’s graduation party. Beth graduated from nursing school just last week, and we all couldn’t be more proud. This degree is only a small testament to the determined, persevering, and lovely person she is. Anyway… back on track! This salad was being served, and it looked as good as it tasted. I had to have the recipe.

Later on in the weekend, I made a visit home for Mother’s Day and felt it an opportune time to try out this delicious treat. Not only did this recipe prove to be duplicable, quick, tasty, and impressive (or so my family said so!), but I also got to spend some wonderful time with my dad in the kitchen. What a great combination! Love.

Please keep in mind that there are many variations of this salad. This is just my preference.

1. Pick up your ingredients for success!

For the dressing:
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced onion
For the salad:
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves (rinsed, dried, and chopped)
1 quart strawberries (rinsed and cut into thirds)
a dash of salt
1/4 cup of toasted almond slices



2. Wash and chop the spinach leaves

3. Put the freshly cut spinach leaves in a large salad bowl

4. Cut up the strawberries

5. Combine the salad dressing ingredients in a separate bowl

6. Whisk for a minute or until ingredients are fully mixed with one another

7. Cover this bowl lightly with plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for an hour

8. Take this time to toast the almond slices on a cookie sheet in the oven for 2-3 minutes

9. Sprinkle a dash of salt on the toasted almonds after you take them out of the oven



10. Combine the toasted almonds, strawberries, and spinach in the large salad bowl

11. Pour the dressing from the fridge over the salad

12. Toss!

13. Enjoy!
(Pictured above: I chose to eat my salad with grilled chicken and watermelon. This combo was grand and epitomized summer--highly recommended!)

The wonderful thing about this salad is that it is entirely versatile. Today I had the leftovers of this salad at work, but I added slices of chicken and a sprinkle of mozzerella cheese to make it a meal. It was perfect!


So readers, I hope you can delight in this taste of summer as much as I have.

Happy salad tossing!

A Day for the Mothers

I would venture to say that describing why Susan Wheeler is the mother of all mothers is nearly impossible. She is just that wonderful. I will try, nonetheless.

Susan is eager—eager to serve, love, cater to, pour into, and help everyone around her. Especially the four kids she has. She is quick to give up her personal desires for the happiness of others. I hope to, one day, selflessly give like this woman does.

Susan is hospitable—hospitable to the unlovely, undeserving, unwanted, and forgotten. She opens up her home and heart to people who deserve neither. For example: my mother takes it upon herself to feed and care for a group of stray cats that lives in our neighborhood. The cats now view our backyard as their home. Like I said, a mother to all.

Susan is strong—strong in the Lord, strong despite her difficult childhood, strong willed, and strong in physique (her arms are more muscular than my own: embarrassing). My mom and dad raised four rambunctious children, each two years apart, while home schooling them in the process. Who does that? I don’t even know if Wonderwoman can hold weight against that claim.

Lastly, Susan is mine. She is present. My mother is attentive to me and caring toward all her children. She listens to, is sensitive toward, and quick to see the best in us, despite our stubbornness and selfishness. She prioritizes family and rocks at being our mom. We never give her enough credit.

Let us reminisce on a few memories.

Moments before my high school graduation
'09

Thanksgiving
'10

A recent gingerbread house endeavour
'10

The annual Christmas-couch picture we always take
'10

Christmas '08

So.

Hats off to you, Susan Wheeler. You inspire me in more ways than you know.

XO.

Snapdragons!

When I was just a young girl, my family attended an average sized church that housed average-like people. Families dressed up each Sunday in pretty dresses, shiny shoes, button-ups, and curled hair. Basically, the people of the congregation looked like moving pictures, walking family photos.

I absolutely dreaded these days. For a young, 6-7 year old girl, Sunday mornings looked like wedgies from panty hose, shoes that meant I couldn't run wild with the boys, dresses that made me embarrassed, and learning about how big Goliath was over and over and over again. Snack time was often disappointing, as well. Cut a girl some slack. However, there was one thing that always made me look forward to this end of the week—one thing that stirred happy emotions in me. Snapdragons! AKA Antirrhinums, to the bio geeks. In case you weren’t aware, Snapdragons are a peculiar plant that has flowers with the ability to open when pinched on either side. Imagine that they look like a letter “V” when opened up and a closed “V” when left alone. Let’s do some before and after pictures:



Before



After
(This was taken by yours truly a few weeks ago! Memories still thick)



Okay, flower lesson aside.

On Sundays, I lived for Snapdragons. They were located in the flower area that preceded the entrance doors. I can remember my dad putting on a puppet-type show with these little flowers, saying things like, “What a lovely, young lady you are!” and “How’s Kristin today?” (Side note: when I was younger, my dad only called me Kristin when he was either talking in the Snapdragon voice or when I was in trouble. Normally, his names for me were Bright Eyes and Punkin. Both of which I love much and hear regularly, even now. The flowers obviously didn’t know these nicknames, though... So Kristin it was!). I would watch, listen, smile, giggle, answer back, and just sit by them. Whenever I got a free moment at church, like when my parents were socializing, I would run over to the Snapdragons and try to make them talk like my dad did. For some reason, though, it wasn’t the same. The magic seemed to be gone when my dad wasn’t with me.

I can’t help but imagine how this emptiness mirrors our lives without our Savior, Jesus.

I suppose, now, that Snapdragons were not what made church time bearable. I would venture a likely guess that spending time with my dad was what brightened my world.

It’s kind of funny how nothing has changed. Love you, Daddy!

XO.

There is a first for everything...

Friends and followers,

My name is Kristin Wheeler and I’m not going to use the following phrases:

“This is my life in a nutshell”

“I’m a complicated person”

“I’m just trying to find myself in this crazy world”

“Take this journey with me”

“Strap on your adventure seat belts”

…or others of the like.

I’m not one for drama. I am usually irritated with bloggers. However, I feel inspired to hopefully break the norm and throw a few bits of sunshine your way in the process.

People often talk about the “battle of the mind” in terms of men. I am here to suggest a mind struggle that reaches all. This battle is less obvious and, usually, subtly sneaks up on us when we are least expecting it. This battle is about mind placement—where people let their mind wander, sit down, put their feet up, linger, order a drink, and stay awhile. When Paul wrote to the church of Philippi, he instructed them to train their minds and focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. This is the theme of this blog. This is my hope and prayer for us all.

The beauty of life is boundless and ours to enjoy. Let’s get crackin’!

XO.