Real Food Wednesday -- Black Bean and Tomato Salad

As the days here in Portland FINALLY begin to heat up, I was wanting a cool and refreshing salad to eat for lunch.  This salad hit the spot!!

The Ingredients
2 large organic tomatoes (I use heirloom tomatoes -- delicious and colorful)
6 organic green onions
1 organic red bell pepper
2 cans of organic black beans
1/2 can of organic corn
1 avocado
1 clove of garlic
4 limes (squeeze juice out of them)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Sea salt to taste

1). Chop up the tomatoes, onions, pepper, and avocado and place in bowl

2). Pour into bowl the beans and corn

3). In separate bowl, whisk together olive oil, squeezed lime juice, garlic, cayenne pepper and sea salt.

4). Dress the salad with the liquid, toss, and let set in the fridge for 1 hour. 

Enjoy as a salad, or as a dip with fresh vegetables.

For lots more yummy real food recipes, please visit "Kelly the Kitchen Top" http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2011/08/real-food-wednesday-8102011.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kellythekitchenkop+%28Kelly+the+Kitchen+Kop%29

August!

I can't believe it is already August!

Tomorrow is my 22nd birthday and it is incredible how quickly time flies.

Tonight for dinner I made delicious heirloom tomato and cucumber salad.  I am Greek Orthodox, and from August 1-15th, we have a period of fasting (no meat or dairy) in honor of Mary, the mother of God.  I cut up the tomatoes and cucumbers, mixed them with some sea salt, olive oil, and chopped basil, and ate outside, enjoying the summer evening.



Cheerfulness, it would appear, is a matter which depends fully as much on the state of things within as on the state of things without and around us. ~ Shirley by Charlotte Bronte

GLENDI GREEK FESTIVAL!

COME TO THE GREEK FESTIVAL IN BEAVERTON, OREGON! There will be Greek food, music, dancing, a beer and wine garden, a children's area, church tours, choir concerts, and much, much more!!!!


It is this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday located at St. John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church 14485 SW Walker Rd. Beaverton, OR. Visit the website at glendigreekfestival.com.

COME AND ENJOY AN AMAZING CULTURAL EXPERIENCE!

OPA!

Beginnings

This is my first ever blog for fun!  I wrote on a mandatory blog for one of my college courses, but it just turned into busy work for me, since the subject matter is not something I am extremely interested in. 

I like the idea of a blog.  There are so many out in cyber-world, and yet the idea of having a unique place on this gigantic internet is kind of thrilling. 

I have a lot of interests that I really want to develop, and so this will be kind of an exciting picture, video, text journal that can help me document my journey toward developing passions and interests. 

Some things I am interested in, right now, include cooking, knitting, reading, playing the piano, and fashion.   I am also studying to be an elementary school teacher, so I am very interested in our education system, and in different education techniques.

I chose the name "ladyinlavender" mostly because I like the idea of anonymity.  I am not looking to get a huge following on this blog or anything like that.  Nothing I say is interesting enough.  So it is kind of neat to be able to write and not worry that I can be connected to what I say.  

I also recently watched the film "Ladies in Lavender".  It is not my favorite movie, by any means.  It has some strange sexual undertones that Freud would have a hay-day discussing, but the scenery is beautiful, the life the main characters lead is simple, and the music took my breath away.  

Here is a scene from the movie.

It is a movie definitely worth watching if you are the BBC, Masterpiece theater, Period film type (like me!).