2019 is back in action and this year will be a year of slowing down, noticing and celebrating small joys, and of course adding new recipes into the portfolio!

Taking a mini internet hiatus over the December break gave me some much needed time to pause, reflect on, and notice many of the positive things happening around me.  It is so easy to rush through the day from sunup to sundown crossing off list items and moving quickly from one event to the next. Had I been moving too fast I would have missed these two pennies that emerged when cleaning up our holiday decorations! 1893 – how cool is that?

This year, I will do my best to slow down!  This quote, recently shared with me, resonates with some of my 2019 intentions:

“You have traveled too fast over false ground; now your soul has come to take you back.  Take refuge in your senses, open up to all the small miracles you rushed through.” – John O’Donohue

With the return to a normal work week I’ve launched back into lunchbox meal prepping. This week I decided to make these Steak Cobb Salads with Quinoa! Each salad had a layer of spinach and then rows of bacon, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, seared steak, feta, quinoa, and avocado.  This salad was filling, packed with protein, and definitely increased my “eat the rainbow” totals for the week. (Laura, I have you to thank for that one).

This salad is versatile, as the greens could be swapped out as well as the cheese. We chose to add quinoa but this could be left out or swapped for another grain such as farro. Other toppings could include seeds, radishes, cucumbers, corn, or beans. Go crazy! And then of course the dressing choices are endless. I still need to learn how to make an avocado dressing – who has a recipe to send me?  

Happy 2019! I’m looking forward to a year more food exploration and adventures.  On the list is homemade ravioli, creative lasagna variations, more freezer burritos, and finding more ways to use the instant pot.  If you have places for me to start please share!