There’s something wildly comforting about knowing the people who love you aren’t tallying up your quirks like a grocery list. They don’t keep score of the way you burn at least one pan of cookies every holiday or how you can’t tell a story without flinging your hands around like a conductor. They laugh, shrug, pour another cup of coffee. And honestly? Their flaws feel like seasoning, the little pinches of salt that keep the dish from being bland.

Friendship, at its best, is a table where everyone pulls up a chair; messy, human, honest. The ones who run late to everything, who scatter half-drunk mugs of coffee across the counter, who sometimes say the wrong thing but circle back with love. Those quirks don’t take away from the whole. They make us more real, more approachable, more ourselves. Our flaws don’t disqualify us from the table they’re the thing that makes it worth sitting down.

And speaking of flaws, let’s talk salad. Not the saintly kale kind, but the “yes, I used frozen chicken, don’t judge me” kind. It’s sweet, crunchy, creamy, and imperfect in all the right ways, just like the rest of us.

Cranberry Crunch Chicken Salad

What You Will Need:

For the Salad:

• 1 frozen breaded boneless chicken breast (about 4 oz)
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• 3/4 cup torn lettuce pieces
• Salt and pepper, to taste

For the Dressing:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup buttermilk (or regular milk)
• 1–2 tbsp honey
• 1½ tsp fresh lemon juice
• ½ tsp dried dill weed
• ¼ tsp dried parsley
• ¼ tsp dried chives
• Pinch onion powder
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• Pinch fine sea salt
• Pinch freshly cracked pepper

What You Will Need To Do:

1. In a mason jar, ¼ cup mayonnaise, ¼ cup sour cream, and ¼ cup buttermilk, 1-2 tsbp honey, 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice, ½ tsp dried dill weed, ¼ tsp dried parsley, ¼ tsp dried chives, pinch onion powder, ¼ tsp garlic powder, pinch fine sea salt, and a pinch freshly cracked pepper. Put on lid and shake until combined. Chill till ready to use. Dressing will keep in the fridge up to 1 week.
2. Cook the chicken according to the package directions. Let cool for about 5 minutes.
3. While the chicken cooks, combine ¼ cup dried cranberries, ¼ cup sliced almonds, 1 diced celery stalk, and 3/4 cup torn lettuce in a medium bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir until combined.
4. Slice chicken and toss into the salad. Drizzle with dressing, take a bite, and remind yourself: flaws and all, you’re still delicious.

Friendship, like salad, is best when it’s a little imperfect; sweet here, crunchy there, sometimes messy but always satisfying. The flaws don’t ruin the dish; they make it human. So here’s the question, friend: what quirks of yours are accepted wholeheartedly, and what flaws in others make them more lovable, more real, more human to you?

Because maybe the thing that keeps us close isn’t perfection. Maybe it’s the crunch, the sweet, the salt, the imperfections that make us who we are.

Gracefully yours,

Help keep the words flowing and the stories brewing.
Buy Me a Coffee

Reference
Niequist, S. (2024). Celebrate Every Day. Zondervan.