Quinoa Summer Salad

This is me. Perfectly imperfect. Simply complicated. A beautiful mess. Quietly bold. (Okay, not always so quietly!)

I am a daughter. A mom. A grandma. A friend. I cook. I garden. I love junk. I love seeing beauty in not so beautiful things.

Now I blog. It's a journey; my life, my desire to be healthy, my quest to decorate my new home, a 1980's modern home with my love of antiques, and his love of all things contemporary,  our battle against creeping charlie, vetch, and every other imaginable weed to create a peaceful yard that matches it's amazing setting overlooking the MN river valley.

There are dreams, some so huge I think I'll never be able to live them. Some so small I wonder why I haven't yet. I've learned some nuggets of wisdom and information in my 48 (pronounced 29) years of living. Today's bit: see how simple you can make your day. You'll be amazed how big it will turn out!

Here's a little something I whipped up during our heat wave this week.  Totally perfect for the hot, hot, hot days. You know the ones - you can't breathe when you walk out to take the little doggie out to potty and by the time you get back to the house you need a shower because you're dripping in sweat kind of hot. Whew, I got warm just thinking about it!

So about my recipes.... I'm not a measurer. I think you need to taste and feel and see and smell to make things right. Unless I'm baking. Then measure. Use my recipes as a base. Grow your own favorite meal from there!

Quinoa Spinach Cannelloni Bean Salad


2 cups cooked quinoa (I used my rice cooker!)
2 cups baby spinach
1 can rinsed cannelloni beans
1 cup chopped fresh herbs from your garden, farmer's market, or wherever you get them!
  I used basil, mint, and parsley
1/2 cup diced garlic scape (use onion, shallots, garlic when scapes are not in season)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced jicama
1/2 cup peppers, chopped
1 cup fresh blueberries
Juice of a very juicy lime (or two not so juicy ones)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix together.  Chill.  Take a picture just in case you write a blog about it.  Send picture to your foodie daughter to make her jealous she's not home for dinner. Devour.  Comment about how when you eat this salad, the heat doesn't seem so bad.