Fresh is Best

So after unpacking my haul from Saturday, I wanted to dive right into some fresh veggies. The radishes that spoke to me at the market and convinced me that I needed them or my week would be ruined, where the inspiration behind my lunch-time salad.

Originally, I was going to do a simple radish salad. But then I thought of the lettuce and broccoli and other veggies I already had in my refrigerator, and turned it into a smorgasbord of crunch.

I also whipped up a quick dijon-based dressing. It was 50% mustard. Just the way I like it :)

Chopped veggie salad. 

Since I didn't have any cooked chicken or other protein, I added a hard-boiled egg.

Get Some!

Drizzled (heavily) with the dijon dressing, it was amazing. Crunchy and refreshing.

P.S. Am I the only one who accidentally drops chopped vegetables into my dressing when I'm making it? Just me?

Dressing (said in Homer Simpson "doughnut" voice)

Dijon Dressing

Ingredients:

• Dijon Mustard, 2 heaping TBSP
• White Wine Vinegar, 4 TBSP
• Olive Oil, 3 TBSP
• Honey, 1 TSP
• Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients except for the Olive Oil into a small mixing bowl with a whisk. 
2. While whisking, slowly add the olive oil in a slow stream and allow to incorporate into the dressing. 
3. Taste and adjust to your own taste preferences.

Yah, this goes totally against the rules - usually it's a 2:1 olive oil to vinegar ration. Not for me.  I like my dressings on the vinegar-y side. And as I already mentioned, I like a lot of mustard. I could (and do) eat it by the spoonful. That's not weird. It's delicious.

Also, these measurements are approximated. I'm sure I never make it the same way twice. Feel free to play around with the proportions. The great thing about dressing is that it's easily amendable - too oily? Add some more vinegar! Need more flavor? More mustard! Adding pinch of salt is also extremely important - it really brings out the flavors.

A Few Carrots Cancel out 2lbs of Sugar...Right?

I love the Holidays. And I LOVE LOVE LOVE Holiday Parties! This past Saturday evening, I attended a "sometimes annual holiday party." It was a blast! An excuse to dress up, listen to Christmas music and snack on some Holiday treats? Count me in!

The star of the show was definitely the Egg Nog (courtesy of Mike and his family recipe).

This stuff was dangerously good. It also had 2 Lbs. of sugar in it. Recipe below - if you're brave enough.

This was my contribution:

A few plates of vegetables. Very inexpensive and only took a few minutes of prep. We did buy pre-made dip as time was limited. You've got to pick and choose your battles ;)

But my favorite?

Brie encased in pastry and topped with Blackberries. YUMMMM!!!

Eggnog (Mike's family recipe)

Ingredients:
One dozen eggs
1 pinch of baking soda
2 lbs. of granulated sugar
1 qt. milk
1 qt. Sweet Cream
2 qts Whiskey or Bourbon

Beat the yokes and whites of the eggs separately. Then pour together.
Beat into a stiff batter.
Add the remainder of the ingredients.
Stir. Set in fridge overnight.
Enjoy!

There was a lot of other yummy treats, but these were the highlights. By the way, who counts veggies as a highlight to a dinner party? THIS GIRL! In my defense, they were the first thing to get eaten up.