I am the Salad Czar!

At the beginning of the week, my husband announced that I am the Salad Czar. He then added the footnote that the entire idea was much more entertaining after a whiskey or three.

I realize this sounds a little strange, but as things go in our house, it’s actaully pretty standard.

See, I eat a lot of salads. In fact, when I was working in an office, 3pm was officially declared my salad time. I would wander to the company fridge, pull out my prepared salad and organic dressing, and add raw sunflower seeds and raisins to the mix. Once I had the whole ordeal back to my cube, someone would typically walk by and exclaim “You’re eating again?!?”

Also standard in our house – whiskey. These days I just look at it a little lustfully, anticipating our reunion come St. Patty’s Day (as I plan to deliver before the hallowed holiday. Yeah…)

Anyway, salads have become my thing. I take them very seriously. While iceberg lettuce with a few tomato wedges and ranch dressing used to suffice, I now observe an extensive salad ritual that significantly reduces pantry space.

In this particular weekend situation, hubby was making the pasta entree, and had put me in charge of the side salad. When I accepted the assignment, he paused between sips of whiskey punch to loudly proclaim me the “Salad Czar” and proceed to look very pleased with this creative label.

I assume it was a play on words for “Salazar,” as in Ken Salazar, our current Secretary of the Interior, “…because salads are good for your insides!” My man will always be able to make me laugh at a good clean joke.

Whatever inspired it, “Salad Czar” was the phrase of the day, at least for the next 15 minutes.

So, as the Salad Czar, I impart to you, good people, my staple salad:

• Fresh, organic baby spinach (or a nice Spring mix)
• Almonds
• Chopped grape tomatoes
• Minced onion
• Dried red pepper flakes
• Flax seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Soy nuts
• Golden raisins
• Dulse flakes
• Natural dressing of choice

Sometimes I add other oddities like rose hips, bee pollen, black beans and celery.

It’s a surprisingly flavorful and filling salad, and a good one for adding bits of salmon to, if you go for that sort of thing.

On a family note, I’d like to send a Happy 7th Birthday to our oldest nephew, whom I cannot believe is closer to 10 than 5. He’s a handsome little man with a special place in his heart for Pokemon, and I wish him many more years of health and joy!