never gets old

A couple posts ago, I mentioned my “songs that never get old” playlist, and a few of you have since asked about it.

Even though this makes me nervous (because for some reason, being judged for your taste in music seems extra personal), here are my all-time favorite songs for ever and ever. So good that I will never skip past them on shuffle:

acoustic alchemy – norwegian recycling
as you sleep – something corporate
best days – matt white
bitter – me’shell ndegeocello
brighter than sunshine – aqualung
can’t help falling in love – ingrid michaelson
collide (acoustic version) – howie day
counting stars – augustans
dark blue – jack’s mannequin
dream – priscilla ahn
a drop in the ocean – ron pope
existentialism on prom night – straylight run
follow through – gavin degraw
happy ending – mika
hear you me – jimmy eat world
hey, soul sister – train
how far we’ve come – matchbox 20
konstantine – something corporate
a lack of color – death cab for cutie
look what you’ve done – jet
love story meets viva la vida – jon schmidt
the luckiest – ben folds
marchin on – one republic
mine – taylor swift
my baby blue – dmb
my racing thoughts – jack’s mannequin
pollen & salt – daphne loves derby
the remedy – jason mraz
river flows in you – yiruma
rock your soul – elisa
rush – ferras
samson – regina spektor
send me on my way – rusted root
shake it out – florence + the machine
shoot out the lights – ron pope
slide – goo goo dolls
somewhere only we know – keane
the story – brandi carlile
swim – jack’s mannequin
to build a home – cinematic orchestra
turn to stone – ingrid michaelson
us – regina spektor
wherever you will go – the calling
wonderful world – james morrison
yellow – coldplay
you and me – dmb
you and me – lifhouse
100 years – five for fighting

And there you have it! Oh, and songs that I’m currently obsessing over?

teach me how to be loved – rebecca ferguson
feel again – onerepublic
demons – imagine dragons
hands in the air feat. neyo – timbaland

Whether these will ever achieve gold status, only time will tell.

Know what else never gets old?

The most perfect salad in the world.

A salad that features those addicting walnuts.

I used to have this ridiculous close-minded approach to salads, only choosing ones that were, quite frankly, nothing short of boring. I had a strange aversion to nuts, fruit, cheese…basically everything that makes salads delish.

I have since seen the light.

This is my salad perfection: apples, goat cheese, dried cherries, cinnamon maple candied nuts, all over a bed of spinach with honey vanilla balsamic vinaigrette. I could eat it every day of my life while listening to that playlist.

I order it every single time it makes an appearance at a restaurant…but it’s actually the quickest thing to throw together. Especially when you make those quick and simple candied walnuts. Even easier is the sophisticated-tasting honey vanilla balsamic dressing. {Recipe after the jump.}

Honey Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing

2 tbsp balsamic
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp honey

Whisk together until combined.