Salad Support

So I haven’t been cooking or baking much lately partly because of grad school and partly because I decided to try Nutrisystem.  Expectedly, I have since stopped Nutrisystem.  I miss cooking and I just couldn’t stand to eat out of little boxes all the time.  Not to mention that the taste, while not wholly objectionable, left something to be desired.  Some of the meals were actually quite nice and very handy.  For example, I loved their individual portions of instant mashed potatoes.  Though they were not really distinct from other supermarket brands.  The pancake packets were marvelous.  You just add milk to mix and it makes two perfect pancakes that you can top with berries and things.  The little individual pizza’s were also fun because they reminded me of those english muffin pizza’s we used to get in after-school club.  But, and without any intention to defame Nutrisystem in anyway, the negative aspects far outweighed the positive ones for me personally.  The only thing that I will miss (and can’t quite replicate) is starting off my morning dipping an apple strudel scone in my mint tea and honey.  The reason I say that I can’t replicate this is because the scone didn’t really taste good on its own and was quite dense and difficult to eat, but once dipped it was delicious.  I wouldn’t really want to make a scone like that… also, it tasted nothing like a real scone.  So all in all its just not worth the effort.

Okay all that said, I have started using Fresh Picks again! I’m anticipating that the winter months, if this week’s delivery is anyindication, will bring lots of greenery and leafy goods.  Consequently, I need to start eating salads.  The problem is that there are very few salads that I actually enjoy or bother making.  Furthermore, I get tired of salad very easily… particuarly since I don’t/can’t make very many varieties.  I just seem to have a salad block 😦  I need help! Below I’ve listed things that I like and don’t like in salads.  You may notice that the former is filled with fats, proteins, and oily goods… uhh yeah that’s also a problem.  I tend to make salads unhelathy   …. help? … is it possible to work eggplant into salads?!?

Things I Like in Salads:

• Mozzerella, Feta, Goat Cheese, etc.
• Any Good Deli Meat
• Chicken (boiled or fried)
• Tomatoes
• Beets
• Sunflower Seeds
• Hard Boiled Eggs
• Avocados
• Shrimp
• Boson Lettuce, Spinach, Soft Lettuces
• GARLIC!! — raw, roasted, however I can get it 😛
• Pickles/Relish

Things I hate in Salads:

• Peppers
• Mushrooms
• Celery
• Nuts — mehates nuts in salad!
• Steak
• Artichokes
• Hard/Crispy Lettuce
• Bitter Greens
• Radishes

-Kate