Arugula with Balsamic Strawberries and Goat Cheese

We're so excited to have Mom with us for two weeks and we've been busy coming up with healthy recipes she (and we) will enjoy. We made our favorite gnocchi dish for the main course and decided to start dinner with an arugula and stawberry salad. The strawberries are still delicious, affordable and available at our local grocery store. I found this recipe in Women's Health magazine and made a slight modification to the recipe.

Arugula with Balsamic Strawberries and Goat Cheese

Hull and slice a pint of strawberries and put them in a large salad bowl. Toss with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and some black pepper. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add a bunch of arugula, some crumbled goat cheese (I used goat cheese with sun dried tomato and basil), and a pinch of salt. Drizzle with olive oil and toss.

This is a delightful salad - refreshing and tasty. Mom gave her thumbs up and will be finishing off the left-overs for lunch today.

Taking the Plunge

Taking the plunge with my first blog post. I've enjoyed reading so many food blogs these last several months that here I am blogging away with everyone else. This first post finds me grabbing a snack (pretzels and whipped cream cheese) after a tough (for me today) 5.5 mile run. The weather in our part of the world is lovely. Actually the best we've had all summer in Wisconsin. So, my legs itch to get outside, and my running shoes are calling my name. All I know is that this weather won't last forever and soon it will be the treadmill for me. I'm looking forward to this evening's dinner plans. My mother is in town and I'm making one of my favorite gnocchi recipes for her. Can't wait!