I live in a small town–it’s not the smallest town that I’ve ever lived in. It’s actually the largest small town that I’ve ever lived in! I mean, we have a Walmart. It’s not utterly rural (one time I’ll tell you about when I lived in a town population 8). But I tell you what, for the life of me I can’t get my hands on a decent Cobb Salad anywhere! So you gotta grab life by the horns.
If you want a great Cobb Salad, you gotta make it your own darn self.
When I was in college, one summer, I worked in the kitchen at the Prairie Dunes Country Club in Hutchinson, KS (I’m spelling it out because it’s actually, I guess, kind of a big deal kind of thing? I mean Bill Murray golfs there, so what I’m saying is that I’m a very fancy lady who worked at a very fancy job. JK LOL). When I was there, I worked in the salad area. By far, our most popular salad was the CS (we’re on good terms, we call one another by our initials) but almost no one ever wanted everything that came on it as it was. Some people wanted to substitute chicken for shrimp. Almost no one wanted the blue cheese. Some people wanted just lettuce and bacon. Some people didn’t want the toppings striped on top, they wanted it all mixed up together. And if you ask me, none of those can be considered a legit Cobb Salad. But maybe I’m wrong and I should accept the To Each His Own Salad mentality.
So here’s what I need in my Cobb Salad.
I need hard boiled eggs and chicken (though now that I think of it, that’s a scary-bizarre combination). I need tomatoes. I need avocado. I need bacon (though until it came time to make this salad, I didn’t realize that we didn’t have any so this is missing it and don’t get me wrong—this salad is worse for it) I gotta have the blue cheese! And I need it to be layered on top real nice and pretty like. And then I need a lot of black pepper speckled all over the top.
In life–you just gotta take care of yourself, sometimes.
Do you have a do-it-your-own-darn-self situation?
XOXO, Lib
XOXO, Lib 
When you decide not to live in Minnesota or the Dakotas, things like lefse, krumkake, and caramel rolls turn out to be a “make it yo-self” sort of situation.
I have been legitimately craving krumkake, lately. I’ll never make them myself, obviously, but I’ll make up a batch of Caramel Rolls FOR SURE.
Cobb salad, for me, is the salad that I say “I think I’ll try the soup” to.
Make it myself foods are usually pasta. Not because I’m super great at it, but because I feel like the taste to cost ratio makes a lot more sense at home.
Jamie–you are RIGHT! You go out for Spaghetti and it’s an easy $15 spent. Make it at home and you’re $3 deep with at least 4 meals!
A dish, for me, that is always WAY better when you make it yourself is biscuits and gravy from scratch. I made it last night for dinner and my oldest son gave his critique: “It’s good… but McDonald’s gravy is my favorite.” To which I responded by throwing up in my mouth a litle bit. 😉
Yes! Ryan and I love to go out for breakfast and everywhere that we go, Ryan tries the biscuits and gravy. And (almost) every single time he says, “Eh, it’s not as good as my mom’s.” I don’t mind making B&G at home but it’s really hard for me to make a small batch and leftover gravy is not so bueno. 😛
(There is a little cafe in town called Mr. B’s and their biscuits and gravy have received the Ryan Monaghan seal of approval.)
Smoothies. Way cheaper at home, and way healthier! And man, that salad looks delicious!
Yes! I’ve really gotten on the green smoothie train and I love it. If I never had to clean my blender, I’d probably make a lot more smoothies. 😛