How to Throw a Salad Bar Party Idea’s

Salads are great any time of year but in Florida during those hot, humid summer days, they are absolutely refreshing. A salad bar at a Party offers so many great options and can also cover those who are looking for lower fat intake, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, diabetic or simply wanting to fit into their bathing suits and watching their weight. You can include a variety of fruits, vegetable and proteins and have a beautiful, colorful good for you salad bar enjoyed by all.

Start with the base of the salad, the Lettuce.  It is easier to pick great lettuce these days at your local grocery store with many options that are already washed and ready to go.  Have a separate plate or bowl for each one.

You could offer a variety of three types and let your guests mix and match or just choose to have one.

Romaine – Crisp and has high nutrition value
Radicchio – a bit bitter and has a lovely marble red and white color
Arugula (nickname rocket) has a light peppery flavor.
Spring Greens Mix – a variety of flavors and color and you could easily add fresh kale or spinach to liven it up even more.

Fresh Herbs like Basil, Cilantro, Thyme, Parsley gives your lettuces a boost of flavor. You can tear the leaves of each and have available to add to the lettuce or top a salad.

Toppings

This is the fun part of the salad, adding more flavor. Be creative and offer a good number of toppings like veggies, fruits, nuts, cheeses, legumes and proteins.

Here are some ideas:

Vegetables

Choose at least five vegetables.

Cherry Tomatoes – (officially a fruit) cut them in half to make it easier to eat. No one like to chase that round tomato around their plate.
Cucumber – slice thin or cube
Mushrooms – White button or Cremini there are lots of varieties to choose from
Radish’s – It may be a bit strong with the peppery flavor for some guest, so slice them very thin
Scallions/Green Onions – Both the white and green parts are delicious
Red Onions – Offer great flavor and color, slice thin
Carrots – Adds a bit of sweetness to the salad. Slice thin
Zucchini – Slice in rounds or cubes
Broccoli – loaded with vitamins and adds crunch. Cut into small trees for easy eating
Bell Peppers – Red, Yellow, Orange or Green offers great color and taste. Slice thin or cube them.
Shredded Cabbage – Adds crunch, flavor and color. Choose green or purple
Jicama – Has a sweet and nutty flavor and adds crunch and fiber
Fennel – Has a Licorice flavor and crunch

Fruits

Choose at least three fruits.

Apples – adds sweetness and many to choose from. Cut into bite size pieces or slice thin
Pears – adds sweetness and fiber. Slice thin
Strawberries – Wash the day you are going to use them. Cut off the leaves and slice thin
Pineapple – Adds citrus and vitamin C. Cut into cubes
Mango – Sweet and healthy. Slice up or cut into cubes
Watermelon – sweet and juicy they will add great flavor to any salad. Cut into small cubes

Cheese
Mozzarella – shredded or small pearl mozzarella
Parmesan – Makes a great nutty flavor topping. Slice thin
Feta – Greek Cheese that has a mild bite
Goat Cheese – Made from goats’ milk and has a tangy flavor

Proteins

Choose at least three proteins.

Adding a variety of proteins like beans, meats and vegetable-based proteins allows you to cater to everyone.
Chicken – Boneless, skinless, grilled or broiled will go well as a topping to your salad bar. You can also buy already cooked chicken in the freezer isle of the grocery store. Heat per instructions.
Roast beef – For an easy way to add this topping, visit your local deli and have them slice it for you.
Ham – You could purchase a cut of ham from the deli and cut into cubes’
Bacon – Cooked crisp and crumbled makes a delicious topping.
Black Beans – Are popular with rice, salsa and make a great topping for protein in a salad
Chickpeas/Garbanzo Beans – Add a nutty flavor
Cannellini Beans – Soft and creamy bean with a light flavor
Tempeh – Soybean product that is high in protein. Comes in different flavors. You could try the maple bacon tempeh for a substitute for a bacon topping.
Tofu – Soybean product that is made from soybeans, high in protein.

Nuts
Nuts add crunch and flavor. Buy them in a variety, flavored or raw.
Walnuts
Pecans
Sunflower Seeds
Cashews

Dressings – Sweet, sour, salty, cheesy, fat free and oil and vinegar are a great variety. Put the dressings into bowls with ladles so your guest can pour the dressing over their salad easily.

Extra’s
Croutons – Plain and flavored
Bread – A good crusty bread or rolls
Crackers – Offer a variety, saltines, Ritz or a gourmet cracker

Set up your Salad Bar with Plates, Silverware, Napkins at the beginning of the bar. Have all the food in separate dishes starting with lettuces, toppings, fruits, proteins, cheeses and then nuts.  For each one have spoons, forks, tongs or what is easy to use for them to get the food to their plate.

Have bowls with ice under the bowls of food to keep it cold longer (no one like wilted lettuce…) and keeps it from spoiling.

Keep spare lettuce in the refrigerator and replace as needed as well as toppings that need that attention.

 

Enjoy :}

 

 

Photo Courtesy of  Suat Eman. at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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How to Avoid Common Gardening Mistakes

The arrival of Spring in Florida is a great time to start gardening. Time to get out and plan for soil, fertilizer, plants, seed and garden tools. There is more to a garden then just starting though, it also entails maintaining it. Buy now if you started your planting in March, you should have some plants that are already producing a small harvest for you, especially if you planted green beans. They are a great plant to start your kids with gardening because they pop up quickly and produce within a month to six weeks depending on what type of green bean you plant.

Over a Mother Earth News, they have written a great article on how to avoid common gardening mistakes that may help you with your garden.

Check that out Here.

Happy Gardening!

 

 

 

Photo Courtesy of  Lavoview  at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

25 Plants who love Shade and how to find your Garden zone

Have empty spots in your yard where nothing will grow because of lack of sunlight? From blooming flowers to plants that have beautiful leaves, Garden Lovers Club gives you 25 plant ideas to choose from for those shady parts of your yard.

See their article Here

Want to know what grows best in your local area? Click Here and enter your zip code. Once you know what zone you live in then you get the plants or seeds you need.

You can shop from local farmers for seeds, plants, food and more. Check out Local Harvest and enter your city and state.

Happy Gardening!

Helpful Tips for Buying a Home and Home Insurance

If you are looking to move into a new home, check out these tips first and about Homeowners insurance coverage.

Be realistic about how much you can spend.

Save yourself a lot of time by planning out a budget first. The first thing you need to consider is how much can you afford to spend each month on mortgage, taxes and insurance on your new home. Talk to your bank about a pre-approval letter for new home loan so you know exactly what you can spend. Look at the homes in the range you can afford and maybe less. Doing the research, yourself will make you more knowledgeable about the market, which is key to making a good purchase.

Online resources and Realtors

Before you get your heart set on a home, call the Realtor on that listing and ask about the roof, mold, or any other problems that could be there. A Realtor is a great asset to have when searching for a home and as a buyer you do not pay a commission fee. Ask if they can recommend a Home Inspection Company, once you sign the contract, you may have a limited number of days to get the home inspected.

What is the neighborhood like?

If you have had problems with neighbors while renting, that option is you can make a complaint to a landlord, or possibly negotiate your contract and move. Do your homework ahead of time about the location of your new home. It may be beautiful, have the pool you want, and a dream size backyard, but what is the good of that if you’re up until 3 am because of noisy neighbors. Take a drive out around dinner hour and again maybe later in the evening. Ask others if they know about the neighborhood, break-ins, noise, family oriented, etc.

The Mortgage

If you have a mortgage, you will need homeowners’ insurance. The lender wants to protect their investment in case of a hurricane, tornado or other unpredictable incidences that may cause damage to the property.

If you are purchasing a home, start looking for home insurance as soon as you sign the contract, this way you will have time to compare quotes and get an idea of how much this will cost.  You will need to show proof of home insurance at the closing.

Always, always have a home inspection

This is not the same as an appraisal of your home. The appraisal is the value of the home. The home inspection makes sure your home is safe and if there are repairs needed.  Your basic Homeowners Policy may cover the dwelling, personal property, liability in case someone gets injured, and storm damage. It will not cover a pre-existing condition such as mold. Make sure you walk through the home and talk with the home inspector.

For many the home inspection helps them to decide if they want to purchase the home. For insurance purposes, a 4 Point inspection and Wind Mitigation are encouraged, for two very important reasons.

The 4-point inspection lets you and the insurance company know the conditions of the plumbing, electrical system, roof condition and Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (also known as HVAC).

The Wind Mitigation Inspection has an added bonus, which gives you a discount on your Homeowner Insurance Policy. This inspection determines how your home will handle high winds, storms and hurricanes.

Termites

Termites can cause a significant amount of damage and it can be quite costly to get rid of them as well repair the damage. If you have going through a lending company, they may require this inspection. Get started off on the right foot and have a termite inspection done with the home inspection. Some companies provide this for an extra cost, but in the long run it is well worth it.

 

Start shopping for Home Insurance for your new home with us today?

Contact us at 863-453-3903 or fill out the form on our website and we will contact you.

 

How To Make Take To School Lunches Healthy and Extra Special

If you pack school lunches you know that your child is getting a well balanced meal to carry them through the rest of their school day.  Plan some surprises included in their lunches to give them a smile.

Here are some idea’s to get your creativity going…

You could write on a napkin or a note card to let them know you are thinking of them with a smiley face and a special saying. You could also Give them something to look forward by writing about an after school activity they would enjoy like, “Making cookies after school and need my helper”, etc. Make them laugh by including a joke or a riddle to figure out. You can get jokes, riddles and so much more learning activities at Ducksters.com and EnchantedLearning.com.

Packing fruit? Write a note on a banana. Simply take a toothpick and write or draw on the skin part of the banana. As the oxidation takes place during the day, by the time your little on opens their lunch box, the words or drawing will be darker and easy to read.  The banana will not be affected as long as you do not go to deep with the toothpick.

Kids love finger foods and you can make them fun by cutting shapes out of their sandwiches and some fruits. Give them hearts, stars, half moons, animals shapes and seasonal figures like snowmen with cookie cutters. Cut out shapes from watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe and more.  Food that looks fun and appetizing will be intriguing to them and for those healthy foods that you want them to eat but they are not to crazy about, cut them into shapes or and your chances will better.

Get more ideas for packing healthy school lunches.

 

Photo Courtesy of tiverylucky at FreeDigitalPhotos.net