Summer Fresh Salads

For the past several weeks I've been enjoying delicious salads for lunch at least a few days every week. They look pretty intricate and maybe even a little intimidating to prepare but honestly they were so simple to make. In the past I've often taken salads for lunch but since having kids my lunches have dwindled down to grabbing last's night leftovers - much less time consuming...especially first thing in the morning when I'm running around trying to get myself ready, help with the kids and get out of the house by 7:15am.

In April I started teaching kindergarten full-time and suddenly my mornings got even crazier. After forgetting to set my alarm one morning I woke up with just enough time to brush my teeth, get dressed and throw a bunch of raw, unwashed vegetables and some spinach into a large Tupperware container. My hubby actually laughed at me when he realized what I was bringing for lunch, then passed me some salad dressing..."this might help" he said.

What I didn't have time to do at home that morning, I made time for on my lunch. I washed and cut all the vegetables, then got creative putting it together. It seriously only took about 10 minutes max and not only did it look good, it tasted amazing! I found myself wanting to do the same thing again and again, which is exactly what I did. I tried switching up the ingredients each day (adding fruit,

nuts, meat and other alternatives). Here are some of my creations...

I wanted to share because I thought it might provide some creative inspiration for other moms and dads who don't always have time to prepare a healthy lunch for themselves in the morning. It's also that time of year when all the local Farmer's Market are starting up and what better way to buy your fresh produce? I can hardly wait to hit up a couple of them this long weekend!

Have a wonderful LONG weekend!

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