Slow Down

Sundried Tomato Chicken Salad Tacos

To me it’s cleaning the tub at an earlier hour of the evening. And adjusting the bath pillow just so right to maximize the soaking time. It’s sleeping in shy of noon, without waking up to an alarm without guilt of half a day being wasted in bed. Self care is a day of doing nothing without using any type of electronics for entertainment. It’s having a comfortable reading chair next to a sunny window surrounded by books. It’s also about shutting down the news, for only a day, because this isn’t the time to be too comfortable.

Reading the news is overwhelming. From politics to natural disasters to the rise of normalizing aggressive and mean behavior. And, my heart goes out to everyone affected by wildfires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes and mudslides around the world.

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Parade.com: A Happy Lunch to Go in a Mason Jar

"Mason Jar Salads" by Julia Mirabella

The minister of my church once asked all the lawyers present to stand up. Nobody stood. “They’re all working. I should know, because I know the lawyers who are members of this church,” the minister reasoned. As an attorney, Julia Mirabella finds time to write a food blog at MyFoodandOtherStuff.com between long hours at the office analyzing data on computer screens and reading mile-high stacks of documents and forms.

While wisely managing time, Mirabella discovered the art of fine dining in a mason jar. To save time and money during the weekdays, she would concurrently pack several lunches in jars during the weekend. Once she mastered the technique of layering ingredients (such as placing vinaigrette at the bottom of the jars to avoid soggy salad leaves), she wrote a cookbook, Mason Jar Salads.

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Parade Magazine: Watermelon and Shrimp Salad with Vanilla Balsamic Vinaigrette

Watermelon and Shrimp Salad with Vanilla Balsamic Vinaigrette

As we’re at the height of Summer’s juicy bounty, we’re also a few weeks away from the start of a crisp autumn. Continue to savor the taste of summer in a leafy salad tossed with juicy cubes of watermelon, sweet shrimp, and creamy feta cheese with a few crunchy pistachios and celery pieces. While you’re at it, drizzle a lovely Vanilla Balsamic Vinaigrette to bring out summer’s juicy flavors, because autumn is still weeks away.  Read more