familiar broccoli-raisin salad

So today I was supposed to post a wonderful recipe and discussion of how this month I'd made macarons for the first time. I scheduled to make them... really, I did (albeit a little late on the calendar, but scheduled nonetheless.) Then life happened, and macaron testing/perfecting quickly fell by the wayside.

I don't find my blog the best space discuss the finer matters of my personal life. I'll just say that spending time with folks you care about during the tougher times of their lives is without question more important than testing a new recipe. And I know the lovely ladies who started First on the First agree. So please take a minute to jump over to their recipes and drool over their macarons... see what you're missing on this blog today. 

And then pull up a bowl for this old familiar favorite. I was home with my mother today when she said "I'm thinking about making 'that' broccoli salad. Whatcha think?" 

I think I'll have seconds.

I love this dish... I don't make it nearly enough. 

We sort of improvised based on what we had on hand, but essentially this recipe from my friends over at MyRecipes.com (the BEST source for reliable kitchen-tested recipe) is a match (we left out the sunflower seeds this time... none on hand, but they would certainly be delish.) 

This may not rival the beauty and foodie appeal of a macaron, but some days, something familiar is all you need.