A Tale Of Two Salads (Or, What a Difference A Fridge Makes)

Tonight was Salad Night... we usually have a big salad for dinner once a week or so. We each like different things on our salads. We start with a base of chopped romaine. For Terri, that's then topped with pickled beets, finely chopped cauliflower, and avocado (and sometimes garbanzo beans, but not tonight). For me, I have cauliflower, tomatoes, cucumber, and avocado (and also sometimes garbanzo beans). This is the fairly standard recipe.

Terri likes hers arranged in piles like a chef salad. I like mine all mixed up.

Then, the dressing. For Terri, this salad is not complete without my homemade blue cheese dressing. I like goddess dressing (I usually buy it, although I could make it, now that I think about it). I'm happy that the goddess dressing contains all things I 'can have' during detox: tahini, garlic, etc. The blue cheese dressing, which is incredibly good, contains everything NOT on the list. So, none for me tonight.

However, if you'd like some, here's the recipe. It's adapted slightly from a Cook's Illustrated recipe, and Terri is completely addicted to it.

Best Blue Cheese Dressing
1/3 to 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese (I use Salem or Danish)
3 Tbls. buttermilk
3 Tbls. sour cream or Greek yogurt
2 Tbls. mayonnaise
2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

Whisk together. Will be fairly thick. Add lots of freshly ground pepper, and more salt if needed.

This dressing is possible because we have a new fridge! This is doubly good. First, it's obviously good because the other one stopped working, so we didn't have any fresh dairy for awhile. It's also really good because it's a full-size fridge! Yay!! After over two years of having a fairly small fridge (maybe 3/4 size of a standard?), we finally have a regular grown-up refrigerator!

This may not seem like a big deal, but it has been an issue the whole time we've lived here. The old one was just very cramped. We could barely fit what we needed in there. It was difficult to have a gallon of milk, a pitcher of orange juice and a container of rice milk on the top shelf. It was very frustrating. Not to mention, you had to literally squat down on the floor to get anything out. This was particularly difficult when Terri had back surgery, but it's no fun anytime.

And now: Ta-Da!

Look at all that room. I'm thrilled.

Saw the X-Files movie with Alex today in the new Alameda movie theater. Fun movie... sort of thin plot, but a lovely relationship portrait. I was pleased. I don't think I've actually gone to a movie in probably at least three years, so it was fun to go to a theater again. Park Street was a madhouse, there was a street festival happening and it was just crazy. We had some trouble finding parking but then it all went well.

We're going to see a well-respected psychic/medium on Monday. I'm very excited. I have no idea what to ask. I wonder who will show up?