Something my Mama Never Told me...

I remember the day like it was yesterday!  I was pregnant with our 3rd son and craving salads everyday!  This particular day, I had built a beautiful salad, with mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, apples, celery, grated cheese and a drizzling of Catalina dressing.  It was heavenly!  Then came the tragic moment...

As I was half way through devouring my overflowing bowl of delight, when  I saw them...

Little - green - baby cricket looking - BUGS!!!

You see, I had not washed my lettuce before making my salad!  Honestly, I never even thought to!
I don't think I ate another salad my whole pregnancy ~ which may explain my excessive weight gain!

But, eventually I did come around to eating green again, and actually salad is my absolute favorite food!  Seriously, often when Ken and I go on a date I will order salad as my meal, simply because I love for someone else to make it for me!

Can you see the little critter in the center?

Nowadays, I wash my lettuce...and since I was never officially taught how (though my mom did teach me that cutting lettuce with a knife causes the ends of the leaves to brown), I thought I would pass along what I have learned!

First...collect your lettuce!  While that may be from a local grocer, this time of year I go straight to my backyard and clip a head or two!

Bring them in the house and fill your sink or large bowl with water.  Soak you lettuce leaves in the water...dirt will sink to the bottom, and critters will float to the top.

After skimming off those precious buggies...you will want to get your lettuce nice and dry! 

I know that many people use those salad spinners for this task...but I just never could find the space for yet another gadget!  A few years ago, my neighbor showed me a trick and I have used it ever since...




The homemade salad spinner:

Place your lettuce in a pillow case, take outside and spin it around and around.  The water driplets will fly everywhere, your lettuce will be perfectly dry, and smiles will abound! 

 {Besides - storage for these "salad spinners" is easier to come by!}

Just another way to "use what you have"!

Thanks for stopping by!  Be Refreshed!