This salad is the flavor bomb of my life. I am trying to really put into words how much my mouth loves this combination of fresh and unexpected flavors, crunchy-filling textures, and nutritious food power. But mostly all I can do is just close my eyes and ask myself: is it crossing the line to eat this for breakfast?

This Vietnamese Chicken Salad starts with the tangy, salty, lime-and-garlic-y dressing, which totally shines with the cooling mint + cilantro and a handful of fiery-crisp serrano peppers, which all results in me wrapping my fork with a combination of spicy-cool, salty-tangy veggies, chicken, and NOODLES (♡♡♡).

Even though I am not a teacher anymore, I feel like I am forever entitled to a two week teacher-schedule-style winter break, which is totally ridiculous and not even close to realistic in real life but, um, hi. I would still like to have it.

So while Bjork and I did some work here and there and at all odd hours of the night like true Internet people over the last two weeks, we’ve had some really awesome time to get up and out from behind the computer and be alive.

After the week of Christmas (parties, sick days, and out-of-town-friend-visits, oh my!), we split ways: Bjork took a week-long road trip with some friends, visiting cool hipster donut shops and eating, uhh, how do we say this? rustic? hot dogs from mom-and-pop stands around Chicago, while I, on the other hand, had a week full of slumber parties with my sisters and girlfriends, including sushi dates, a popcorn-and-ice-cream viewing of The Vow (Channing + Rachel + me being shamelessly obsessed), and shopping for post-Christmas-sales and new running gear for my healthy New Self in the New Year.

I am probably going to be eating 50x my daily recommended amount of chicken, cabbage, carrots, noodles, mint, cilantro, and Vietnamese dressing in the first week of the New Year. You guys, this is one major vegetable party! I’m glowing just thinking about it.