Greek Chicken Salad and Grown Up Girls

Yesterday, we saw another birthday for our girls...another year older and another year they are growing to become young women.  

We hit the big city for shopping, strolling through the beautiful holiday lit streets and dined at one of our favorite special occasion restaurants...oh and don't worry, yes I got teary eyed and almost cried at dinner.  It always puts my life in perspective and reminds me just how blessed we truly are to have our family and I thank God every day for them.

Uptown Girls!

I can now breathe a sigh of relief...Thanksgiving and Christmas - done.  Husband and girls' birthday - done.  Now I have a couple weeks to try and get my life back in somewhat of an order and prepare for volleyball travel season...and then I get this...

My husband says as we are driving home last night (with very full and overstuffed stomachs), "That's it, tomorrow we start diets again and back to the gym"...ugh!!  This comes from the man who gave me a true southern cookbook (nothing diet in those pages) and a beautiful set of stainless steel cookware for Christmas.  Oh well, South Beach Diet, here we come again.

This little salad makes up really fast and is perfect as a side dish or lunch entree, really light and great Mediterranean flavors.

Greek Chicken Salad

For Dressing:
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1 medium lemon)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

For Salad:
1/2 pound orzo, cooked according to directions, rinsed in cold water, drained and cooled
3 medium size boneless, skinless, cooked chicken breasts, diced
1/2 pint (red and yellow) cherry tomatoes
1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 medium cucumber, diced
1/2 of a 12 ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and cut into pieces
2 ounces crumbled feta cheese

Mix all dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Combine all salad ingredients, except feta cheese in a large serving bowl and toss.

Pour salad dressing all over and toss well.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Add feta cheese just before serving.

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