when life gives you leftovers, make the best salad ever

I was just on the phone talking to a friend about balance. How we create balance in our lives and center everything we do around our prioritizes. First you have to know what those priorities are (which takes some people a lifetime), then you have to cut things out that don't align with those priorities and seek out the things that do. The only way it works is if you are reflecting often on how you feel and whether or not these priorities have shifted, evolved or just changed. Sometimes I get off track and think I want something that I really don't want (or start stressing about things that are important to other people, and then remember they just aren't important to me). Stopping and thinking about how I feel, what is actually making me happy helps me recenter - as does a chat with a good friend.

Balance is key and sometimes it means giving up something less important, or something you really, really want and need, but just cannot have at that moment. Like today, I couldn't chat for hours because I had to get into a gym class. Priorities and balance may not seem in alignment all the time, but practicing daily gets you closer to living the life just the way you want.

And this brings me to leftovers. I did not get to the farmer's market or even grocery store this weekend because I was either in the sewing studio or at a bar watching a soccer game. So Monday night I had random food items around. Since eating well is important to me, I used my imagination to make a delicious, albeit strange, salad.

The Strawberry Carrot Dream

Ingredients

a few carrots, shreddedabout 10 strawberries, slicedsome goat cheesesunflower seeds (or any nut)sunflower oilbalsamic vinegarhoney

Step 1: mix the carrots and strawberries

I like to have these room temperature.

Step 2: mix in the goat cheese

I used a wooden spoon and smushed it in.

Step 3: separately - mix the dressing

You can use any oil, I had sunflower oil so that is what I used. Any vinegar, I used balsamic. You can add salt and pepper - I did not.

Step 4: mix in dressing

Mix the carrot + strawberry mix with the dressing.

Step 5: mix in sunflower seeds

Step 6: Plate + drizzle with honey

Or - mix in with honey and then plate. Whichever you prefer.

This is not paleo or vegan, but those things ain't important to me! :) Two co-workers fell in love with this salad today, as did I.

Enjoy! And keep those priorities straight (but don't freak out when they change, because they will)