It's not every day that you show up for a casual playdate and get fed an award-winning salad that blows your mind. But that's what exactly what happened to me about a year ago! I was at my friend Bridget's house and as we are both lovers of kale, she was excited to share her sister's* salad recipe with me. One bite later and I was practically in the car on the way to the grocery store to make another batch for that night's dinner!

Since this recipe won a culinary contest and involved an award, it wasn't previously available to share online. But, I have been given the official permission to now share it...something I've been anticipating for awhile! Now, all of you can bless your tastebuds with this salad and be the talk of any dinner party/social gathering you might attend! It's a salad that packs a lot of flavor, so if you serve this with a meat dish or soup, I recommend keeping them on the milder side. Enjoy.

Tuscan Kale Salad with Lemon-Srirachi Greek Yogurt Dressing
 
1-2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp srirachi sauce
1 tbsp sugar 
1/4 cup olive oil
5 oz. Greek yogurt
1/2 bunch of Tuscan kale, stems removed and torn into small pieces
1/8 cup toasted pine nuts 
1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese

Mix together garlic, salt, lemon juice, srirachi sauce, sugar, and yogurt in a medium sized mixing bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Toss in kale, pine nuts, and grated cheese. For best flavor, let the salad marinate for 1-2 hours before serving. 
 
Variations:
Kari and I have made many variations of this salad, here are a few of our tips and tricks:

1) Curly kale seems to be a little more kid-friendly than Tuscan kale.
2) Sub in red pepper flakes for srirachi sauce if you don't regularly keep the hot sauce stocked in your pantry.
Cut this ingredient completely for those who don't like spicy food.  
3) Sugar can be subbed with either honey or maple syrup.
4) For a slightly runnier dressing, add more lemon juice.
5) Walnuts can be subbed for pine nuts.
6) Add in grape tomatoes and/or thinly sliced radishes for a nice pop of color!

 

*This award-winning salad was created by Molly Buckie-Pinder, Director of Catering at Restaurant Associates at HBO in NYC. 

 

 

 

 

Leggings - I've loved them since 7th grade. Thankfully, my sense of style has improved somewhat since then...no longer do I dress in the same color from head to toe, including a matching hair scrunchy! Nonetheless, leggings are more a part of my wardrobe now than ever before.

Let's face it, having children changes our core....what was once firm and impervious to muffin tops...is no longer so firm anymore! I found that after my third baby, I just felt more comfortable with a higher waistband than my jeans could offer. Thus, legging provided the perfect solution. I've tried many brands, but my favorite are by J.Crew. The waistband isn't to high or too low, and the colors and fit are just right. 

This spring, I've fallen back in love with button-down shirts, particularly because they look far more put-together than a simple t-shirt, while still being very comfortable. I would suggest a looser fit  button-down, like this one from Gap. Sleeves worn up or down, I appreciate how versatile it is...and of course, it goes well with leggings.

Try taking these two simple spring/early summer staples and mixing with a few accessories you already have. You can see in the image above that I've shown you how I accessorize my staples. No mother is truly completely dressed until she adds snacks, pacifiers, and a toddler water bottle to complete her outfit, right?

Taking care of small children doesn't always bode well for our fashion sense, trust me, I've had my moments of being a complete slob! But I've found that when I take a little effort to be comfortable and stylish, I am a better Mama. Perhaps just as tired, but definitely more confident and content. 

 

 

Not long after joining Instagram last fall, I kept seeing cute leather moccasins popping up in @brimfulshop newsfeed. Now I've always been a big fan of soft-sole shoes, so my interested in this beautiful footwear was piqued!

After checking out the Freshly Picked website and reading a little more about Susan Peterson and how she started her business, I was very impressed. But the price tag of $60/pair was a little more than I'm used to paying for shoes for my toddler, so I didn't purchase any. But, the buzz on Instagram continued and the positive reviews of other customers kept rolling in, so on Black Friday, I bought two pairs for my daughter. 

Five minutes after removing the moccs from the box, I became forever smitten with these amazing little shoes. The leather is higher quality than any other soft sole shoes I've purchased, the color is vibrant, and I LOVE that they are free of gender-specific designs. 

Now four months later, my daughter wears her silver moccs every day...and often will refuse to take them off at bedtime! She loves them as much as I love having her wear them (score!). To the playground, along the sidewalk, or just running errands around town, I have not found a setting where the moccs aren't suitable. I've also been pleased how well the moccasins have worn over time. The stitching and elastic around the ankle has stayed perfectly strong and the leather has stayed bright and soft (with normal wear around the toe area from busy toddler activity of course). 

 

Susan and her FP team have kindly offered up a pair of moccasins for us to give away! On Monday (3/17), we are celebrating Brimful being open for six months and will be running the giveaway via our Instagram account. Along with the moccs, we'll be including a few treats from the shop too...yay!