An Alfresco Lunch

I know, if you've seen one salad you've seen 'em all, but I know that, as a frequent salad eater, I've often enjoyed a fresh idea from a fellow blogger's page. So, in that spirit, here's what I ate for lunch today on my lovely patio. On a bed of romaine, I piled about a quarter of a cabbage, thinly sliced, a carrot, slivered, half a cucumber, half an avocado, a big handful of slivered almonds, a few ume radish pickles and some really very delicious dressing that evolved by accident. I will try to remember what's in it.

Let's see -- the dressing all started in the midst of my son's gluten- dairy- sugar-free cleanse diet. I wanted him to eat a little salad with his can of tuna fish (basically tuna and gluten free breakfast bars were all he was eating). He used to sometimes enjoy salad plain, with just ranch dressing. I attempted a dairy-free replacement for the ranch -- Organicville Herb Vinaigrette and a couple of tablespoons of Vegenaise. To my tastebuds it tasted exactly like ranch, but what do I know? Hans wouldn't have it. So I had a jar of rejected faux-ranch. That's where today's dressing started. I was craving lots of healthy fats today, hence the avocado and almonds on the salad. So I also added a heapin' helping of hummus to my faux ranch, and then a honkin' tablespoonful of tahini as well, and then shook it all up. YUM. YUM. What a delicious salad!  I feel like pouring that dressing into a bowl and eating it as a cold soup. JUST KIDDING! But seriously, the thought did cross my mind . . .

Here were my dining companions for my alfresco lunch today:

Here's Emma -- Isn't she pretty? She's just regal, patient, kind, pure love.

And here's the jelly-bean, Ellie. Smart as a whip, her intelligence and her self-control are at odds. She frequently spends long moments staring through our eye sockets into our souls, especially those of us who need it. Lately Hans has been the target of Ellie's psychic healing sessions. I actually think it helps, as a matter of fact.

I love these two girls! What great lunchtime company on this lovely day!