Parisian's Pure Indulgence : It's my story and I'm sticking to it

In my not so humble opinion, I believe every woman over 50 should carry an extra 5-10 pounds. Why? It's good for your face, not to mention your attitude;-) For Women over 50, it's okay to have a little extra body fat. The fat actually plumps up your face a little; de-emphasizing wrinkles.

I'm sure you've seen mature women who are very thin--their face looks drawn and wrinkled. Now this is not an excuse to be 25+ overweight. The problem with that is, if you do decide to lose weight, the skin on your face begins to sag along with the rest of your body. Exercise will certainly help the body, but you will notice wrinkles you never knew were there, when you were heavier.

I am someone who believes in moderation. I have always been 4-8 lbs over my ideal weight, but you know, I'm okay with that. I enjoy food and everything that goes with it. I'm happiest in my dining room, with a table full of people, laughing and enjoying each others company, along with a good meal.

During the summer, I love nothing more than a nice big salad for dinner. Who wants to heat up their kitchen on a 95 degree day, here in Southern California!

I made the salad shown here, for the 4th of July, and took it to our friends home. I changed the salad dressing a little, because I felt it needed a little more zip. Add your own favorite seasonings if you are adventurous, or follow the recipe as is. It was a hit at the party!

Southwestern Salad

The salad looked like this, when we arrived at the party. I tossed with dressing right before serving. Serves 8-10

Ingredients

Large head of romaine
15 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes (I used Heirloom)
2 cups corn ( frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Optional: avocado

Dressing:

1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

Directions

Make the dressing: puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.
Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
Toss with desired dressing.

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Here's a Salad I plan to make soon. I found it on Pinterest. I love combining quinoa, fruit, nuts and greens. This looks like a hit to me.

Berry-Avocado-Quinoa and Kale Salad with Honey-Lime Poppy Seed Dressing

Yield: About 5 - 6 servings

Ingredients

Dressing

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup canola oil
1 tsp lime zest
3 1/2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
2 1/2 Tbsp honey
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp poppy seeds

Salad

2 cups cooked quinoa (about 2/3 cup dry)
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
9 oz baby kale or baby spinach
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
2 medium avocados, peeled, cored and diced
5 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Directions

In a blender or mason jar combine all dressing ingredients except poppy seeds. Blend until well combined (or cover and shake if using a mason jar). Pour into a container and stir in poppy seeds. Store in refrigerator.
For the salad toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl. Pour dressing over top and toss. Serve immediately after adding dressing.