This masterpiece of a salad was made by my hubby for a recent family Sunday dinner…the base was arugula, with a plethora of additions of various colors and textures…we have learned over the past several months – eating plenty of salad – that the key to keeping them appealing is to continue to experiment! Gotta think beyond the basics – go for a handful of edamame, corn, pepperoncini, capers, black beans, even crushed pita chips…as for dressing, while we have our favorites, we like to try a new one now and then, even sometimes making it from scratch – on my ‘to do’ list for this week…

Peter’s salad secret is chopping things small, using at least eight ingredients, and tossing the dressing in thoroughly, often by hand. Hey, he’s Greek! 🙂 There was not a bit leftover.

The main course was made by yours truly: Slow Baked Boneless Beef Short Ribs…. I found this easy recipe online…inspired by the yummy meal we recently had a friend’s wedding…

DELICIOUS! Melt in your mouth tender, excellent flavor, and a big hit by all! If you like pot roast, you will LOVE this…

Mashed potatoes are a must with the ribs, and for those that are carb-conscious, a medley of roasted veggies…

Carb conscious or not, gotta have dessert at a family dinner! This time a homemade apple pie, though I use that term loosely…this crust is a pre-made by Pillsbury, not from scratch as I was taught by Ginger…heck, this is so much easier and it tastes great! One Ginger tip I do follow: painting the crust with a simple egg yolk wash before popping in the oven…this is what gives the pie a shiny, golden color…as for apples, my mom always used MacIntosh as I still do – they create a ‘mushy’ filling that we prefer, without visible chunks of apple…

Trying new recipes, creating bountiful meals, and most of all, sharing these meals with friends and family – all positives coming from our pandemic life…hope you enjoy the ribs recipe, let me know if you try it!

Stay well. Eat well. Enjoy the NOW.