Salad Remix

I've been a bit stuck lately.

Have you ever gotten stuck? Car in the deathly March mud pits of your driveway? Longest grocery store line ever seemingly filled to the brim with extreme couponers? NY gridlock in 103 degrees with no air conditioning? (true story) Impossible amounts of gum on your shoe leaving you hopping around like a deranged Mick Jagger? (yeah, also true story) Super glued fingers while fixing your mom's favorite lamp...that you broke? (mhmm...true story...I don't wanna get into it...)

Well lucky for us, those aforementioned sticky situations generally have reasonably timed ends. I mean, yes, 2 hours in line at the grocery store seems like an eternity, but at least the incessant high pitched beeping means there is a light at the end of the tabloid-lined tunnel.

But I'm not talking about that kind of stuck. I'm talking full-blown life rut.

Here are a few of the ruts I've been in lately:

1. Eating chocolate (or other assorted things) after 10 pm. - Delicious failure is still failure. A) Go to sleep, Fryer! What are you doing awake at 11:30? You think you're some kind of spring chicken?! B)You remember that insomnia trouble you've been having? Here's a hint: the cure is not peanut butter toast OR cheese and crackers...(or those weird cookies that you're pretty sure are from Christmas, but are too proud to ask about) 

2. Procrastination - Yes ladies and gentlemen, the beast of my college years has risen it's slothful head yet again. I swear I'm not against doctors, it's just so much work to pick up the phone and make an apt....yeah, dumb.

3. Isolationism - Well, actually I'm not exactly avoiding foreign policy...I'm not important enough for that. I've just been an overall homebody, too nervous to ask anyone to do anything for fear of being rejected (Drinks after work? With you? Oh uhh...I have to wash my cat's hair....or vacuum my dishes...or something)

4.  Ponytails - Don't get me wrong, I can appreciate a sporty up-do, but it's getting ridiculous. Like, I have seriously worn one 28 of the last 30 days. This is not a joke. Sadly, that's been my only option...since I haven't gotten my hair done by a professional for 6 months...trust me, it's bad. 

Ruts are generally bad things.

Emotional ruts make you a torment to yourself and everyone you encounter...You become either relentlessly depressed ("yay for emo friends!" says NO ONE) or obnoxiously manic (no one believes you are that chipper all the time..we're all just waiting for you to go ballistic.) No, I'm not here to judge. I have proudly been both of those at one time or another. (or lots of times)

Physical ruts usually involve extremes like working out every day at 4 am to Insanity/P90X/other-terrifying-routine-of-death and developing an actual rut...you know what I'm talking about..like that cavern in the center of your creepy rippling abs. Sorry people, but nobody likes the look of the that Grand Canyon between your bulging muscle pockets (too descriptive?...probably) Some folks go to the other end of the spectrum and end up making their own personalized rut...shaped like their buns... on the cushion of their favorite spot on the couch...Yes, I have also been both of these people.

Dietary ruts are the worst of all. Honestly, what is worse than eating the same thing..every. single. day. ?? My Dad is one of those freaks who finds solace in culinary monotony. (LOVE YA DAD!) He likes his lunch consistent (and boring): carrots, pretzels, and protein bars. Ew. (STILL LOVE YA!) I am not a fan of this. I enjoy variety and I get very resentful of certain foods if I don't get it. (Stay away from me, black bean salad. We're still not on speaking terms.)

I think we all need something to refresh our palette: Emotional, Physical, and yes, Dietary (my favorite).

Since I don't know all of you lovely readers intimately, I figured I'd start with the dietary. Quite frankly I'm not equipped to craft physical or emotional reboot plans, but I can whip up a mean fruit and veggie salad. That's gotta count for something, right?

In any case, this salad is far from ordinary and sure to pop you right out of any food rut you may have developed. Eating cereal every morning got you down? Constantly disappointed by bland salads after painfully choosing them over more caloric (delicious) options? Villainous fast food egg sandwiches haunting your dreams? Starting to actually believe that the frozen lunch you're microwaving is real food??

Say no more! This salad was the first step in my road to rut recovery. Try it as a breakfast, side salad with lunch, or late afternoon power snack. It's refreshing and unexpected, which is just what you and I need.

Carrot Apple Salad and Lemon Dressing

Step One: Grate/Shred 6-10 carrots depending on size of the carrot/group you're feeding/how fearless you are with a mandolin blade or grater. My fingers barely held on for all 10 carrots, but hey, at least I still have all 10 fingers.

Step Two: Grate/Shred 2 large Gala or Fiji apples. Trust me, these are the absolute best. Red delicious fans, be quiet.

Step Three: Combine shredded ingredients with 2/3 cup of craisins (dried cranberries for those of you that have yet to discover these tasty morsels).

Step Four: Juice two medium/large lemons, add 1 tablespoon agave nectar (or sugar if you're not as hip as the kids are these days), 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Step Five: Whisking constantly, add in 1/4 -1/2 cup (good) olive oil depending on your affinity for tart flavors. Obviously I'm biased. (emoticon wink)

Step Six: Pour over salad and fold in. Enjoy one less day eating frozen waffles for breakfast! 

After feasting on this salad, working out in the fresh air, making fun of the P90X infomercial, enjoying a coffee date with my husband, and FINALLY getting my hair done (see evidence below), I started feeling a bit better. 

Look ma! No split ends!

So let me keep it short and sweet for you, friends.

Take some time to refresh your palette. Do something unexpected. Get out of your daily pattern and take a risk. 

Reach out to that neighbor who's name you still don't know. They'd probably like a friend just as much as you would and if they don't - you should probably move. They're most likely an anti-social murderer..... Just kidding! If they aren't receptive, make that chocolate cake. If they still aren't receptive - yeah, you should move....definitely a murderer. 

Gotcha again! Some people are just mean, but at least you tried. At least you reached.

Smile at a stranger...maybe start with that angsty cashier at the grocery store - you've got to have some sympathy (all those damn coupons!). If you start smiling when you don't feel like it - eventually you'll feel like it.  :D ( <-- just like that guy)

Leave the Hamburger Helper on the shelf (or incinerate it...all of it...please) and make this salad. I promise you'll feel at least a little better.