It was a relaxing evening. I had just returned from the market, started cooking, listening to Ella Fitzgerald… you know, so chill.
Didn’t see it coming…

Untying a bundle of kale into my sink, sorting through each leaf, I began to wash them under the running water.
When suddenly my hand came in contact with a large object, mmbasically the size of a finger..

HUGE huge huge GRASSHOPPER.

Now. To some of you, NBD.
But what happened in the seconds following, concerning my loss of composure, is a reaction that my 28 year-old-self was not proud of.
Squealing was involved. Maybe a bit of jumpinng, I don’t know.. Ok, I’m not kidding I became involuntarily weak in the knees.

Being a kid that spent entire afternoons digging up worms, and squeezing lightening bugs to make “glowing” rings on my finger… this reaction was unforeseen.

And there were two witnesses. And I’m sorry guys.

OK. So hey, as it turns out, I did come here today to share a new delicious salad creation! Not just chronicles of the grasshopper.

KEEN-WA.

Why don’t we just spell it that way. Prime example of English language complexities.  Whatever, it’s whatever.

So my new quinoa salad has these subtle favors, elegant taste, and then BOOM you get a bite of gorgonzola.
I LOVE it.
Andy DOES NOT.  He prefers Feta.  And Feta is superb, everyone knows that.
So have it your way.

SWEET POTATO GONGONZOLA QUINOA SALAD
2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup sweet potato (chopped / baked*)
1/2 of a red pepper, chopped
1/2 of a yellow pepper, chopped
1 cup Tuscan kale, chopped
1/2 cup gorgonzola crumbles  (or sub FETA)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 of a lime (juice from)

*I skinned +chopped 2 raw sweet potatoes, baked on a sheet in the oven, using olive oil + salt + cumin.  425 oven for 15 min+/-.  But in a time crunch, you can microwave, skin, and chop.

Grasshoppers sold separately! ew

from my Tiny Kitchen,
glorieanna