The BEST summer salad

It's been a while since I posted! We went on a long summer vacation and were without internet for a few weeks! This week I'm moving to Vernal. My kitchen is packed up and friends are bringing us dinner all week. So, instead of menu, I'm going to share my favorite summer salad recipe.

Everyone loves this salad; even self-proclaimed VEGETABLE HATERS end up asking for the recipe. It's very nutritious and inexpensive to make. Leftovers will last a week in the fridge and pack up nicely for lunches! I often serve it in a cheese quesadilla for a fast and easy meal. Click on the link below to access the recipe (it's in this website).

Rice and Bean Salad | DDInutrition

In the deep dark depths of my freezer

I love my freezer. I buy things when they are on clearance and stick them in the freezer until I can use them. This week, I'm planning my menu around things I've found in the depths of my freezer: fancy cheeses, whole limes, whole peppers, leeks, bacon, tomatoes from last year's garden, frozen steak and fish.

Did you know you can freeze all of those things? Smith's frequently clearances out their poblano peppers, lemons and limes. I buy the entire bags for 1 dollar and stick them in my freezer whole. When I'm ready to cook with them, I just microwave them until soft and cook them.

Here's the menu I created from things found in the deep dark depths of my freezer. Have a great week!

Monday: daughters birthday: takeout pizza + green salad

Tuesday: Cooking Class! Quick microwave oatmeal + breakfast burritos

Wednesday: Corn and poblano chowder with gouda cheese (using poblanos, corn, gouda cheese and leeks from my freezer)

image from link above (fromachefskitchen.com)

Thursday: Creamy coconut lentil curry (using tomatoes and ginger from my freezer)

image from link above (theendlessmeal.com)

Friday: tuna salad wrapped in a tortilla

Saturday: fish + steak tacos + cabbage slaw (using frozen steak and fish from my freezer)

I'm too tired to cook!

I've reached the summer burnout zone. The heat makes me tired, and thus I'm too tired to cook. However, I am still hungry, so I must soldier on. Here's what I hope to muster the energy to put together this week.

Monday: frozen tortellini noodles with store bought pesto sauce + canned green beans + watermelon

Tuesday: corn and black bean salad (too lazy to cook rice this week) + queso fresco on whole wheat tortillas + watermelon

image of cowboy caviar, click link above for recipe

Wednesday: cabbage with noodles + watermelon

Thursday: tropical cabbage salad + grilled salmon

Friday: little Cesar's pizza + bagged green salad