Santa Fe Chicken Salad a la Earl's

When Kevin said he had taken some chicken out to thaw, I thought, "Why not try making a Santa Fe Chicken Salad like they make at Earl's?". I recall Patty telling me that she found the recipe on the internet and was making a pretty amazing Santa Fe Chicken Salad herself! And the idea was cast in stone when I saw, with initial disappointment, that Kevin had taken out a pre-marinated chicken. As chance would have it, it was a Santa Fe marinade. Done deal.

Here is the recipe I used at Epicurious.com. I made a few adjustments. I didn't add dates. I didn't use Feta cheese ... I substituted with something I already had on hand, which was a little spiced gouda. I didn't roast a cob of corn. I put the drained corn in the oven for a while instead and that worked just fine. I thought that perhaps my dressing was a little too "limey", but Kevin liked it like that. And all that lime zest is especially good for you, by the way. I didn't add the topping of crunchy tortilla shells or the additional chopped nuts. If I were going to add tortilla bits, I would have just crunched up some from a bag. My interpretation of the recipe was WAY easier and very quick to make. Kevin barbequed the chicken and I did the rest. Well, he had to open a couple of cans for me, but that was it.

I must say, it was very good. You should try it!

I feel quite good today. Ahhhhh ... I had an epsom salt soak after lunch, I did some more housework type stuff and then I decided to get out of the house for a while. On the way to my car, I saw Deb and Marilyn driving by ... or more like they saw me! They had just finished the Run for the Cure! Way to go, you two!! We had a little chat and then I went to Pier 1 because I'm always looking for a deal on a bedside table. I didn't find one. A deal, I mean. Then I stopped at Home Depot and bought a couple of ferns for the upstairs bathroom. They like humidity and low light. Perfect. Then, I stopped at Winners with my plants in hand and found a pot to put them in. Again ... perfect! I got the car filled up with gas (by my neighbour, Duncan ... bonus!) and then home again to make the salad. A nice little excursion. And now I'm done for the day. Tired but otherwise feeling pretty good. My right shoulder is noticeably improved today. My range of motion has increased considerably and the pain has subsided greatly as well. I hope the improvement continues and I hope my left shoulder and arm are close behind.