A busy summer has arrived....!

 Welcome Summer!

My husband graduated with his MBA! So proud!

I love May in Salt Lake City! Even though we are a few weeks away from the actual start of summer it sure feels like it has already hit here. Growing up in Alaska, I didn't really wear a lot of shorts and tank tops because on a hot day for Alaskans at 65 degrees, I was still cold! Living in Utah for the last six years my collection of shorts and fun dresses has sure grown (like the one I have on in the pic). Enough about fashion, let's talk food and fun events that have been happening! I go back to the dance company on Monday for a couple of weeks. Over my time off, I have gotten two part-time jobs to prepare for the time when I'm actually not in the company anymore (it's going to be weird!).

My first job is a sales associate at Sur La Table!! I worked there about two years ago and it was really a great job however, the discount is so dangerous.  Now that I won't be making as much as I did in my full-time job I'll have to watch the spending.
 
The second job which I'm really excited about is a Brand Ambassador for Honeydrop Beverages! I first learned about this company at the Foodbuzz Festival and have been buying the drinks every time I find them in stores. Honeydrop Beverages are a line of healthy teas and juices made with a tablespoon of pure, unrefined honey! My favorite is the Blueberry flavor.

source

I'll be at Whole Foods in Salt Lake City this weekend doing tastings, so if you live in the area come say hi!


So between jobs and enjoying the summer I celebrated my 29th birthday, my husband's graduation from Grad school getting his MBA, and our 4 year wedding anniversary! My husband Jake knows that I like blogging as a hobby but I was always down on myself about how bad my pictures were. So, he spent way too much money and bought me (us!) a new camera for my birthday. Here it is:

 It's the SONY NEX-5N and is a mirrorless compact camera! I love it and now my goal is to learn how to take better pictures for the blog! I hope you start to see a difference. I'm still learning!


Now, how about a recipe for one of my new go-to easy meals:

Baby Bok Choy Chef Salad

Serves 2-4 

Ingredients:

1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

1 tbsp. mayonnaise

1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

pinch of sugar

4 baby bok choy, stems thinly sliced, leaves torn

4 pieces real bacon or fake (I used Lightlife Smart Bacon)

1/2 cup cubed harvarti or Irish cheddar cheese

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1 avocado, chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1/4 cup pea shoots/pea greens, chopped

salt & pepper to taste  

Directions:

Whisk together first four ingredients. Combine all other ingredients in a bowl and toss in dressing. Season to taste. 

(slightly adapted from EveryDay with Rachael Ray)

I've already made this salad a couple of times and I love the fresh and crisp taste of the bok choy. I had never eaten raw bok choy before. My husband and I ate all the salad but if you served it as a side dish or added some bread, it could easily serve four people.

Ciao,

Betsy