Sweet Basil Dressing

It’s back to the grind after a fun 4-day birthday weekend, another year older. But I had fun and got some great gifts.

Lots of eco-friendly goodies, books, and Blooming wrapping paper that grows from my mother-in-law, so sweet!

Tuesday my mom and I went to the California State Fair where I took in inspiration from the garden area and wished I had a big enough purse for these watermelons!

Fun way to re-use old tires.

Lunch was a simple Thai steamed rice and veggie dish with Sriracha and soy sauce.

There were probably more exotic vegan options like fried avocado and mango-on-a-stick, but I did not feel like battling the crowds while we checked out all the food stations around the fair.

For dinner, hubby took me to Il Fornaio and I had my favorite angel hair pasta dish again, always good.

And I’m back to healthy eating habits after a few splurges the last few days and trying to use up fresh basil from our garden. I created a lighter, sweet basil dressing to go with a heartier meal salad with chopped tempeh. This dressing is tangy, sweet, and has a fun mustard basil kick. But lighter being banana-based and without oil and sugar, of course.

The color is a pretty, light green with a smooth texture.

It completed a hearty meal summer salad with a sweet and tangy basil flavor that went well topped with nutritional yeast and a smokey seasoning blend.