Ah summer. When I was a kid summer was THE BEST. School was out, the weather was great, there were more things to do and everyone had plenty of time. I grew up in Michigan, and summer was definitely my favorite time of year. I remember swimming and bonfires and camping and FOOD. It was magical. We even ate differently in the summer. Fresh fruits and vegetables were plentiful, whereas they really weren't even available throughout the rest of the year.

As I grew older I somehow lost that summer magic. I moved to southern California with my husband and 3 kids, and summer became just another season, so much like the other seasons. I did my best to create the magic while my kids were young, but by the time they were grown it was gone.

Last year I caught myself dreading summer, and actually heard myself saying the words, "I hate summer." I realized it was time for an intervention. I made a "Summer To Do List" and forced myself to get out there and have fun. I went to the beach, enjoyed Shakespeare in the park, picnicked, swam, watched movies under the stars and ate homemade lavender ice cream AND recruited lots of friends and family to do it all with me. Summer was back! It was such a valuable lesson, as I learned that I have to continue to create my life, my fun.

So as June 21st approaches I've started my new Summer To Do List. I really don't need it anymore, but I'll keep it there as a reminder to create, to enjoy, to have fun.

This blog is part of that. Those of you who know me know that I love good food, and I love to share it with people I love. In an effort to try new things and eat healthily, I've challenged myself to make and share 60 Salads of Summer. My daughter Danica, who is a very creative cook, is helping me. And we're looking forward to sharing the fruits of our labor. I can't promise they'll all be healthy, but I can promise they'll all be delicious. Enjoy!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

9. Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad




















In my house chicken salad is the preferred way to use up leftover grilled chicken, which is pretty plentiful during the summer months.   It’s also just great to have on hand as a quick bite wrapped in lettuce, or as a yummy sandwich.   

I’ve made a lot of chicken salad over the years, and this is the tastiest recipe I’ve found.  It’s loosely based off Smitten Kitchen’s recipe (a blog and recently published beautiful cookbook).  

Ingredients

4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
2 celery ribs, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2/3-3/4 cup good mayo
3 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher or coarsely ground sea salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl until combined well.  See--EASY!!

Check out smittenkitchen.com for lots of wonderful recipes.
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