Magnificent Monday Salad

They always get the shaft and we humans love to hate them. Poor, poor Mondays.

Tonight, you get a simple recipe for a dinner-salad that is sure to improve your mood--because you're eating GOOD food--and energize you for a week of healthy living! (roll eyes here in response to my irritating optimism).

But first, to make today a little brighter for you (or simply to make you roll your eyes again), I'm going to keep my Miss Optimism Pants on and think of all the reasons today--a Monday--ended up to be an alright day.

• I found a parking spot at work, even though it was the first day back for WVU students.
• New jar of almond butter = new batch of almond butter cookies tonight.
• Did an awesome 1980s-type workout with Karen Voight and her leg warmers this morning.
• Got a fun package in the mail from my friend Katie with "Green Team" T-shirts and some sweet iTunes and Coldstone gift cards (I plan on using all items the same day like a maniac: downloading music on my Ky-Pod...listening to the music while I wear the T-shirt and run the 5K...then celebrating with a a bowl of Cake Batter ice cream. Because we all know that one of the best reasons to exercise is so we can have an extra bowl of ice cream. Or is that just me?)
• Renewed my Triple A membership (okay, this is just getting pathetic).

Enough of Miss Optimism Pants. I hope you'll try this nifty salad for your dinner tomorrow. You'll feel goooooood afterwards....

Mega-Veggie Dinner Salad

(makes about 3 servings)

This baby will keep you full hours after your done. Crunchy, tasty, filling and healthy. What more could you ask for to brighten your Monday? Or any day, really :)

Ingredients:

• 2 ears of corn, cooked and cut off the cob
• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of fresh garden tomatoes, chopped
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 bell pepper, chopped
• Gorgonzola cheese
• toasted pumpkin seeds
• Fresh chopped spinach, stems removed
• Salad dressing of your choice (we made a honey-chipotle vinaigrette with olive oil, honey, white wine vinegar, oregano, ground red pepper, paprika, chili powder, cumin, allspice, ground black pepper)

Directions:

1) Saute onion and garlic with a little olive oil over medium until just tender (2-3 minutes).

2) Optional: Toast chickpeas. I toasted them dry in a pan over medium heat until they were lightly browned. Sprinkled a little garlic powder on at the end (again, this step is optional).

3) Build your salad. Alas! An all-you-can eat, build-your-own salad option that doesn't involve a plastic sneeze guard shield, a line to wait in, or small children with sticky fingers.