I thought I would share an awesome salad recipe with you this week! This salad is quick, fresh and perfect for spring/summer get-togethers, outings or just for a quick addition-or stand alone-to any meal at home.

  



 

Simple Quinoa Spinach Salad

 

Ingredients:

1 Bag of spinach

2c cooked, tri-colored quinoa

Small heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered

1/3c Toasted pine nuts

1/4 c Feta cheese

4 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar

4 tbsp. Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

 

 

 

How to make it rock:

Cook quinoa according to package, place in fridge to chill if you have time. (Separates in the salad a lot better and makes for a better presentation overall.)

 

In a large bowl or on a large platter, spread out spinach in no specific pattern or order. (Fun to just throw it on the plate, a little liberating for me.) After quinoa has cooled, spread it over the spinach. Next, spread the cut tomatoes over the quinoa. Essentially, what you are doing is creating loose layers. After you've laid out all the tomatoes, spread the pine nuts and feta cheese over them. Depending on what your personal taste is, you can go as heavy or as light with these two ingredients as you'd like.

 

I LOVE pine nuts and feta, so I went heavy!

 

Take your balsamic vinegar and olive oil, alternating the two, and work from one end of your platter to the other. You will want to sprinkle generously ensuring you cover your tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar. Trust me, you'll thank me for that little tid bit later.

 

This salad can be served chilled or at room temperature. Allow oils and vinegar to settle before serving.

 

 

 

Enjoy!

"I know how to be abased and how to abound: everywhere and in all things. I am instructed both to be full land to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."
Phillipians 4:12


This is just one of my life scriptures and the one that God laid on my heart as I begin to write this post.

I am learning to be content and managing life hasn't been easy as we are transitioning from a family of FIVE to a family of SIX. 

It's actually been a little crazy. 

I remember those days before kids. Go back there with me, if you will...

Before soccer AND football AND karate and birthday parties and playdates.

Before the $90.00 fill ups at the gas station because my hubby vows we will never be a "mini-van family". We are too cool for that. (His words, not mine.I have absolutely nothing against them but I love our truck. Don't tell him though. Hee,hee!)

And this is our closet in the laundry room meant for bags, tablecloths and gift wrap/party items. Haven't gotten around to organizing it just yet. 

When there was time to organize the spice rack and pantry by height and color (yup, I did that.) When I was WAY more organized than I am now. WAY. MORE. ORGANIZED.

Yup, this is our pantry. For now. I can't believe I am sharing this with you but hopefully it will bless someone out there. We don't have a dedicated pantry in our rental. This is it. Baskets will come soon. Hopefully. 

Before...when life was a little bit slower. 

Stepping out of that fantasy...into reality. 

Here's the not so UGLY truth. 

In place of those awkwardly quiet moments, we now have laughing, yelling and screaming throughout the house. 

Instead of coffee and shopping dates with friends who are either single or don't have kids we spend our time coordinating play dates, organizing snacks for the next football practice and rushing to the store because we forgot that special gift for THE best friend's birthday party that just happens to be in an hour. 

That super organized, clean house is filled with forts made of bed sheets and small towns made out of cereal boxes and Matchbox cars. 

And that tank that holds $90.00 worth of fuel is spent caravaning those best friends, soccer, football and karate gear, books, and four wonderful kids who make the rides, well...fun.

We moved into a rental almost a year ago and because I felt the home was a temporary place for us until we found our dream home, I had NO inspiration to decorate. On top of that, it's an older home. Without much character. I now realize that we bring the character...all six of us! So, a few months ago, I decided to start organizing and decorating. Or, at least making a list for organizing priorities and the parts of the house I felt it important to decorate.

I do love some corners of our home...like this one. 

And this one...


So, there it is...my soul. Life is not perfect and neither is my home {yet}. Hee, hee.

But for now, I am content.

Thank you, Lord.

Learning right along with you,