Poeticly Cooking: Two Apple Spinach Salad

One of my favorite things to do is recreate meals that I find at local eateries.  Because I've been eating clean I had the notion to copy one of my favorite salads. Cap City restaurant features the Two Apple Spinach Salad. After having it once and falling in love, I decided I had to have it whenever I wanted versus only the times I made it to a locale. It's beautiful and pretty simple and quick to prepare:

You'll need: 

2-4 Salmon filets

2-4 slices of bacon

2-4 apples (gala and green)

1 bag of spinach

2-4 tablespoons of goat cheese

Pecans (optional)

Season and grill a piece of salmon to your liking ( I sometimes pan fry them in olive oil for 6 minutes on each side- medium heat)

Slice 2 types of apple

Fry (or microwave) a couple slices of bacon and crumble

Arrange spinach on a plate. Arrange the apples on separate sizes. Place the cooked salmon in the middle. Sprinkle with the bacon, goat cheese and pecans if you like them. Serve with a balsamic vinaigrette or whatever dressing you prefer.

Bon appetite!

Chalk the Block at Easton Town Center

One of the things I love about Easton Town Center on the north side of Columbus is that on any given day you might encounter an art festival or a live band. On our way to grab some brunch today, the hubs and I discovered both when we rounded a corner and stumbled upon Chalk the Block! Chalk the Block is a contest happening at the center where competitors gather to create amazing works of art using chalk in the streets. 

We found them engaged in their work just outside Brio. Some artists drew their work in advance, while others appeared to sketch them freehand from the creativity of their own minds. All were sketched on the streets in bright hues and amazing artistry. We saw super heroes, anime, animals and lots of other fun illustrations. As the artists worked, a live band played music (I recognized one song by Daft Punk) while families perused the streets. Children were allowed to look, but not touch although some artists allowed the kids to draw their own pictures nearby. One artist, Lea Gray, allowed some of the children to color in parts of her master piece. I personally thought that was awesome! You can find Lea at  http://m.leagraydesign.com. Here is her project:

We found ourselves returning to see the progress as they worked to complete their drawings by the 6:00 pm deadline. Of course the event wouldn't be a contest without prizes. All artists were competing for prizes up to $500 and the audience was able to vote for "The Peoples Choice". The event ends on Sunday when all projects are complete and votes have been counted. Various live bands are scheduled to play and it's truly fun for the entire family! While you can see the start of many projects below, if you have a little free time you should go see the winners and their work on Sunday! Your kids (and your inner kid) will love you for it!