chilled summer salad

Sometimes, moms really know their stuff. More than we'd like to give them credit for.

Don't forget sunscreen.
Stand up straight and hold your shoulders back.
Address all adults with ma'am and sir.
Always offer your seat to the elderly.
Never give up.
Be sure to say please and thank you.
Always do what's right, even if it puts you at a disadvantage.

And the list could go on and on.

So when my mom said, "Haley, you have to try this new salad I made, it's so good that I wrote down the recipe," I casually consented. But based on her track record of being right, I should have known that good was an understatement.

Is it a simple recipe? Yes. But there's something about the flavor combination and the chill factor that makes this a perfect summer salad. Oh yeah, and it's healthy, too.


OK Mom, you win again. In case I haven't said it lately, you still know your stuff.

Chilled Summer Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 pint grape or pearl tomatoes, halved
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 English cucumber or 3 Persian cucumbers, sliced and halved
• 4 oz. mozzarella, diced
• 1/2 cup deli ham, chopped
• 1/4 cup parmesan, grated 
• fresh basil, chopped
• balsamic vinegar dressing
• salt and pepper, to taste

After prepping first seven ingredients, add to mixing bowl. 

Douse mixture with a balsamic vinegar dressing until well coated. If you need a recipe, check out mine or my mom's below.

Then, simply salt and pepper to your preference.

Chill in fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

Balsamic Salad Dressing

Ingredients:

• 1 cup olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• Juice from 1/2 fresh lemon/lime
• 3 tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp Italian herbs
• salt and pepper, to taste

And to further keep it in the family, my sister stumbled across a true gem on Pinterest recently. If you love to make homemade salad dressing but don't have a great container, simply reuse a coffee creamer container by removing the label. Voila!