Healthy Friday

As National Poetry month winds down I thought Lea Johnstone's poem titled Poems Wander Shyly seemed like a fitting tribute to the joy of reading a poem and passing it along. This poem comes from her book "Autumn Drew Its Bedtime Bath."

Check out Amazon for purchase.

Lea has participated in the Northwoods Art and Book Festival several times. She is from Backus, MN near Hackensack. Not only does Lea write beautiful words but all the illustrations in her book are original paintings.  

Poems Wander Shyly
by Lea Johnstone

Poems wander shyly, like a stream
Meandering here and there
Their journey, forever unfolding
Some know their place and tell their story
Others drift without a care

Words, aligned in fluid rhythm,
Make the rivers flow
But while sumac can only look with wonder
Go, be a sojourner along that stream
For poetry is the vessel that holds one's soul

__________________________________________________________

Asian-Style Cobb Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Cook's notes: I was inspired by a photo on http://damndelicious.net/ for this Asian-Style Cobb Salad. I put my own spin on it by adding an extra crunch with tortilla strips and drizzled the salad with a tangy citrus vinaigrette. A sesame vinaigrette was suggested in original recipe. I did find a prepared one, Light Asian Toasted Sesame Salad Dressing by Kraft.  I was pleasantly surprised there were only 45 calories in 2 TB. 

This salad serves as the perfect light meal, full of protein and veggies. I will list the ingredients and it's the cook's decision how many servings are needed. The photo above made two generous servings. 

Salad Ingredients:

• chopped romaine
• slices of cooked chicken 
• diced hard boiled eggs
• diced avocado slices
• drained Mandarin oranges
• diced carrots or matchstick carrots
• diced green onions
• sesame seeds
• diced almonds or cashew pieces
• Tortilla Strips (found in produce section) 

Citrus Vinaigrette Ingredients:

• 3 TB. good quality white balsamic vinaigrette or Honey Ginger Balsamic 
• 3 TB. extra virgin olive oil or Blood Orange Olive Oil
• 2 TB. fresh orange juice
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp. honey
• 1 minced garlic clove 

Salad Directions:

• Arrange ingredients on a platter and serve dressing on the side in a bowl. 

Vinaigrette Directions:  

• Use a blender and mix all ingredients. Refrigerate one hour before serving for flavors to meld.