I am aware that my posts have been a bit sporadic lately, but I think I've had a pretty good excuse.  Life.  And the house guests that come with it.  Brian and I have been playing host and hostess to a slew of old friends these last couple of weeks, which has been just fabulous but also very time-consuming.  We've had a barbeque on our back deck, nights out on the town, quiet evenings in with a bottle (or two!) of wine and, the best by far, a weekend get away to West Virginia.  Specifically, LostRiverModern, our favorite modern, pre-fabricated cabin in the woods. I know that this is a food blog.  But you have to understand that I am also a designer, armed with 6 years of education at two different architecture schools and several years of practical experience.  And I simply cannot return from such a fabulous place with such wonderful memories and not share it with you.  I just can't.  So please bear with me - there are plenty of food photos and I even have a recipe for a simple and healthy chicken salad waiting for you at the end. And, when you're through, you should really check out LostRiverModern's website and blog.  And then book yourself a weekend get-away.  You won't be disappointed.   I'll be back to regular recipe posting this week, as I have a backlog of drafts to publish.  And, thank you all for the very sweet comments on my last post for key lime butter cookies. I'm glad that you enjoyed it.  As for the cookies, I made a batch (for the third time - in one week) to take with us to the cabin.  They were gone the first day.   [taken when we visited last October] [potato salad with olives] [burgers with roasted cherry tomatoes and pepper jack cheese] [turkey and veggie chili mac] [many games of rummy - I had to throw this in because of my incredible, once-in-a-lifetime lead.  In case you can't read it, my column says "550" while Brian's says "20".  Oh yes.] [the owners are dog-friendly!!!!!] [love.] We can't wait to return.  Many thanks to Chris and Sarah for sharing their beautiful home. Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts serves 4 as a filler for a lunch wrap or a side with dinner Ingredients:

• 3 medium chicken breasts, cooked (I baked mine for 35 minutes at 350*, with a bit of olive oil and salt + pepper]
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 3 tbsp plain, nonfat yogurt
• 3 tbsp honey mustard dressing (I make my own and keep it in the fridge, always, using this recipe)

Method:

1. Mix it all together.
2. Chill for 1 hour before serving.