A Tibetan proverb states “The secret to living well and longer is: eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure. I’m pretty sure I walk double. I usually have funny thoughts, so I tend to laugh a lot. I couldn’t say anything about love, I’ve never measured that. So then I guess I love without measure. It’s the eating half that I struggle with the most.

If food didn’t taste good, I suppose I wouldn’t have trouble eating only half. Yesterday at the Leader office we all brought a salad. I tried to only eat a half portion…of each. It ended up being a lot.

Deb’s Light Chicken Salad
5-6 Chicken breasts, seasoned with salt, pepper and dried thyme
1/2 c. light mayonnaise
1/2 c. fat-free yogurt
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. celery seeds
1-1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
5 green onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 c. dried cherries chopped
2 Tbsp. parsley chopped
1/2 c. pecans chopped

Sear the chicken breasts on each side in a hot oven-safe skillet. Cover and finish cooking in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes. Let cool.

Mix mayonnaise, yogurt, salt, pepper, celery seeds and vinegar together in a large bowl. Add onions, celery, cherries and parsley.

Once the chicken cools, chop it into 1/4-to-1/2-inch cubes. Add to the bowl and toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least an hour so the flavors will meld. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the top before serving.

Lea’s Sour Cream Potato Salad
5-8 medium red potatoes, boiled, peeled, chopped
2-3 ribs of celery, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
1/2 c. sour cream
3/4 c. mayonnaise
1 tsp. dried dill weed
1-1/2 tsp. prepared mustard
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 to 1-1/2 tsp. salt

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, dill weed, mustard, seasoned salt and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine potatoes, celery, onion and eggs in a large bowl. Fold in sauce. Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving to let the flavors meld.

Hill Family Pimento Cheese Salad
1-1/2 lb. American cheese, grated
2 small jars chopped pimentos with juice
10 fl.-oz. jar sweet pickle relish
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2-3 Tbsp. mayonnaise (more or less until the right consistency is achieved)

Combine all ingredients. Like other salads, the longer it sits in the refrigerator, the better it gets.

Nancy’s Tuna Salad
12-oz. can solid white albacore tuna (preferably wild)
1/2 c. onions, chopped
3/4 c. grapes, quartered
1/2 c. pecans, chopped
1/4 c. Miracle Whip, or to taste
1/2 c. chopped pickles or prepared sweet or dill relish

Mix together and serve in sandwiches or on a bed of lettuce.