By My OB scheduled an induction date: January 30th. I wrote it on the kitchen calendar in large letters and stood in front of it for a minute and thought: that is it. That is the day. The waiting has an end point. Ryan came home from shift, saw the calendar, and said okay in a way that meant everything was processing in his particular internal way and he would surface with something useful in four hours. He surfaced at dinner and said I feel ready. I said you are going to be a great dad. He got up and checked the hospital bag again.
Patty received the news the way she receives all news requiring action: she immediately made a list. Frozen meals confirmed. Steve is on standby. Matt has a bag packed in Springfield. Kristin changed her flight. Babcia Rose has said a novena. Dziadek Wally called and said Myszka, do not worry about a thing. I cried after we hung up, the kind where you realize how loved you are and it catches you completely off guard.
This is my last week of just the two of us in this apartment, and now there is a fixed date on the calendar and it feels different. I went through the twins dresser on Wednesday, the tiny onesies and impossibly small socks. We have about forty pairs of newborn socks because everyone gave us socks. I tried to picture the people who will wear them. Owen. Nora. They are already names to me, already personalities I have invented from kicks and positions and the way they respond to Ryan's voice, which he pretends not to notice but absolutely does.
I cooked what felt like a symbolic last weeknight dinner: Costco rotisserie chicken, roasted potatoes with rosemary, a simple salad. Ryan opened a bottle of wine I could not drink and nursed one glass through the whole meal. We sat at the table instead of the couch and talked through dinner the way we used to. Small talk, the good kind, the kind that is actually intimacy wearing practical clothes. January 30th. Four days.
That last dinner — the rotisserie chicken, the rosemary potatoes, and that simple salad — wasn’t fancy, and that was exactly the point. I wanted something that felt like us, unhurried and real, the kind of meal where the food steps back and lets the conversation be the thing. This tossed salad was the quiet third on the plate that night, and I’ve made it enough times to know it by heart now — crisp, bright, and easy enough that it never pulls you away from the table too long.
Best Tossed Salad Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 large head romaine lettuce, chopped (or 5 oz mixed greens)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 English cucumber, sliced into half-moons
- 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/3 cup sliced black olives
- 1/2 cup croutons
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep the greens. Wash and thoroughly dry the romaine lettuce, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Add to a large salad bowl.
- Add the vegetables. Layer in the cherry tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, and shredded carrots. Top with the sliced black olives.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress and toss. Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Toss gently until everything is evenly coated.
- Finish and serve. Top with croutons and shredded Parmesan. Serve immediately alongside your main dish.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 165 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 12g | Carbs: 11g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 280mg