Hey hey!
I'm coming at you today with a DELICIOUS winter salad, probably my fave from The New Year New Habits Challenge we did last month.
I mean, how can you not drool just looking at all that vibrant colour? Er-My-GAWD!!!
But before I give you the recipe I thought I'd also give you a few Damian updates:
If you've been following along with my IG stories these last 2 months you'll know that we've been dealing with a few minor challenges with Damian. The first being his flat head, which developed because he absolutely loathes tummy time lol.
We started seeing a pediatric physiotherapist last month and she gave us a lot of homework. Basically daily "workouts" for D, following a sequence of moves which should accumulate up to an HOUR of tummy time. Which is a LOT for this little peanut. And a LOT for mama too.
That being said, we worked hard this month and his assessment this week showed that the flatness hasn't gotten worse - which is actually a positive thing. Plagiocephaly - the fancy name for flat head - usually peaks at 4 months and usually doesn't get worse since babies are have better head control at that age and beyond.
This put him right at the cusp of needing a helmet. Yep, the cutest baby accessory next to bows.
We have a referral now to see a specialist who will give us their recommendation on whether or not to get the helmet. And this referral is also GREAT because we've been looking for a doctor for him as well, and this condition now will help move us up the priority list.
After that appointment we'll have a better idea if Damian needs to get a helmet, or if we just keep working away at tummy time and strengthening his head/neck. Keep ya posted on that one.
The other challenge with D has been bottle feeding. We've tried soooo many bottles, we've tried mommy feeding him, Ty feeding him, facing away, you name it. He'd start, and then as soon as he realized it wasn't a boob he wanted nothing to do with it lol
Then my mommy friend Dalia told me about another bottle with a "magic nipple" that apparently is as close to a boob as possible. So I thought, ok let's try this last bottle and shoot for a Hail Mary. Because I've already spent some money of bottle supplies, and it ain't cheap!
Well....we've tried the Lansinoh bottle now twice - and BOTH times Damian drank from it! HALLELUJAH!
Ok ok, I'm not celebrating just yet, because I want to see him take a bottle consistently for a week. So we'll keep trying, and if all is good, then I have 3 months to build up a stash of milk for him for when I go to the UK in June for my besties wedding.
WISH. US. LUCK!!!
Ok that's it on the baby front, now let's get to this ahhhhmazing salad. I love it so much because it's got seasonal stars like clementines and grapefruit, and the different textures and flavours all come together so perfectly.
We paired this with some steak for protein, and a tomato soup to start, and it was just perfect. I think you're gonna love this one too!
If you make it, be sure to leave a comment below and tell me what you thought. Your feedback is always so appreciated and it helps me make tweaks and fine tune my recipes to make them even better for future readers! So TIA.
And be sure to tag me over on IG with @itscrystalelizabeth if you share it so I can cheer you on for choosing healthy meals!
Until next week babe!
Citrus Salad with Fennel & Avocado
Prep time: 20 minutes
Roast time: 30 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
1 fennel bulb, sliced into wedges and roasted**
Drizzle olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
1 radicchio, leaves torn
2 clementines or 1 small orange, segmented
1 small grapefruit, segmented
1 avocado, sliced
2 tablespoons pine nuts
1/4 cup shaved pecorino or parmesan cheese
1/4 cup fresh mint leaves
Sprinkle sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Lemon Dijon Dressing
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced fine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425°Fahrenheit, and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.
Cut the white parts of the fennel bulb into wedges, then place on the baking tray and season with olive oil, salt and pepper and toss to coat with clean hands**. Roast for 30 minutes.
While the fennel roasts, make the dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and Dijon mustard.
In a medium bowl, toss the sliced raw fennel with a few drizzles of the dressing. Set aside for 15 minutes so the fennel softens a bit.
Assemble your salad on a plate by arranging some of the sliced fennel, the roasted fennel, some radicchio, and some of the citrus segments. Drizzle with a few spoonfuls of the dressing and sprinkle with salt. Layer again with fennel and citrus, then top with 1/4 of the avocado, pine nuts, pecorino, and mint. Drizzle with more dressing, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and serve.
**NOTES:
NOT SURE HOW TO PREPARE A FENNEL FOR ROASTING? Check out this quick video HERE
NOT SURE HOW TO CUT A FENNEL? Check out this quick video HERE
MAKE IT NUT-FREE: Omit pine nuts
MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE: Omit the pecorino or sub with a dairy-free alternative
