You Could Totally Make That

If you were to ever come along with my mom and I as we shopped together you would think we were nuts for the way we cluck our tongues and say, "Tsk... you could totally make that," to each other as we walk through a store. If we're in a fabric store and stop to browse through patterns, she'll  mutter, "Tsk... you could totally make that." As we stroll through Cost Plus and admire a hand-knit cowl she'll say to me in passing, "Tsk, you could totally make that."

And you know what? I could totally make those things if I had all the time in the world and no commitments and a staff of three thousand (I'm talking to you, Martha Stewart).

Still I love how we enable each other, often to the point of goading. Sometimes I'll bite and go for a project that is out of my league (and occasionally knock it out of the ballpark) and other times the project that I thought I could do in my spare time sits there as a reminder of how little time I do actually have and maybe I could manage it better.

The point of this long-winded rant is that last week I bought a bagged kale salad mix at a fairly high-end grocery store in my neighborhood. It looked good and I thought it might save me a few minutes in the kitchen one day. Sure enough, it did save me time but the dressing was so overly sweet that I threw it out and made my own quick dressing by copying the ingredients on the back of the bag and omitting the sugar. I could practically hear my mom say, "You could totally make this."

So a few days later I had a bunch of kale in the fridge and a lot veggies leftover from our New Years resolution week. I put the salad together and not only did I knock it out of the park in terms of taste, but it gained another fan - my two year old.

I sat down with her so we could eat our lunches together, she with her peanut butter and jelly sandwich, cheese crackers and sugar snap peas and I with my salad. I got up for a moment to get us a drink to have with our lunches and when I came back, I saw this:

And this 

(Disclaimer: No chocolate chips were used in the taking of these pictures)

And this

I have no explanation for this other than the Rapture is coming, ya'll.

Kale Salad With the Works (aka You Could Totally Do This On Your Own Without a Recipe)

1 bunch kale, washed and torn into bite-size pieces
1 handful chopped red cabbage
1 shredded carrot
1 handful pomegranate seeds
1/2 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 quarter of a preserved lemon, chopped fine

Dressing (shake in a jar to combine):
1 lemon, squeezed
2 Tbls. EVOO
1-2 drops of sesame oil
1 Tsp. sesame seeds, toasted
Few drops of hot sauce
1 Tbls. rice vinegar
2 green onions, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the veggies in a bowl and toss with dressing. Let it sit for 30 minutes in the fridge before eating. The lemon does something magical to the kale to make it softer. If you happen to have a two year old nearby, leave them with this salad alone in a room and watch quietly from around the corner. It's like watching a leprechaun find his pot of gold. Seriously.