Hello Hive friends
Recently my partner and I, quit our jobs to focus on helping his parents. There are other reasons why we left that I won't mention.
His parents have many health problems.
They can't get their groceries or move around much.Therefore we are going back and forth across town to get them groceries, medication, take out the garbage, clean, do laundry, and whatever they need.
Between the two of them, there have been two heart attacks, kidney failure, high blood pressure, cancer survival, among many things.
They ordered their groceries and what they wanted made it difficult for us to purchase, but we did.
They wanted eggs, bacon, white sugar, brie cheese, cola, and the most processed foods void of nutrition. She also deep fries the cheese after breading.
They have been a living example of "you are what you eat". They believe they're healthy because they're alive still. We will try to learn from their ways. Don't get me wrong. We do eat things that are not good for us by our standards, but we are aware of it. There is no denial.
When Marc and I saw some curly endive in a small grocery store, for a great price, we knew we had to purchase it. It was big and beautiful.
Many people, don't eat this. which is the reason why it's not sold in regular large super markets.
It is much tougher than lettuce, and quite bitter compared to most lettuces. For us, the bitterness is welcoming. Also the fibrous texture feels more filling than regular lettuce.
I would never eat this plain with nothing added. It wouldn't appeal to me much.
To make it more fun and enjoyable, I have added fruit and nuts. This combats any bitterness that is found in endive.
This particular curly endive came fully grown and not packaged like baby endive, which is milder.
Because of this, it must be well washed.
The best way to clean this, is to submerge the leaves in water and a splash of vinegar. It's not delicate, so it can take the beating of being swished around, to get rid of any sand.
I let it drain in a colander to get the water out. This takes a lot of time and shaking.
Believe it or not, I have never owned a salad spinner. I don't know why.
While the lettuce dripped, I gathered the fruits that I thought would be a nice accompaniment.
Pears and grapes are often used in salads. Apples and grapes are good as well, but I chose pears.
These pears were not juicy, so it added a crunchy texture to the salad. They were sweet though.
I added a little lemon juice to them to keep them from browning.
The grapes were super sweet and juicy. I thought they would be better cut in half. I'm sure most people that put grapes in their salad, would cut them in half.
Of course any nuts would be good in this salad, but for me toasted walnuts made the most sense.
I guess this is a little bit like a Waldorf salad except that I didn't use a mayo based dressing or apples.
Toasting the walnuts in a hot pan, gives it a boost of flavour. Of course raw walnuts would be much more beneficial for health. I chose a full on, fun salad.
I could have put them in the oven for a while. The pan uses less electricity, plus I could watch them roast having control by stirring.
To add even more texture and variety I added some cabbage, onion, radish and carrot.
When the endive was properly drained, I chopped it into bite size pieces.
Curly endive salad
500g endive
250g grapes
250g pears
100g walnuts
100g onion
80g carrot
100g cabbage
50g radish
The endive and other ingredients were mixed as a base.
All but the fruit and nuts were left to add at the end.
I kept the fruits separate so they didn't make the salad too wet during storage. I also wanted to control how much I added. The amounts I chose of everything were random, but I've given the amounts of each item that I prepped to have on hand.
It was time to decide on a vinaigrette. Creamy or not. I chose not.
I wanted a sweet and tangy vinaigrette. This would use up some citrus, that I had quite a bit of. I get most of it at a local store, that has overpriced items. As a result they have many marked down items that are still really good.
Vinaigrette
20g lemon juice
80 orange juice
100g white balsamic
100g oil (I used a mild olive oil)
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp onion powder
10g garlic
After grating the garlic, I simply whisked all of the ingredients together.
There was a bit of adjustment with seasoning to suit my liking.
We only mixed a portion of the salad with dressing, as there was an abundance left for the next day.
It's normal to crave only carbohydrates, proteins, Heavier foods, in the Northern winter climates. We tend to overlook, raw fruits and vegetables, in times with limited sunlight. I figure, if we eat this, and still want those other things later, we can have it after. Yes this is breakfast for us sometimes. I really like starting the day like this.
Have a great day everyone!
design by: @KidSistersPhotos taken with a Nikon D7500
That salad looks so healthy! On the rare occasion I make a salad, the ingredients are always very boring, it looks nothing like yours.
Deep fried cheese .... I can see why you're worried
It's very difficult to change the habits of the older generation, especially their diet. It will mean changing their whole lifestyle, and I know some may think Whats the point when I'm nearer one end compared to the other.
You are right there is no point plus it's impossible. You can't teach an old don new tricks.
Salads can sure be boring but I try my best to get one in that I enjoy haha.
Thanks @livinguktaiwan
It's so nice to see you, dear friend, we miss your delicious and spectacular meals 😊
Oh thank you for this warm welcome. I appreciate it so much. Best wishes to you.
🤗🤗🤗✨
So sorry to hear your mother in law and father in law are so bad in health that you both left your job, by the way eating healthy it's surely good your salad with endive looks super healthy 😍😍
I really appreciate your kind words and support. Thank you @noemilunastorta 😊
This is a good diet for me while losing some weight. It can help me to stay in shape. This food is healthy and yummy!
Wishin someday I have have some taste of the food you prepared @carolynstahl.
Thank you so much. It really feels good to eat these things. I think your kimchi would be a nice addition.
What a delicious salad! I love that it has fruit and nuts; it's such a complete salad. I could eat a big portion. Thank you! As always, a wonderful recipe.😍
By the way, what a difficult situation your in-laws are in. I hope they become more aware of their diet and that their health improves soon.
Best regards 🤗
Thanks for your compliment of the salad. The more stuff in it, the better haha.
The in laws most likely will not get better. We see the onset of dementia. They are in their eighties. They are stubborn old people that won't change but what can we do you know.
I understand you perfectly, my mother is also elderly and has been very ill but she doesn't want to change her diet at all, patience!
You've been curated by @plantpoweronhive! Delegations welcome!
It's great to have you back, @carolynstahl! It's truly a joy to see your wonderful posts and recipes again. I hope your partner's parents improve their health (as much as possible). It's certainly very difficult to change people's eating habits, but I believe that with your attention and the delicious food you prepare, they can become a little healthier.
Regarding this salad, I love the combination of flavors, colors, and textures; it's an epic salad. I love pears; I think it was a perfect choice.
I'd like to take this opportunity to invite you to share your content on Reddit. It can be new content or old content (even from years ago). By doing this with your posts, you get 100% of the rewards in liquid $hive. If someone else shares it, you'll only get 20%.
Below, I'm sharing a tutorial post I prepared months ago. I think it's very detailed, but if you have any questions, you can ask me, either on Discord or here.
https://peakd.com/hive-180569/@plantpoweronhive/earn-dollarhive-with-redditposh-gana-dollarhive-con-redditposh-eng-spn
Welcome home again.
Thank you so much for your welcoming words. I will take into consideration the Reddit idea. Thanks for that.
Best wishes😊
I hope you become active on Reddit; it's a great way to monetize even your older posts, whether they're recipes or not.
Also, no one can share your content without your explicit permission.
You've been curated by @amazingdrinks! Delegations welcome!
Thank you @amazingdrinks
Thank you @foodiesunite
I don't recall ever eating endive, but that is a fine-looking salad! I love the addition of the pears and grapes! 😋
Most people I know wouldn't eat it. Romaine and leaf are usually the salad eater's preference. I like it all haha.
Thank you @thekittygirl
I'm not a big fan of plain, leaf lettuce ("iceberg" as it's usually called). But, romaine is good, and I really like kale, too. When I go to the salad bar at my market or a restaurant, I usually enjoy the "wild greens" mix with baby spinach leaves, dandelion greens, etc.
The sight of it alone makes me feel so hungry, this is nice and delicious.
!BBH
I love someone who likes the look of a salad haha. Thank you @oasiskp2 😊
You are welcome
Damn, that looks amazing. Pears work so well in salad. I feel so sorry for your in laws. They must feel terrible, but don't even know it. Have a craving for salad now. Hope you are well .. you are gorgeous as ever!
Thanks for the compliment. Lighting hides things haha.
I don't feel as sorry for the in laws as I do us haha. They have been stubborn all the time that I've known them. 24 years.
Wishing you well
It’s definitely better to eat foods like these because they’re healthy. Of course, there are times when we crave and eat something unhealthy, that’s normal but what matters is that most of the time, we choose to eat nutritious food.
Yeah you are so right. I eat things that I know are not so good for me, but I stay in tune with how I feel then make corrections.
Thanks for your visit.
Hello! I absolutely love endive salad and this bowl looks really delicious 😋 and nutritious.
I would like to know how many calories is in this portion @carolynstahl ?
Thanks in advance
Honestly I don't count calories at all. In fact I eat what I want as long as it's plant based, but make sure there is a good amount of veggies and good stuff you know what I mean.
Thanks for the kind words @mihy86!
I totally get you. And actually, I got advice from one vegan way back in 2012 that I can eat all day and feel full and not get fat.
What a beautiful salad! I've used curly endive before, so I know what you mean; the walnuts and fruit was the right way to go, I think. It looks tempting and so colorful. Love it!
Oh, friend, I hope you find jobs that make you happy--and rich 😁 But above all, I hope you're healthy, including your parents in law, for their sake and yours!!!
Big hug.
Thank you so much for your approval of the salad. Most people I know have never eaten it unless it was a garnish.
We won't be looking for a job until the money runs out. It's sad and depressing. To be honest we were unhappy with some people we worked with. They hated us. We were the only Canadians in the kitchen and we felt how much they didn't like it. They wanted more like them. I won't say where they're from. This group is taking all of the jobs here in Canada.
They were really shocked and unhappy when we were replaced with two other Canadians. They even said "they were only hired because they were Canadian" which didn't make sense at all.
Meanwhile Marc's parents should move to a care home, but they are in denial so we can't mention it now. That alone is quite the feat.
Don't mind my rambling my friend. I'm just venting.💚
I think I get it about the job. And I hope the care home is finally the solution, my friend. When we don't take care of our health (body and mind), we become a burden to our children--and all the good souls around us.
Nice to see your fantastic recipes, we were missing them last couple of months, so nicely prepared. You are a great cook, dear friend. Take care. !HUG