My search for the perfect salad had finally culminated. See, I don't like salad dressing. Blech. So for me, a salad has to have things in it that make it taste like something other than, well, lettuce. For years, I've experimented with different toppings, but nothing has ever been so good that I wanted to just sit down and have a salad for a meal. But I like the idea of salad. It pleases me, in its healthy, all-natural way. Like fresh herbs or something. And at last, my salad is complete.

First, assemble salad greens, whatever you prefer. Splash on some lemon juice. Next, sprinkle finely minced green chile peppers and diced green pepper on top. Then, some black beans. Then, feta cheese, crumbled, and cheddar cheese, shredded. At this point, it is a good basic salad. If you wish it to be more hearty, add chicken. You can make it a Mexican salad by adding shredded chicken cooked with taco seasoning. Or, chicken cooked with lemon juice and fresh dill. Both of these are good choices. Add the chicken after it has cooled. Voila! You have Shannon's perfect salad.

And yes, this is what I'm doing on Valentine's Day. Good times.