Hellooooo again friends! I'm so sorry for laying low last week, but I needed a little recharge and had to take a break from work to get re-inspired!  We also went out of town last weekend to Louisiana for my niece's 3rd birthday and a dear friend's baby shower and we had so much fun!  We tried a couple of new restaurants, and had my favorite (around this time of year), boiled crawfish and absolutely did not count calories!   You could say I am in need of a detox and nothing but healthy meals after a weekend of indulging with friends and family (which for the record I am a firm believer of out of town indulgences)!  My turmeric and mustard apple cider superfood spinach salad is just the kind of salad I will making probably more than once this week while I get back on track.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen Parks (my two year old) gobbling up this salad on my stories!  Believe me, the first time I offered it and he ate every bite, I was blown away.  I thought for sure this was a fluke, but then I offered it again the second time that I made it and he ate the whole thing that time too!  I am pretty sure the hint of sweetness from the blueberries and the bit of honey in the vinaigrette lures him in, but hey, I'll take it!  I chop all of his ingredients super small so he can chew them easily and it has worked so far for us!  

So if the fact that a two year old will eat this salad doesn't entice you to make this recipe one night this week, then I don't know what will!  It's the perfect base to add grilled chicken, a piece of salmon, canned tuna, or you can keep it vegetarian by throwing some chickpeas or a cheese like feta or goat for a little extra protein!  There are so many good things about this salad including the fact that the flavors taste amazing, but what I love is that it is packed with good for you ingredients that your body will thank you for!  Anti-inflammatory turmeric, fiber and iron from the spinach (among other vitamins), healthy fats from the oil and the nuts, vitamin C from the red pepper, anti-oxidants from the blueberries, and apple cider vinegar that has a plethora of benefits that I could go on and on about!  You really can't get much healthier of a superfood salad and it is super satisfying too!

This is the perfect meal prep salad that you can make up in advance and then add your vinaigrette whenever you are ready to eat it!  I know it may seem like the most simple recipe, but sometimes those are the best in my opinion!

I can't wait for you all to give this recipe a try and see for yourselves just how delicious it really is!

Ingredients:

• 4 Cups of Baby Spinach
• 1 Red Bell Pepper, Sliced Thinly
• 2 Baby Seedless Cucumbers, sliced thin (or regular English cucumbers)
• 1/2 Cup Blueberries (can sub strawberries, apple slices, pear, or any other fruit of choice)
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Pecans or Almonds 

For the Vinaigrette:

• 1 Tbsp. Whole Grain Mustard
• 1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar (with the mother)
• 1/4 Tsp. Turmeric
• 1 Tbsp. Raw Honey
• 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
• 1 Tsp. Kosher
• 1/2 Tsp. Cracked Black Pepper

Do you every offer salad to your kids?  If so do they like it?  If not, give this one a try with them and see how they like it!  I bet they will surprise you!