Good day to you!  I am back with another exciting post to keep you on your toes and wanting to almost lick the screen with excitement.  Well that might be slightly over the edge but I was trying to be somewhat funny.  I know… I know I am not that great at being funny – well at least portraying myself as funny over the internet.  In real life I am hilarious – ask anyone if you don’t believe me!

Ok enough of me being a dork and onto a serious note.  I have a kick bum salad to share with you today.  It was part of the superb Bistro night at the NYE Gala.  When you read the ingredients you will be saying to yourself… wow these ingredients are very simple and you are right.  Simple and easy wins the race.  I am telling you – great food made simple is definitely the way to go.  I have had a hard time grasping that in the early part of my life when I always thought great food had to be fancy, but it really doesn’t have to be that way.

Just take a look below and see the specs to make this beauty.

Ingredients

• Mixed greens for 8 people, store mix or make own as desired.
• 3 Large oranges
• 2 Avocados
• 1 Tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 Tsp. salt
• 1/2 Tsp ground black pepper
• 2 Tsp. honey
• 2 Medium shallots, minced
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Method

1. Segment the oranges and collect juice from the procedure, set aside segments and the juice.
2. Should have about 3/4 cup of juice and add to this with another orange if needed.
3. Combine 1/2 cup of the orange juice with ginger, and mustard. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a second bowl mix 1/2 the shallots with the remaining orange juice and whisk in the olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
5. When ready to serve, open and dice the avocados and mix with honey ginger dressing, add the remaining shallots, cilantro and mint.
6. Add this mixture to the greens and gently mix.
7. Top with remaining dressing at the table if needed.
8. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: Did you know, Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds that add to the nutrient quality of your diet.

Around the Blogsphere

• So I finally had some time yesterday to check out the blogstalker again.  Nate was missing in action for a while but I did miss a few oh his hilarious posts.  Nate is a fantastic writer and will definitely make you laugh as he talks about food blogs all over the net.  He has mentioned zesty a couple of times and seems to enjoy my hair style.  If you have not yet checked him out… you must today over at the blogstalker.
• I am pretty excited to do a guest post this coming Sunday at Picky Palate.  In the same breath, I am kind of nervous and wondering what I should feature as the post.  I am sure I will come up with something.
• I have completed the Campbell’s Video Shoot for GoodBite.com.  I am reathrilled about the outcome.  It launched on January 26th so I will be sure to keep you posted and get you ready for the big splash in a couple of weeks.
• OPEN SKY Discount NEWS….. Open Sky launched a new look yesterday and it is looking super hot.  You can check out my new store front and in addition to the sexy new look you can enter a coupon code “REDESIGN” and receive a 10% Coupon.  This discount will run until the end of January so spread the word and buy whatever you see fit.  If you are looking for certain products and do not see them in my store – let me know and I will work on getting them in my store and trying them out.

I think I am heading downtown to attend the Remembrance Day Ceremony later on this morning and then heading to the house to do some work.  The trim is all on upstairs and the doors are hung.  I am ready to start cleaning the floors and start prepping for the hardwood.  I guess I never told you that we changed our mind on the upstairs flooring and switched from a laminate floor to “real” hardwood.  We chose a cappuccino color for the upper level and we are pleased to have that decision behind us.

On to the Ginger Snaps – I always seem to have these every year at this time of the year and right through until the new year.  Have you ever had an icebox ginger snap?  They are certainly a great little snack with a glass of milk or if you are like me… I smear a bit of butter on the back side.  These are really simple to make and take no time to prep or to cook.  They are a great cookie to eat right out of the fridge or the freezer.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Butter
• 1/3 Cup Brown sugar
• 2/3 Cup Molasses
• 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
• 2 Tsp. Baking soda
• 2 Tsp. Ginger
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 Tsp. Cloves
• 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees
2. In a large bowl mix as listed above and place it on a large piece of wax paper.
3. using your hands shape into a large rectangle about 1 1/2- 2 inches thick.  It will be smooth on the top.
4. Wrap it up in wax paper and chill in fridge for an hour or two. ( You can chill overnight if you want)
5. Remove from fridge and unwrap.  Cut into slices and place on cookie sheet  lined with parchment paper
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: These little cookies make a great outer shell for a quick ice cream sandwich.  Just be sure to pop them back in the freezer for a few minutes once you build them to prevent the ice cream from oozing out.

A Gentle Reminder

Check out Megan’s Pumpkins For Pink E-Book, which raises money for the fight against breast cancer. I contributed my Double Ginger Gingerbread Cookies recipe to it.

Have a great Wednesday and I will see you all back here tomorrow. Oh before I forget. I am on the road all next week in Virginia and I am looking for guest posters. If you are interested and would like to be featured shoot me an email.

Take care
zesty