SPRINGY SALAD AND SOME SMALL TALK

I've been meeting more and bloggers who are vegetarians, and it's been encouraging me to try new ideas for healthier eating - sometimes(lol).  Most arugula salads tend to add pear or apples, but this recipe is a little bit different.  It's still simple to make though.

ARUGULA SALAD W/ WALNUTS
Ingredients
3/4 Cup Walnut Pieces
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2 Tbsp. Apricot Preserves
2 Tbsp White Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Minced Red Onion
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1/4 Tsp Salt
1/8 Tsp Pepper
1 Pkg Baby Arugula( 5 Oz)
2 Endive, about 8 oz., halved crosswise, cut lengthwise in 1/4" wide strips(are you really going to measure this-lol)
1 Container (16 Oz.) Grape Tomatoes

DIRECTIONS
In a small skillet, cook the walnuts over medium heat, stirring occasionally until fragrant and toasted, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to a plate and cool.

In a large serving bowl, whisk together oil, preserves, vinegar, onion, mustard, salt & pepper until blended.  Add the arugula, endive, tomatoes and walnuts, tossing until coated. Serve immediately.

I WANT THAT HOUSE!
Have you been house hunting, or thinking about moving into a new place?  I've found the perfect spot in Atherton California, which according to Bloomberg is the wealthiest place in the United States.  In fact, this city has an average household income of close to $444,000.

Right now this 6 bedroom/8 bath home located at 147 Stockbridge Avenue can be yours for the bargain price of $15,500,000.00, making your mortgage about 80,000 a month!


MALL LOVE

Cary Towne Mall

As a kid, hanging out at the mall seemed so fun because there were all these neat stores, and it seemed like they became larger and larger with each new place I visited.  Now, the mall that's closest to me hardly has any of the stores I remember, and there's not much traffic either.  To be honest, I love a good deal, and don't find many at the local malls these days, so I don't even visit as much as I used to.

Mall of America

Still, there are lots of malls that continue to be exciting, and some have sizes that are massive.

In the US, the largest mall is The Mall of America, located in Bloomington Minnesota, which not only boasts over 500 well known stores and boutiques and is visited by about 40 million people each year, but it also comes with an actual amusement park!  During the week they close at 9:30pm.

Dubai Mall

Dubai Mall Aquarium

If that's not big enough, and you have the time and energy to visit close to 650 stores on 4 floors, head to the Dubai Mall.  But if you don't want to shop, visit the huge aquarium that's there for your viewing pleasure, or grab a meal at one of their fantastic restaurants.  You can stay out late here, because this mall closes at 11pm.

AMAZON IS AT THE TOP
Remember those blog posts about finding jobs on Amazon, getting deals and sales, and those brick and mortar bookstores?  Well, all that and more has paid off for the Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos who is worth a whopping $123 billion dollars, making him #1 on Forbes Billionaires List, and dropping Bill Gates to #3.  If that's not enough, he also owns the Washington Post.

SHOW YOUR CAT SOME LOVE
Have you ever thought about writing that adorable furbaby in your home a personalized letter?  If you grab A Letter to My Cat, you'll see an anthology of love letters from celebrities and music stars that will make you smile.  The book also includes fantastic profiles and pictures of these special pets.

Making Money Moves
Are you witty with words, funny, or good with writing short little blurbs?  If so, Calypso Cards is looking for you, and it's a great way to earn some extra cash.  Click on this link below for submission rules and other pertinent information. Accepted submissions pay $50 each.  Submissions .

On March 14, https://wordswisps.blogspot.com/ recommended a writer that I had never heard of in one of her posts, but he's actually very well known. When you read Mark's work, you'll realize very quickly that he has a potty mouth, but it absolutely takes nothing away from his ability to eloquently discuss the core of toxic and/or abusive relationships.

Something about the quoted phrase below has resonated with me since early March, and I print this with his permission.  

"You don’t want to bargain with your father for love, or your friends for companionship, or your boss for respect. Why? Because feeling like you have to manipulate people into loving or respecting you feels shitty. It undermines the whole project. If you have to convince someone to love you, then they don’t love you. If you have to cajole someone into respecting you, then they don’t respect you. The most precious and important things in life cannot be bargained with. To try to do so destroys them." Mark Manson - https://markmanson.net/how-to-grow-up.

If you remember my post, "Sometimes It's Time to Start Over", back in January, this is a powerful reminder to do everything you can to get out of your abusive situation.

That person you love is not only mistreating you, but he or she is going around town assassinating your character and lying about what's really going on in your home. 

No matter what you do, you're never going to be respected or treated properly. That meal that took you four hours to cook is going to have something wrong with it.  The 40 pounds you gained due to stress, and the 50 pounds lost in a month just won't be enough.  He or she will do everything possible to portray you as the bad guy, and everyone he/she tells will believe you're the enemy or crazy. The lies and cheating won't ever end. Meanwhile, the attempt to wear you down emotionally will be relentless, and this person is NEVER going to change. 

Any physical violence will only intensify. If you're nose is broken now, next week it could be your arm.  In a few days, you'll need to hide a black eye with makeup or a hat. The month after that, you could be in the hospital or even worse - dead.

Talk to someone you trust,(not a gossipy friend or family member!) save money, write everything down, and maintain secrecy.  Also feel free to contact the national Domestic Hotline for help via their chat line http://www.thehotline.org/ or by calling 1−800−799−7233