Tonight, my husband took Hunter to the Virginia Tech game verses UVA and you better not ask who they were cheering for! We are Hokies in this house (if you aren’t, we can talk about that issue later).

This meant that I got to spend a fun evening with my two beautiful and fun loving little daughters. I love taking an evening and letting them choose where to eat and what we do! So they chose Subway for dinner at 5 and picked out their cousins birthday gifts. Then, I snuck in some errands, but told them if they were good Sweet Frog was the treat! I had perfect little angels until they consumed $6 a cup worth of frozen yogurt and gummy worms. The sugar kicked in and Natalie was laughing, so hard she fell off her seat and even the table next to us started laughing too! We had the best time and I snuck some bites, but that doesn’t count because it’s not my ice cream cup…right?! (Just like if my hubby is eating a dessert and I grab a few bites… none of that counts! Freedom!)

We got home at 8PM and this momma was starving because I didn’t want Subway. So, I popped two chicken breasts in the oven with a drizzle of my favorite Green Goddess dressing! (I used one chicken breast for my dinner than I just devoured the second one right now for lunch!)

The girls packed lunches, signed papers, and got ready for bed!  I kissed my babies, said their prayers, and tucked them into bed! I heard the timer go off and my salad was calling my name! It is now 8:45 at night, but I have my fast tempo run in the morning after meeting the house inspector at 7AM so this girl had to consume some calories! With 8 miles at 7-minutes a mile, you better have eaten the night before!

So let’s get into the salad details…

I got a big dinner plate out and put a generous amount of arugula lettuce on the plate then topped it with roasted butternut squash I had made the night before (leftovers are the easiest!) and tossed some feta crumbles and, of course, had to put my walnuts on top! I am in love with Tessemae’s Balsamic Dressing I found at Kroger in the produce department (about $4.99). It is gluten free, and I can count the ingredients on one hand so that is always a good sign for me when I am picking something healthy. Plus, I can pronounce all the ingredients in it. (Thats the other way I gauge if a dressing or any food is healthy!) I don’t even look at the fat, because a little bit is all good for your body. My rule of thumb is only add 1 tablespoon to the salad so that you keep it low calorie and healthy. So with a drizzle of the dressing and a glass of wine this momma sat down to complete peace and quiet to eat the best salad of her life! I mean the best! Please make this and you will want one every night!

So, I do have to ask all of you ladies out there, if you could eat a salad or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every single night, would you?! I honestly could and have found the only reason I really cook a big meal is for my boys who need like a million calories every meal! I mean goodness I would literally eat this kind of salad Monday-Friday and/or a peanut butter and jelly! Who else is with me on this? My daughters beg for a bowl of cereal sometimes, but no way! We have to have a big chicken on the grill, rice, bread, a vegetable and a huge glass of milk when the boys are home! So, tonight was so nice to just relax and not have to feed the boys! Don’t get me wrong I love steak and a huge meal, but I love to mix it up. I hope you don’t feel alone in your struggle to make your men happy, I am over here already figuring out what I will be making for dinner tomorrow night… THE BOYS ARE BACK! (Maybe I can post the boys favorite recipe next!)

Can you see that I loved it?!