Balance in Life and Diet and Chopped Apple Salad
Chopped Apple Salad
Recently I went to a bounce place with one of my best friends (Erika from the Eggplant Rollatini Recipe), and our high school aged children. We bounced. As in, all of us. Me, my forty five year old body, workout clothes, and sock feet. We were maybe two of three adults in the place “bouncing,” total. Other adults were sitting in chairs along the sidelines on their cell phones and or guarding the “stuff.” You get a visual.
Now, I am a fledgling athlete, at best. I walk every day. I work like a pro digging dirt in my yard and edging borders like I’m a dude. I’m a single mom, so if stuff needs to get done, I find a way.
Ninja warrior? I am not.
That didn’t keep me from doing the Ninja Warrior Mazes at this bounce place. The easier one, and the harder one. I ricocheted off the wedges, I climbed rock walls, I fell off those monkey bar swings (many times), I managed the rope walls. BUT I ROCKED THE BALANCE LEDGE. You know, that tiny little strip of fabric you have to cross and not fall off to get to the next place? Yeah. This gal balanced the crap out of that thing. Did I mention I was slow at everything? Uh, there’s a time element? OK, so maybe I wasn’t as amazing as I felt in my head at the time…
Balance. Why is balance so hard?
Why is it I can be prepping a salad and the M&M’s that live in my daughter’s room down the hall call to me? Why is it when the stress of work and life in general should propel me to go to the gym I find myself wanting to curl up on the couch (I don’t) and eat Ben and Jerry’s (I eat Halo Top). Why is it when I am finally at an age where I know better and know more, I still struggle?
Balance. The balance of being kind to myself and yet being accountable. Of making good choices across the board and indulging once in a while. Ever. So. Careful. We. Balance.
Chopped Apple Salad
This recipe today is something I love to eat, and it packs up as a great lunch, side dish, or topper. It goes really well on a salad, on quinoa, on top of carnitas, wherever you feel the need for an apple-y crunch with a kick of coleslaw. Especially this time of year when the apples are ready for picking, you have another apple recipe in your arsenal.
Simply grate or chop your apples, throw in some shredded carrots, and shredded cabbage. While I find the art of chopping and dicing to be therapeutic, for this recipe, I just purchased the pre-shredded carrots and the pre-shredded cabbage, making this super easy to prepare.
I whipped up a quick vinaigrette, but if you wanted to make it even easier on yourself…you could use poppy seed dressing or coleslaw dressing that is bottled. This is supposed to be a quick, easy, healthy option for the table.
Now, if you want to amp this recipe up with walnuts, pecans, raisins, Craisins, go for it! Be empowered to change this recipe and do your thing!
If I make this recipe, it is almost always my lunch the next day, because apples get brownish even in the acids, and veggies never hold up with dressing the next day. They just don’t look the same. However, no mom ever turned her nose up at a pre made, grab quickly and enjoy lunch, whether the apples looked sad or not. At least, this mom doesn’t. There’s that balance again, you take it where you can!
I hope you enjoy this recipe, and as always, thank you for coming to the table!
Chrissy
Click below for a printable recipe!
PrintChopped Apple Salad
A quick and easy side dish that pairs apples and cabbage with a light vinaigrette!
Ingredients
Salad:
- two red apples (Macoun or Gala)
- 1–2 Granny Smith Apples
- 1 Cup Shredded Carrots
- 1 Cup Shredded Cabbage
Vinaigrette:
- 1/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Olive Oil (I found a Grapefruit Infused Olive Oil at Mainely Drizzle I love)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 Tsp Poppy Seeds (if desired)
- (If you want it to be more creamy in texture – add 1/3 Cup Miracle Whip)
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar (if desired)
Instructions
- Chop apples into bite sized chunks.
- Mix apples, carrots, and cabbage together.
- In a separate bowl, combine dressing ingredients (or used pre-bottled dressing of choice)
- Combine and refrigerate.