And the day came when the risk [it took] to remain tight in the bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.

-Anais Nin

I am elated that summer if finally upon us. After a super-crusty spring wrought with rain, mud, and hope for warmer days, I finally got my wish. The weather has been gorgeous and absolutely perfect for lazy days at the lake, zoo extravaganzas with kids, and soul-feeding afternoons watching sailboats float by in a harbor. All of which I’ve done over the past week.

As the Anais Nin quotation suggests, I like to think that we as humans are similar to nature in that we have no choice but to blossom at some point(s) in our lives. Wherever we are in life, be it a painful crossroads, a job promotion, or a new fitness endeavor, we are offered the opportunity to nurse new skills and become an even better person in life during the journey. I suspect this may be the reason why most of us enjoy summer so much. It is truly the season of abundance and light, offering us all a chance to be inspired and cultivate our own talents in order to bloom right alongside the flowers.

This salad was inspired by a wonderful friend who is also an amazing cook. I enjoyed her salad al fresco this past weekend and have been craving it ever since…

Your Healthiest Life: The original salad also contained hearts of palm and raw corn. I also suspect dried pitted kalamata olives would be amazing in this dish as well. Sky’s the limit! This is a great salad because all of the vegetables used are completely raw. I do my best to get in as many raw fresh fruits and veggies as I can in the summer because they are absolutely essential to a healthy body.

QUESTION:
Are you a fan of sprouts?