Strawberry Spinach Salad With Vinaigrette

This salad reminds me of Spring! I love Spring. My husband made this salad yesterday. I love when he helps in the kitchen. He adds a nice extra touch to the things he makes. It is a busy time around here getting ready for our daughters wedding next week. Happy Time!

The salad was:

5-6 C spinach

1/2 C sliced almonds

1 C sliced strawberries

1/2 C sunflower seeds
sometimes I also add a thinly sliced red onion

Optional items

1/3 C bacon bits

1/2 C shredded Parmesan

Layer the ingredients so you get all the ingredients in each serving. 

I put the dressing on right before serving.  It will get soggy if you do it too far ahead. Add a little bit of dressing at a time to get just the right mix. 

dressing:

2/3 cup olive oil

1/4 honey or sugar 

2 TBSP. diced purple onion

1/2tsp. salt

3TBSP. apple cider vinegar
1/4 C chia *optional

Blend in blender or food processor until smooth. 

*If you use bacon. An easy way to do the almonds is to take the bacon bits and the almonds and saute' them together.  This gives the almonds some of the bacon flavor and roasts them a bit.  

Balsamic Sauce on Baked Vegetables

We got some rain last night, and some more this morning. I love how rain wakes up the plants and brings new life into them making them more vibrant. I wouldn't do well living in an area where it rains all the time (I guess it is really what you get used to), but I do like getting rain. It is especially fun when you are all cozy in bed listening to it.

 My son was leaving for school yesterday, and I told him to have a great day. He responded back with, "How can it be a great day I have 2 tests?"  Those words rang in my ears all day. I am guilty of having those same feelings sometimes. Each day is a choice of what we want to make of it. I am working on not letting my outside circumstances effect whether or not it is going to be a good day or not. I was waiting in a line in Costco and I really appreciated the lady in front of me starting up a conversation, and making the time pass quickly. I felt like a made a friend at the end of the visit. She added sunshine to my day. The lady behind me was complaining on the phone to her friend about the wait.  Every situation is a choice. Sometimes I succeed in this area, and sometimes I don't, but I am still going to keep working on it. It is Fall ! It is a great time to be alive. Enjoy today ! :) 

I loved this dish again it was a great way to eat vegetables adding a little more excitement to them. I loved the combinations of flavors it added a nice new twist. I had not had this flavor combination before. My family seemed to enjoy it as well. I love changing things up and trying new things.

Ingredients: preheat oven to 400 
Sauce
1 purple onion chopped finely
1 garlic clove minced
2 T olive oil
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 tsp honey
2 1/2 T cream
2 tsp sage
salt and pepper to taste

Vegetables
1 sweet potato peel and chop into thin pieces
2 carrots peel and chop thin pieces
1 potato peel and chop into thin pieces
1/4 butternut squash peel and chop into thin slices


Directions:
1. For the sauce put onions and garlic in a frying pan with oil. Let cook together about 2 min.
2. Add the vinegar, honey, cream, sage,  salt, and pepper. Set aside.
3. For the the vegetables. Put all of them in a bowl and stir the olive oil  and salt until they are covered.
4. Spread out on baking sheet. and put in preheated oven. Bake about 20 min or until done.
5. Pour warm sauce over the vegetables and serve. :)