To be fair, it's not her fault. She can't follow a recipe for the life of her, and I know this. (Hmm, sound familiar?) Let me tell you a little story about the time I found out why I cannot replicate her cooking...
Once upon a time, in a not so far away land, 3 months ago (wow, has it already been three months?) my mother came to visit after the birth of our baby girl. She made her best-ever-my-most-favorite-chocolate-chip cookies whilst she was here. I'm helping her (trying to figure out what I am doing wrong), and as I start to measure the baking soda I hear from behind me..."Oh, I always add a little less..." and so it went with the next ingredient, and the next, measuring, mixing, sigh. She is giving me the recipe she follows, only SHE'S NOT FOLLOWING THE RECIPE! Well, now I know. I will never be able to replicate her amazingness, because she doesn't measure anything, and she is magical.
Fast forward about 3 months and we visited my parents over the Holidays. My mom has been making this "winter salad" that she and my dad love, and as it turns out, my research team could not get enough of the stuff! One night the after dinner conversation went like this...
Dad: "Anyone want some ice cream?"
Me: "Yes please!"
Research Team: "Can I have more salad?"
No, seriously. And he wasn't joking.
Fast forward two more weeks to today, and guess what.
No, guess. I think you might get it!
Fine, I'll tell you.
I REPLICATED MY MOM'S WINTER SALAD!!! No, I really did. It turned out just like hers. I am so happy, maybe, just maybe, I am a little magical too. (Or, with this particular salad, the ingredients are so good that the measurements don't really matter... or I'm magical too, either one.)
Note: I realize that the vegetables in a salad aren't hidden, but I figure, the goal is to eat more veggies, and my research team is definitely doing that!
Ingredients:
The must haves:
Green cabbage
Green onions
Blue cheese
Extra virgin olive oil (my mom says it has to be the good one... but I can't remember which one that is!)
Balsamic vinegar
Black pepper
Also choose one or more of the following:
Red peppers (my mom's favorite)
I used strawberries
Any other fruit or veggie or dried fruit or nuts
Directions:
Chop half of a cabbage head. Put in large bowl. Save the other half for tomorrow's salad. Chop green onions, add to bowl, chop strawberries, add to bowl. Add EVOO to salad, "enough to cover everything" yes, that is a direct quote from mom. Add balsamic vinegar to taste, sprinkle with blue cheese and pepper, stir. Eat. Enjoy.
OH! I almost forgot, here are some pictures:
I am swelling with pride, just looking at the pictures. :)
I know, you are rolling your eyes... thinking, 'it's just a salad, it's just... salad!'
Yes, it is just a salad, but it also might be the beginning of something magical! (Maybe I should try to make her cookies while I'm on a roll... Nah, I don't want to ruin it.)
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