Salad ingredients

I have some stuff going on right now and need to get my behind moving and lose some of this behind.

Naturally, salads are a 'diet food" but they can get boring.  If you have a good list of ingredients you can add, you can mix things up a bit.

I actually like to mix fruit into my salads.  I have a sweet tooth, so this a way to get some of that sweet, without adding a bunch of calories.

Here's a list of ingredients you can add.  Mix and match to fit your tastes.

Protein
Chicken
Beef
Ham
Turkey
Tuna
Salmon
Shrimp
Egg
Chickpeas
Bacon - sparingly - unfortunately
Cheese - Try feta or sharp cheddar or other strong cheeses so you get flavor and don't use as much
Tofu - I don't like it, but other people do
Beans
Nuts


Vegetables
For the "base" I like to mix spinach with spring greens.  Spinach has so many more vitamins in it.  YOu can do straight spinach if you want.  I just like the mix of textures and tastes.
Cucumber
Carrot
Peppers
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Tomatoes
Avocado
Asparagus
Corn
Onion
Celery
Radishes
Mushrooms
Okra
Zucchini

Fruit
Berries - blueberry, strawberry, blackberry, raspberry
Apples
Dried cranberries
Grapes
Mango
Citruses - Orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime
Pomegranate
Pineapple

You can add some grains if you like.  A nice couscous or a whole wheat pasta.  Quinoa if you're gluten free.  Add some crunch with baked tortilla chips.

If you're still not inspired, check out Pinterest.  There are great recipes for making a week's worth of salad in a mason jar.

If your kids are picky eaters, set up a salad bar and allow them to pick toppings for a salad.  You might be surprised by what they choose and what they'll try.  My daughter actually likes asparagus!!  We love a salmon, asparagus and feta salad with a hot bacon dressing.  I had this in a restaurant and loved it, so we make it at home now.

What's your favorite salad topping?

Small Business Spotlight - Allechant Boutique

Sorry for the gap in posting  I took an actual vacation with my husband and daughter.

Today's small business is one of my favorites.  Allechant Boutique in Plymouth, WI.  This is a boutique store with reasonable prices.  Most everything in the store is under $100.

This is a fun shop with scarves, jewelry, clothing, purses, vintage jewelry and vintage clothing as well.  My daughter calls it "the fancy shop" and she always finds something she likes there.  I took my husband to the store one day, and he was surprised.  They carry a lot of items that he didn't expect.

This is my go-to shop for gifts.  I can always find something unique.

You can shop via their new website.  It's a work in progress right now, but if you see something you like and you're looking for a similar item or a different color, just give them a call.  The number is in the photo above.  You can also find them on Facebook.  You will find photos of many of the items they carry.  Again, if you can't find something, give them a call.

If you, or the gift recipient, is a plus size, not to worry.  Allechant has you covered.  There is a great selection of plus sized items as well.  The smaller sizes work well for teens, as well as the jewelry, scarves and other accessories.

Check out Allechant for gifts for the ladies on your list, or treat yourself to something wonderful.  You're worth it.  If you stop in the store, don't forget to sign up for the free drawings they have, and sign up for text alerts for sales.

Small business spotlight - Etsy

Continuing with our small business theme... Let me introduce you to Etsy if you're not familiar with it.

I call it the E-Bay of crafters.  Etsy itself is not a small business, but it is a collection of small businesses.  Etsy consists of individually owned shops.  The shops sell things from clothing to jewelry to vintage items, to just about anything you can think of.  Many of the shop owners don't have a brick and mortar store.  They work from their homes.  It is the epitome of small business.

Here is an example. This my shop.  I have mostly sewn and knit items.  If you are a crafter, you can find patterns for various things as well.

One of my favorite shops is Sky Feathers Trading.  They sell beautifully hand crafted Native American items.  Many of the items can be customized.  I bought an amazing hand painted feather when our pastor left to go on to a new job.  The painting was customized for the journey she had already been on, as well as where her life was taking her.  It turned out beautifully.

These are some samples of the feathers.

In case you think you can't find anything for someone on your list, let me challenge you.  My father-in-law is one of the hardest people to shop for.  However, he loves Silverton, Colorado. I did a quick search on Silverton.  I found a wide variety of things, and one thing in particular that I think he'll love.  If he's reading this, no... I'm not going to disclose what it is.

Check it out and support these home based businesses.  They'll be happy to help you out.  Many stores have the ability to custom make gifts for you as well.