FIRST DAY OF SUMMER 2019!!!!!

I just can't contain my excitement on the first day of Summer!  It IS my season!  I was born in the summer and I come to bloom again each summer, just like a perennial plant... HELLO SUMMER (insert emoji with wide open hugging arms) It's me, It's me It's Vickie G and here I am to enjoy every glorious day of this season.

What is not to like about summer I ask?  Sunshine, warm rain, thunder storms, fireworks, hotdogs, hamburgers, GRILLING, watermelon, flowers, swimming in pools/lakes/oceans/ponds, picnics, fireflies, suntan lotion, topless days and topless nights (talking about my convertible... but that one is free for imagination), cookouts, family/friend gatherings, boating, skiing, tubing, sand castle building (much preferred over snowman building), outdoor concerts... basically Summer feels like a 3 month long celebration of Sunshine.

Sunshine is ,and ALWAYS will be on the top of my list of MOST FAVORITE THINGS!  I seek it like a sunflower follows its face to the sun.  Sunshine smells good... it feels good... it just makes my soul smile.  I have been known (as in actually being caught in the act) to just lie on the concrete driveway with my arms and legs splayed out like I am making a snowangel, just to soak up the warmth that is still held in the concrete at the end of the day.  I might add that the driveway and porch where I would lie splayed out was when we lived in Hutchinson KS, on a cul-de-sac street, very wooded, and we were the only house on the street... it was a private location... however... cars would occasionally drive down the road looking at the available lots, and there I would be, caught like a deer in headlights, laying splayed out soaking up the sun.  Usually though, I would hear the car approaching before it could view my sun soaking activity and I would just be sitting there sipping my ice tea and waving... the times I got caught were because I had fallen asleep while splayed out in my sun soaking... which falling asleep happens often when I lie in the sun.

This is my first summer that I have the opportunity to spend with all of my grandchildren. We recently moved from Portland OR to KY... or moved 'back home' is how we feel.  Its been 9 years since we lived in this area.  The week we found out about our relocation move is the same week we found out about our first 2 grandchildren pregnancies (the first 2 are only 3 weeks apart).  It was hard moving away from my clan just as my clan was expanding and I would have a forever new role as Grandmother... or in my clan Gigi, I role I had waited 10 years for.  The 9 years we were away I traveled every 6 weeks to spend time with my clan... those were tough years, but priceless reward for the closeness we all share, and worth every mile traveled.  The eldest grands are 8 years old and ready to spend quality time with us.  The youngest is 9 months old, so the youngest grands will never remember we ever lived away.  Life is sooooo good and I am sooooo blessed to have this opportunity to be back in the nest of my precious clan.  The summer time plans we have this year will be memorable for us all.

I am dancing a jig all day with excitement that TODAY is the longest day of 2019, and on this first day of summer 2019 the sun IS shining quite brightly and warmly!!!!  May all of you who read this post also have sunshine to celebrate today!

Holding up my glass to yours in a Cheer/Toast to SUMMER 2019!!!!!!!!

Hello Again!

Hello Readers!

It's been over 5 years since my last post... YIKES!!!  What happened you ask?  Where did I go?  The answer is just this... life happened... I was busy moving and relocating, and gaining 6 more precious grandchildren along the way.
My husband and I have relocated 3 times (3 states Ohio, Oregon, Kentucky) since my last post... so as you can see... life really did happen and life was really busy to the point I had totally forgotten about this little blog of mine until this very moment when I was going through my laptop cleaning out old apps... and by gosh here was my little blog sitting here neglected all this time just waiting to be re-visited.

Lets see if I can give an uber condensed version of the past 5 years...

2014
In January I was a Guest Chef for Jillians Italian Grill in Hutchinson KS... I cooked a 4 course meal for 60 guests for a wine tasting dinner... all made in house in my home, transported to the restaurant, plated and served... I received a standing ovation... it was a STELLAR night!  The menu was...
Appetizer - Classic Bruchetta
Salad- Bleu Provence
Entree- Ragu w/penne pasta (it took 3 days of slow cooking to make the rage)
Dessert - Deconstructed Queen of Sheba Mini Cakes.
What an awesome experience that was!

A tour of wine country in Napa Valley was a delightful trip we enjoyed in March.  BEAUTIFUL!

In May our eldest daughter graduated with her Doctorate in Nursing Degree... we are quite proud parents for sure!

September brought us our 3rd grandchild (3rd grandson) Hamilton... the hair!!!  Such a cutie.

Joe and I had a wonderful trip to Alaska in August.


2015
Grandchild/Grandson #4 arrived in March... George... another sweet nugget to snuggle and add to our clan!

In April we relocated from Hutchinson KS, to Columbus OH... 2 hours from the center of our clan nest of family instead of the 14 hour drive... we feel like we have come back home.  This is our 2nd time to live in Columbus, we LOVE Columbus!

2016
My first time EVER to go to Disneyland or Disneyworld happened in February... OH HOW MAGICAL!!!!

April brought us our 5th Grandchild and our 1st Granddaughter!!!  Ellie Ann... OH MY GOODNESS how sweet you are... we are delighted to also add our first redhead to the clan, as well as our 1st IVF baby.  Ellie Ann arrived into MANY open arms waiting to hold her tiny self.  She is just a blessing in sooo many ways and very long awaited for by her loving parents, who went through 3 years of everything to finally receive this precious gift from our LORD.

Joe and I celebrated our 38th Anniversary in New York City with our very dear and best friends, attending the Broadway Show 'Hamilton' in the Rodgers and Hammerstein Theater.  There are simply not enough words, nor words eloquent enough  to describe what a marvelous theater production this is.  The BEST show I've seen, and I've seen many... looking forward to seeing it again.
I had broken my left big toe knuckle the day before we were to leave for NY... knowing there was nothing to be done about it, I just grabbed my 'shoeboot' from my past bunion surgery, strapped it on and clumped my way through that long weekend in NY City staying well dosed on Tylenol.  Broken toe or not... still one of the best trips EVER!  When I returned home I finally went to the orthopedic to have toe x-rayed... it was actually broken much worse than I thought, to the point the X-rays made the Doctor wince.  But... I was correct about time being the only healer and continue wear of the 'shoeboot'.  A little thing like a broken toe isn't going to keep this feisty girl down!  :  )

2017
April we move again, relocating to Portland Oregon!!!  This southern country girl doesn't know anything about the Pacific Northwest... but I'm eager to discover it's charms. Joe and I grew up on, and our parents still reside in the rural country side of Kentucky, so urban living was a whole new world altogether for me.  However, Joe and I LOVE our experience in Portland as empty nesters, living the city life comfortably.  I am sooo very blessed to have this opportunity of living this experience in my life.  Priceless!!!!  We drove to wine country several times, drove the waterfall route, visited the International Rose Garden several times, drove to the Oregon Coast, visited Seattle many times, visited Mount Hood several times, and could see Mount Hood clearly from our patio balcony... we are on the top floor of a 16 floor high-rise.  I shaved the left side of my head and had a pixie style on the other... wore my hair that way for 2 years and constantly got stopped on the street with compliments... it was cool and hip and very Portland, which I wanted to embrace 100%.  I watched the 99.2% of the moon eclipse in this lovely park downtown Portland, making several new friends that awesome day.

October I had left shoulder rotator cuff and bicep repair surgery... FINALLY relief after 2 years of an arm that would not function and being in constant pain. Surgeon was PHENOMENAL!!! Healed like a champ.  But also sadly a week post surgery my adorable Father in law passed away after several years of illness.  His immediate family surrounded  him in much love as he crossed from one world into the next.  He is with us still.

November (the week before Thanksgiving) we find out that my daughter who is 21weeks pregnant is carrying a baby with a zero percent chance of viability.  Babies in this circumstance usually terminate themselves by the 6th month... but our little Jonathan Angel beat his little heart to full term... delivered at 37 weeks, absolutely beautiful perfect baby boy... he was in this world a mere hour and 15 minutes... but the love he brought and the love he continues to send is with us every day.  He is a blessing, meant to be our forever angel.  Our daughter Jessica who was blessed to be chosen to carry an angel full term, knowing it wasn't hers to keep on earth, did so with such grace and beauty.  She has been to the depths of the worst emotional, mental, and physical pain imagined, yet she did so with nothing but love in her heart... she continues to do so.

2018
February our sweet Jonathan Baden arrived to bless us with our 6th Grandchild/5th grandson.  He was BEAUTIFUL... he continues to fill our hearts with love as he watches over us from heaven.

June we added our 7th Grandchild/6th grandson to our clan with Hamilton Otto... such a happy chillax baby.  Our nest is growing fuller and fuller and we feel blessed and elated to have so many grand nuggets to love on.

July Joe and I celebrated our 40th Anniversary in Hawaii... on the main island with the volcano that had been erupting for 4 months and was still erupting... we took a helicopter ride over the volcanic eruption for an unbelievable experience.

In September I celebrated my 60th Birthday... WOW!!!  I was surprised in Portland OR by  my BESTIES Abby and Norma along with their hubbies for my birthday... and not only was it a HUGE surprise... but the first surprise birthday I have ever had... because I am always involved in some way for all social functions, it is just hard to surprise me.  It was an EXCELLENT surprise!!  I celebrated my birthday in KY with my family, who took me to dinner on a party bus... it was a wonderful night!

Our 8th Grandchild/2nd granddaughter (2nd IVF baby) Mia Abigail joined our clan in October... she is truly her mothers clone!!!  Happy is the word we use to describe sweet Mia.  Interesting fact... Ellie and Mia are actually fraternal twins born 2 years apart... we celebrate Mia for surviving the Ice Age as a frozen embryo... don't you just LOVE science!!!

2019
We have FINALLY returned Home!!!!!  We are beyond thrilled to have been relocated again... and for the FINAL time... in April we moved back to our family nest in KY.  It is just sooooooo good to be back home again.

This brings my story to current status... which in 2 weeks Joe and I are taking our 2 oldest grandsons (Henry and Liam) on a road trip across America as we fly to Portland OR to retrieve our RV and drive it back home to KY.  Excited is pretty much the state of mind we exist in presently... there will be an entire blog about our adventure once we return home.

Thank you for stopping by to catch up... hopefully you will visit again.  Until then... have a lovely day/evening.

A Gift From Heaven

I am an avid reader, and in several novels I have read, the main character has received an unexpected gift from a loved one who had passed away.  I always thought it would be so special to receive a gift like that myself.  Well... I can finally say it did indeed happen to me.  An unexpected gift arrived from my Dad who passed away just 2 months ago... and it arrived just when I was deeply feeling his loss, and really needing to feel his presence.

One of my all time favorite authors is Sue Grafton and her alphabet series... A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse... etc.  I have read every single book in this series and anxiously await for the next novel to be written and hit the market.  My Dad and I both shared a love for Sue Grafton and all her books.

When my Dad passed away a couple months ago, my brother and I had to go through his apartment and all his personal possessions to pack them up, give them away, and choose items we wanted to keep for ourselves.  It was a tedious and emotional experience... we found ourselves feeling every invasive of his personal space... but it was a task that had to be done, and could only be done by my brother and I.  While it does feel very invasive, it also serves as good closure and an end to completely knowing everything possible about one who has passed from your life.

While going through his personal items, we found totes and totes of books he had read, planned on reading, or was in the middle of reading.  I get my love of reading from both my parents.  I came across a couple of Sue Grafton's books that I had not yet read, so of course I took these items to read and to cherish.  As I read these books over the next few weeks, I couldn't help but continually think of my Dad... remembering many happy moments of him sitting or lying in the window seat, reading on cold snowy and rainy days, or of the many books we would chat about after reading them, or the many cookbooks he would send to me for my Birthday and Christmas, and the many books I would send to him on his Birthday, Christmas, and Father's Day.  It was good to enjoy reading Sue Grafton's books, as well as taking this walk down memory lane with my Dad.

The first year of firsts without a loved one is always tough... however, my first first was my Birthday, and my Birthday just happens to be one of those special days I ALWAYS knew I would get to chat with my Dad.  I would receive a very special card with a hand written sweet message inside, and he would always send me a new cookbook.  I had just finished reading the last of the Sue Grafton books I had gotten from his apartment, when my Birthday rolled around.  The day of my Birthday made me really really miss my Dad.

Immediately after my Dad passed away, I was looking online for when Sue Graton's new book (W) would be released.  While searching on Amazon.com for this book, a window popped up about entering a sweepstake to win her new book "W is for Wasted" and be one of the first to obtain a copy of this book before it actually hit the market.  So... of course I entered this sweepstake... then I completely forgot about it and was patiently waiting for this new book to hit the market so I could purchase it and begin reading it.

It just so happens that I indeed won this book!  Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!  I was beyond excited to have actually won this new book of Sue Grafton's... but... in my heart I just KNEW that my Dad had had something to do with it.  I'm convinced he sent this book to me from Heaven for my Birthday, and it arrived just when I was missing him the most.  I am currently in the middle of reading and enjoying this new novel... and thinking of my Dad with each page I read, but... I also feel such peace and happiness inside knowing how much my Dad would have also enjoyed reading this new book.

Some may think that this is all just a coincidence... but I truly believe this was a gift from Heaven, sent to me by my Dad to let me know he too misses me, and was indeed thinking of me on my Birthday.  Thank you Daddy for this AWESOME gift, I will cherish it forever, and you made my Birthday the most special of all Birthday's!  I still miss you bunches, but now I KNOW you ARE still with me and will always be watching over me!  LOVE and HUGS, Victoria!

Feeling Fallish

Well here it is that time of year again, when Summer is waning and Autumn is falling.  Some love this time of year, and some dread this time of year.  I'm one of those who is already mourning and whining about the end of Summer.  I am a heat and sun seeker, wanting to be outside from sun up til sun down.  There are 5 days left until the "official" end of Summer and beginning of Fall... the question is.... where DID this Summer go?

I can feel Fall in the air, and am beginning to see signs of Fall in the trees.  I really actually don't mind the Fall season... it's just that... Fall comes and goes so quickly, and then before you can say Happy Halloween, we are in the midst of Winter.  Fall is definitely a very beautiful time of the year, with a the beautiful colors, crispiness in the air, and a very earthy scent filling the nostrils.

On my bucket list is taking a trip up to the North East for the "color tour"... however, this won't be the year for that because my schedule is already booked thru January, but I am sure it will get checked off my bucket list in the next couple of years.

I truly try to be a positive person... so in keeping with that... I will focus on the good things that the season of Fall brings with it.  Such as... caramel apples, leggings/jeans worn with boots, sweaters and scarfs, Halloween and Trick or Treating.  Thanksgiving and the feast that goes with, pumpkins, apple pie, football games and tailgating, apple cider and hot chocolate, lit fires in the fire place... the list goes on and on, and I'm sure you readers have your own special things to add to this list.

Once Winter has also arrived, it's not soooo bad... the snow is pretty and delightful, Winter brings Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day.  But Winter also brings... heavy coats and sweaters that are necessary, along with the need for car hinnie heaters and defrosting the windows.  Once the fun holidays of Winter have come and gone, there is always the promise that Spring is just around the corner.

I do enjoy the change that the different seasons bring with them, but no season makes me happier than Summer... with the scent of suntan lotion, chlorine, and sunshine!  Here's to a fun Fall, beef stew, caramel apples, cutie patootie children in their Halloween costumes, and to boots, sweaters, and scarfs!

Birthday Reflections

Today is my 55th Birthday... yes... I turned double nickels today!  The weirdest part of turning 55 is that I just don't feel like I am 55... I truly feel like I'm 35.  Even though my body says... "OH YES YOU ARE 55".... my brain says differently.  I have never been one who dreads my Birthday or the number of years I have reached... each one is a celebration, and each day in between is a blessing.  I hope to celebrate Birthdays up into my 90's or even reach 100.... IF I'm still of sound mind and body.  I proclaim my age happily without hesitation, and always will.

On the day of all my Birthdays, I reflect back on the past year, what I have experienced (good and bad), and then I reflect forward on what I want to do in the year ahead.  This past year has had many good times and some of my deepest saddest times as well... and this is definitely my hardest Birthday yet, because my Dear Sweet Dad passed away just 6 weeks ago.  I didn't get to see, visit, or talk to my Dad often... but when we did get to connect it was ALWAYS just so special.  I could always count on him calling me on my Birthday, getting a card from him with a loving message inside, and usually getting a new cookbook as a gift from him.  I can't help but just feel sad today knowing I won't get that phone call from him ever again, and not smiling at receiving the cookbook he had selected just for me.  The year of firsts is always the hardest when a loved one passes from your life... but it's really hard when your first first is your Birthday.  I sure do miss you Dad!!!!!

Moving on to happier times of this past year... my husband Joe and I purchased a new house in Florida.  It is the first house in our 35 year marriage that we bought just because we wanted to live in a certain place.  Our entire marriage has been us "having" to move here or there for his career... never knowing how long we will get to stay in each place, and never knowing where the next move will take us.  We decided it was time to take advantage of the slow housing market, and the great interest rates to purchase a vacation/retirement home for our future.  We absolutely LOVE our new home and have already spent several weeks enjoying time in it.

I had bunion surgery on my right foot 2 days after my Birthday last year, and then bunion surgery on my left foot in January this year... here I am a year later, getting my screws removed next week and pretty much back to 100% with my feet.  It was a long year of recovery, but it felt like it went quickly and the pain was far less than I expected.  It was surgery that needed to be done, the pain prior to the surgery was MUCH worse than any of the pain post surgery, and here I am... all done!

I received a GORGEOUS yellow diamond bracelet from my AWESOME husband this year for our 35th wedding Anniversary!  35 years with my soulmate and love of my life.... I'm just soooo very blessed!

I've met several new friends this year, who have become some of my 'Dearest Friends'.  Other than my Father's passing a few weeks ago, (which I am soooo grateful, and feel so blessed that I made it to his bedside before he passed, and held his hand until he left this world for the next) this has been a really wonderful year, full of love, friendship, opportunities, and blessings.  Sooo much to look forward to in the year ahead of me.

I am looking forward to being a Guest Chef in this year in front of me... a challenge and opportunity I never thought possible.  I am excited about my menu for this Guest Chef appearance, and the evening spent with others who will enjoy my labors.  I look forward to many more trips, and time spent in Florida enjoying our new home with family, friends, and loved ones.  I look forward to being able to play golf again after my year recovery with my feet.  I look forward to continue learning the two new languages I am in the process of learning (French and Spanish).  I look forward to also being able to race my husband's porsche again after my year of recovery.  And with the smell and feel of Fall in the air, I am looking forward already to next Summer... my FAVORITE time of the year!

Who knows what other opportunities and blessings lie ahead of me in my path as I live each day of my 55th year... but I am excited for each day ahead of me, for every loved one and friend who I will get to spend time with this year, and for all the new challenges I will get to engage in.  Getting older is a wonderful thing.  We can reflect back on all our good times, cherish all the times we were able to spend with loved ones, and hopefully change those things we need to change from the lessons and mistakes we have made in the past.  It is only 10:00 am and I have already had a morning filled with loving Happy Birthday wishes from loved ones, family, and friends!  I truly am VERY BLESSED!  Here's to my year of double nickels!!!!

Guest Chef

There are some things that can be accomplished while living in a small town, that just can't be done in a big town.  Being a Guest Chef at our favorite Italian Bistro is one of these things.  My husband Joe and I have lived in the tiny town of Hutchinson Kansas for 3+ years now.  When we first arrived to this town and discovered our favorite restaurant that we frequent every Friday Night Date night (unless we are out of town), the owners learned that I was a certified Chef and have invited me several times over these past 3 years to be a guest Chef for them.

To tell the truth, I have declined this offer each time I was asked because I was just too intimidated to give it a try.  Even though I am classically trained, have my diploma, and have been cooking since the age of 6, I have never worked in a public restaurant.  I am Joe's personal Chef, and I enjoy cooking meals for others when they are ill, when we are entertaining guests in our home, or when I visit my children.  My favorite place to be is in the kitchen cooking, but I haven't felt I was qualified or experienced enough to actually cook for the general public.  Ever since earning my Chef certificate, I have been asked numerous times if I planned on opening a restaurant or working in a restaurant.  My answer is always no, because I cook for the love and passion of cooking, not to earn a living at it.  Too much stress!

After much reflection, and having been asked once again to be a guest Chef, I decided I should take on the challenge.  I feel like I finally have a 4 course menu plan that I am comfortable with, dishes that have become signature dishes for me, and why not give it a whirl.  The dinner I will be creating for this experience will be just for 40 local folks, and will be paired with a wine tasting during the meal.  It will be a mediterranean menu, having both french and italian dishes.

I am excited about this opportunity and am confident it will be a success.  I will be having a mock dinner tasting with the owners of the Bistro, their Chef/date, their Sommelier/date, and another couple who work for the owners.  Joe will serve the wine for our mock dinner, but the dinner is mostly for the Sommelier to taste so she can decide what wines to pair with this meal when we do the real thing, and for the owners to get an idea of my menu.

My menu is:

Appetizer - Bruschetta
Salad - Bleu Provence (I have another blog dedicated to this salad)
Main Course - Ragu w/penne pasta and crusty bread (I also have a blog dedicated to this ragu recipe)
Desert - Deconstructed Queen of Sheba Cake - (I also have a blog dedicated to this Queen of Sheba cake)

For the Bruschetta I plan on pan sauteing thick slices of french bread in a mixture of olive oil and butter, placing a slice of fresh mozzarella cheese on top, with grape heirloom tomatoes on top of the cheese and drizzled with olive oil, and  then sprinkled with sliced fresh basil .  I will have dabs of balsamic syrup on the plate around the bruschetta.

The Bleu Provence Salad will be a mixture of baby spring greens, fresh finely chopped herbs sprinkled on top of the greens (chives, basil, parsley, tarragon), tiny diced watermelon, and a few grape tomatoes.  The dressing will be my tarragon/shallot vinaigrette.

The Ragu main course is my now famous recipe of braised beef, veal, and pork in a rich tomato sauce, served over penne pasta, with shaved fresh parmesan cheese on top, and crusty bread for sopping up the sauce.

For the deconstructed Queen of Sheba cake, I plan on making the single layer cake and cutting out small circles with a cookie cutter.  I will then place the mini cakes on top of a layer of chocolate ganache, drizzled with more chocolate ganache over top, sprinkled with a few sliced almonds, and served with 3 fresh raspberries on the side.

Because the ragu is a heavy dish, I decided to lighten up both the appetizer and salad, and while the Queen of Sheba cake is very rich, it is also a very delicate desert.  In fact,  Joe and I both refer to this cake as chocolate cotton candy!  And because ragu is a heavy dish, my guest Chef debut will be in Jan. 2014.

I am looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and cooking for the general public.  These dishes are ones I prepare on a regular basis, always getting grand reviews when I prepare them... so I can't say I'm nervous or anxious, just excited.  Those who will be attending this dinner will be locals with gourmet palates... it should be a wonderful night spent doing the thing I love most.

Bleu Provence Salad

I have created a new salad, so fresh on your tongue, that you spend the entire time eating it trying to figure out the complex, yet simple taste of it.  My husband and I found this quaint French restaurant in Naples Florida called "The Bleu Provence", where I first encountered this delish salad, and have been trying to replicate ever since.  I think I have finally created a version of my own that is similar, yet unique in my own way.  I'm quite pleased with my final creation, and will be making it a lot in the future... totally owning the recipe as my own, but will continue to call it Bleu Provence Salad from it's inspiration from that restaurant.

I love re-creating dishes that I have enjoyed in other places... tweaking them with my own flavor profiles, but keeping the taste in general as close to the original, so as to get the same palate sensations when I eat them that takes me back to the place when I first discover the tasty delight.

This salad is quite simple, very fresh, and very palate teasing at the same time.  I have inquired about it's ingredients each time I visit this restaurant, and it only took 5 visits to this restaurant to finally put the pieces together in order to give it a try myself.  My family has always enjoyed eating salads with meals, and it is always nice to add a new variety to the menu.  I will include my recipe at the bottom of this blog for you to try, or to tweak as you like with you own flavor profile.

The most interesting components of this salad is the small pieces of watermelon in it, as well as the fresh minced herbs tossed throughout, and the light vinaigrette dressing which is used quite sparingly.'

I begin with a blend of baby spring greens (a mixture of baby lettuces, that can be found prepackaged in most grocery stores), rinsed and spun dry.  I arrange a handful or so of these greens in individual salad bowls.  Then I take a mix of fresh herbs (thyme, basil, chives, parsley or cilantro) and chop them into a find mince and sprinkle a pinch over top of each individual salad.  Next comes diced watermelon... (I prefer to use the personal seedless size watermelons because... A) the lack of seeds, and... B) the sweetness level is much better... but any watermelon will do).  I dice the watermelon into a small dice, and scatter over top the sprinkled on herbs.  I then place 3 grape tomatoes on top that have been sliced in half, and last but not least is the homemade salad dressing.  I made this salad for dinner tonight... just to make sure I had measurements and taste correct for this blog... and WOWZERS... it is my new all time favorite salad ever.

Below is my salad and dressing recipe... this salad will only be as good as the ingredients you use.  This is one of those times when you need to invest in a good quality olive oil, either white or red wine vinegar and a box of kosher salt (kosher salt is inexpensive and a box goes a long way... you should be using kosher salt in all your cooking instead of table salt).  Fresh herbs are a must, DO NOT substitute dried herbs, or the entire flavor profile will be altered and the delicateness of this salad will be lost completely.  You can substitute any fresh herbs with the ones I have listed to create your own flavor profile.

THYME VINAIGRETTE

1/4 cup - Wine Vinegar  - (I have used both white wine and red wine vinegar... both are equally delish, and it is totally your preference which one you use)
1/2 cup - Olive Oil - (use a good quality olive oil since it is being consumed in it's raw state versus a cooked state, where a less expensive olive oil matters less)
1 small - shallot, finely chopped
1 stem - fresh thyme
pinch - kosher salt - (if all you have is table salt, omit salt from this recipe)

Place all ingredients in a shaker container of any kind... tupperware, mason jar w/lid, or in an open bowl and whisk it.  Mix all ingredients well... set aside... right before dressing salad, this mixture may need to be re-shaken or mixed.

BLEU PROVENCE SALAD

Baby Greens Lettuce Mixture - a handful per salad, washed and dried
1 stem - Fresh Thyme
2-3 Leaves - Fresh Basil
1 stem - Fresh Italian Parsley
3-4 - Fresh Chives
3 - Grape Tomatoes per salad, sliced in half
2 Tbsp - Watermelon per salad, small dice

Finely chop all fresh herbs together.  Place a handful of greens in individual bowls, for as many as needed.  Sprinkle a pinch of fresh herb mixture over top of greens.  Add tomatoes and watermelon on top of fresh herb mixture.  Add thyme vinaigrette right before serving, or allow individuals to add their own amount of dressing to their salads.

Serve, eat and enjoy!  :  )