Big Ol' Salad
I can’t believe I used to consider iceberg lettuce topped with sliced lunch meat a salad. Boring! No wonder I thought salads were so lame for the longest time.
To me, a big part of living and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is making it enjoyable. I can honestly say I look forward to eating every single one of my meals – even the salads – because I always try to incorporate flavorful foods that I love into my breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
I would never look forward to eating plain salads, so I beef ’em up by adding foods I love like grape tomatoes, nuts, cheese, sweet corn and sliced veggie burgers or shrimp.
Today’s salad included:
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Sweet corn
- Grape tomatoes
- Green pepper
- Celery
- 3 MorningStar Farms veggie bacon strips
- Annie’s Naturals light raspberry vinaigrette dressing
Dressing
Veggie Overload
So fresh and so clean, clean. 😉
I should also add that I enjoyed a handful of almonds alongside my salad that eluded any photographs.
Dessert
After eating lunch at my desk, I met up with my friend Philip at a nearby Starbucks to catch up over some refreshing tea.
I ordered an unsweetened Tazo iced passion tea to enjoy as my post-lunch dessert.
Starbucks Iced Passion Tea
(Totally kidding about considering a cup of tea “dessert,” by the way. Just wanted to see how many of you rolled your eyes and sent hate-vibes my way for doing so. 😉 )
I sipped my non-dessert while chatting away with Philip.
I met Philip when I was in college. He was in Ryan’s fraternity and later became my Greek “little brother.” (Those of you early PBF readers may remember seeing Philip on the blog back in October.)
Philip just graduated from law school at UF and will be moving back to Orlando at the beginning of August to begin work at a local law firm. He’s like a real adult. 😉
I can’t imagine being a real lawyer at 25.
When I was in eighth grade I remember my English teacher telling me I should become a lawyer because I was so argumentative (I had a lot of opinions about the books we were reading). This teacher is the same teacher who told me I was going to give him a heart attack from popping my gum so loudly.
Question of the Afternoon
Has anyone ever told you what they think you should do for a living? Did you do it?
I’ve been told I should be a lawyer, news anchor, professional blogger (thanks, Merri!), and writer. I became the last one but would gladly be any of the last three. 🙂
Of Possible Interest
- Bikini Secrets from Brooklyn Decker, Audrina & Cameron Diaz (FitSugar.com)
- 8 Quick & Healthy Summer Dinner Recipes (Health.com)
- 66 Healthiest Packaged Foods (Self.com)
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I’ve been told a lot of things, but my favorite is writer too…i love writing and, when I’m passionate about the subject, i think i’m pretty good at it too 🙂
i agree. anytime someone says positive things about my writing, it makes my day. it’s something i just love to do.
Hahah I just laughed out loud at that teacher. My mom ALWAYS told me I should be a writer – for years she rammed it into my head but I never listened. Until now. 🙂
People have suggested I follow many career paths in my time, but ultimately, I chose something completely different. 🙂
Jenn
The Starbucks Passion Iced Tea is soooo good (unsweetened of course)!!
I think you’ll be a great news anchor too 🙂
I have been told personal trainer, personal chef, college professor, director at a non-profit. Strangely I have thought about becoming all of them at one point in time in my life!
I, too, have been told I should be a writer. Now I have a blog and am just waiting for the pay cheques to start rolling in. From where, I have no idea…:)
Sweet corn on a salad is such a great idea!
Both my mother and mother-in-law tell me all the time I should be a writer, but I’ve never really looked into what it would take to get me there. I’m just happy to write on my blog for free 🙂
No one ever told me what I “should” be, but I always wanted to be either a chef (because I wanted to be a great cook like my grandpa) or a teacher (my grandma, dad, brother…). Somewhere along the lines I realized that I really enjoyed helping others learn, especially with the excitement in young children added to it!! People often assumed I would be a teacher, but it was my own personal goal. 🙂
Your salad sounds delicious!
My mom always said to me that I should go and study pharmacy, but I was so not interested.
Actually, all people were telling me not to go to veterinary university, but that’s just what I want, and did. I just hope in a few years, I’ll be a successful veterinarian!
i have a friend in vet school at NC State & she LOVES it.
I can NOT imagine you being arguementative!! Really?!?! haha!
i was a feisty lil’ one back in the day. 😉
I was always told I’d make a great teacher – I listened, but now I’m questioning whether I should have or not!…
I’ve been told Wedding Planner (which I’m now doing as a side job 😉 )
Also been told I should be a hand and foot model…haha…not sure how well something like that pays!
that’s awesome! have you ever seen the episode of friends where joey finds his hand twin? 🙂
omg..I was totally going to liken my story to that, but didn’t know if anyone would remember that Friends episode…hilarious 🙂
Yay! New blog! I love finding new blogs to read!
I’ve also been munching on nothing but salads this week. Salads and Green Monsters! I just don’t have the stomach for much else what with this humidity an all.
I’ve been told I should be a writer, a therapist and a librarian(!)
love that tea 🙂 so refreshing.
it was my first time trying it – so good!
I’m obsessed with that tea from Starbuck’s….so darn refreshing! And the color is fun! 🙂
i’ve been told (jokingly, of course) that i should be a private investigator! haha
Ha! My dad always said that I needed to be a lawyer because all I did was argue and lie 🙂
I heard lawyer as a kid a lot too!
I’ve been told I should be a nutritionist…good thing that’s what I’m going to school for! Quick question. Are those Morning Star Farms bacon strips yummy? I picked some up today to try but I’m slightly skeptical. Thanks for any input!
YES! they’re fantastic. i actually like them better than bacon (i get really grossed out by the white fat on real bacon).
My mom tells me I should be a lawyer too because I’m very convincing, but I can’t think of anything I’d like to do less! I get told I should open a bakery a lot though, because I love to bake. Wouldn’t complain about that!
I was always told I should be a vet because of my HUGE love for animals 😀 I didn’t listen, but I still have my HUGE love for them!!
Love your comment about the ‘dessert tea’- made me laugh about the hate vibes!!
You really should be a professional blogger!!!
Mmm, that’s my favorite tea at Starbucks! I’ve been told that I should be a baker or an architect. I’m neither…but I wouldn’t mind being one of those. 🙂
A writer! I guess I’m sort of doing it with the blog.
I’ve been told actress, professional organizer, caterer and chef. 🙂
I got news anchor too, so that’s what I chose 🙂 7 years and counting and I love it!!
p.s. I dropped some hints and the broccoli in the oven side dish idea and tonight I came home and my boy had made it!! (Complete with grilled asparagus and chicken!!) WOW, hey?
Thanks for the yummy ideas.. keep them coming 🙂
OMG, everytime I call my grandpa, he tells me 3 things. 1) Molly when are you going to law school, 2) A law degree really opens a lot of doors for you and gives you a lot of power, and 3) Back when I was in the Korean War…. and then I stop listening. Ha, old people crack me up. He still thinks I’m going to Law School. After 23 years, a Comm degree, and living in Japan….pretty sure I’m not about to venture down that road Gpa!! Oh and mom tells me to be a reporter all the time because I’m so nosy. 😉
ALL the time! My dad never wanted me to get into social work. And once he saw that I couldn’t find a job that I loved he kept telling me that I should have gone to school for cooking. Well career change time! I’m going back to school in Sept to become a certified holistic nutritionist.
My dad always told me not to be a teacher because I won’t make any money. Cut to years later, I work 10 hours a week as a teacher/child care worker at my church. Just goes to show you, I wanted a fun job over major $$.
I love beefing up my salads! Makes them so much more filling and enjoyable. I am excited to eat my big salad for lunch every day. 🙂
I’ve been told I should be a nutritionist and chef. I’ll take it!
haha, Julie, I was definitely like “Wait, tea is not dessert!” Glad to know we still share the appreciation for real sweets. 😉
People used to say I should be a lawyer too! Or the president. ha!
hahaha – oh JB you crack me up! You WILL be a professional blogger and then they will make a movie out of your life! Here is the cast I’m thinking:
Julie: Amy Smart
Ryan: Daniel Radcliffe
Papa Bream: Liam Neeson
Mama Bream: Maryl Streep
Leslie: Amanda Bines
Merri: Blake Lively (Duh!)
Sadie: Sadie
Ok – Daniel Radcliffe was a joke, but I couldnt think of anyone to play Ryan! Blake Lively…totally NOT a joke!
OMG i almost died laughing about harry potter playing ryan. 🙂 love it!
It’s a fact taht the more you put into a salad the better it tastes!! I have never been told what I could do, only what I can’t unfortunately. Guess I haven’t been around too many encouraging people!
I’ve definitely been told I should be a lawyer before (wonder why…haha) and an artist but that was in fourth grade. Unfortunately, my skills haven’t improved over the years so I’ll skip that one & stay with medicine.
PS. Phillip’s a cutie 😉 & I loooove Passion Tea especially when mixed with lemonde!
I laughed so hard about your dessert tea aside. I know exactly what you mean about the ‘hate messages’. It’s so funny how some people take everything so literally and seriously! On the other hand, whenever I see someone say they had tea, or 2 grapes for dessert I roll my eyes too! ha ha