Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

This salad has been a staple at our family parties for YEARS. I'm not sure where my mom found it, but it's seriously one of my most favorite things on this planet. And there are so many variations and things you can add or change about it to make it yours. Normally I add cashews and craisins, but I didn't have either of those things and it tastes perfectly yummy without them. I love a good, versatile recipe! (I'm eating it as I type this. I may have to go get me a second bowl. Good thing it's veggies!)

Ingredients:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bacon
Mayonaise
Vinegar
Sugar

Optional:

Cashews
Craisins

Directions:

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the strips of bacon on the foil and put in the oven. Turn heat on to 400º. (Don't turn the heat on until the bacon is in the oven.) Let it bake for 17-20 minutes, checking on it during the last few minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. When it's done, put the bacon on a plate covered in a paper towel to soak up the fat. When it's cooled, crumble the bacon up.

While the bacon is baking, chop your broccoli and cauliflower and put it in a bowl. Add your cashews, craisins or any other things you'd like to throw in there.

For the dressing:  Mix together the mayo, vinegar and sugar. I've never measured any of these things, I just add them to taste. If you like it more vinegar-y, add more of that. Start small and add more of each ingredient until you get the taste you like and amount you need. You don't want to soak the salad, but give it a thin coating. Trust me, you don't want to soak it. :S

Once the bacon is cooled and crumbled, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, then add some dressing and toss it all together. Add the dressing a little at a time until you get what you want in there.

And you're done!

Meal Ideas

So after the gym's been closed for maintenance the last two weeks, it's finally reopening tomorrow! I've severely slacked the last two weeks. :S I spent most of today cooking and getting my meals ready for the week. Here's what I'm doing this week:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with a little bit of brown sugar, raspberries and blackberries.

Morning snack: Yogurt, almonds and a string cheese. Confession. I know Greek yogurt is much better and higher in protein. But I don't like how it tastes. If anyone knows of a YUMMY Greek yogurt, I'm all ears! lol!

Lunch: Spaghetti squash w/ marinara sauce and a broccoli/cauliflower salad. (For the salad, chop up a head of broccoli and a head of cauliflower. Cook up some bacon, and throw in some cashews. Mix mayonaise, sugar and vinegar to taste for the dressing. I don't use a lot of dressing on my salad, just enough to get the flavor.)

I absolutely adore spaghetti squash! To prepare it, cut it in half and scoop out all the "guts." Just like a pumpkin. Poke holes in the skin, turn the halves squash side down, and bake. (I baked it at 350º for about 40-50 minutes.) Using a fork, scrape out all the "spaghetti."

I cut off all the fat before I even cook the bacon. Make it a LITTLE bit "healthier." hahaha!

YUUUUMMMMM!!!

Afternoon snack: Sugar Free Jello Pudding Snack thingy. Chocolate mousse. Hits the spot! I didn't take a picture of it. lol

Dinner: BBQ Chicken over brown rice. I used Stubbs chicken marinade. I WISH I had a bbq here!! It's the only way to have chicken!

Hopefully that gave you some ideas for meals and snacks!! I'm closing in on my 6 month deadline for my first goal, and I'm so far away still. Hopefully there will be no more set backs so I can push through and hit my goal! :D


Have an amazing day everyone!!