Today’s lunch was AWESOME. I discovered a new Caesar dressing recipe from the Detox the World website, that is just perfect:
Since the recipe is posted in the “members only” section, I do not feel comfortable posting it here. But I can tell you this dressing included some soft goat cheese (which is easier to digest than cow’s milk cheese), zucchini, lemon juice, and some spices. So tasty! I’ve tried many raw, vegan Caesar dressings, made with nuts and seeds to make it “creamy” but I do feel like the goat cheese made this dressing more rich and satisfying. I chopped up a head of Romaine lettuce, tossed it with a generous amount of the dressing, and topped it off with some freshly ground black pepper.
Along with my salad, I had a bowl of my leftover veggie chili from last night. I forgot to take pictures of my dinner last night, so here are some pictures of the chili as I re-heated it on the stove this afternoon:
Here’s the recipe for one of my favorite Autumn meals:
Vegetarian Chili
INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 large onion, diced
3/4 cup chopped carrots
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon Chili powder
1 (28 oz.) can of diced tomatoes, with liquid
1 (19 oz.) can of kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 Tablespoon ground Cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Basil
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions, carrots, and garlic until tender. Stir in green pepper, red pepper, celery, and chili powder. Cook until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Stir in tomatoes and kidney beans. Season with cumin, oregano, and basil. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After my filling, fiber-packed meal, I still wanted a little something sweet. (I always crave something sweet after lunch!!) So I gave in again and had another tasty Blonde Macaroon from One Lucky Duck. So good! I paired it with a mug of my new favorite tea, Candy Cane Green Tea, from Trader Joe’s:
Not only does it taste great, it’s DECAF! Score!! Thanks to my best friend, Sara, for telling me about it. 
Now that my work day is over, I need to clean house and write some post-wedding THANK YOU NOTES! I’m running a bit behind with those… and I’m not allowed to use any gifts that I haven’t written a thank you for! So that means I can’t use a lot. I have a feeling I’m going to get through a chunk of them today, though. Gotta think positive. And listening Christmas music always helps, too.
