Strawberry Avocado Spinach Salad with Creamy Poppy Seed Dressing

My sister sent me this recipe and said it's really good. I am just now beginning to like avocados, actually, so I'll have to try it!  Thanks, Kim!

(Recipe from therecipecritic.com)

INGREDIENTS
6 oz baby spinach
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
2 Large avocados, chopped
¼ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup feta cheese


Creamy Poppy Seed dressing:
⅓ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup 2% milk
3 Tablespoons Sugar
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons poppy seeds

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In a large salad bowl, combine spinach, strawberries, avocados, almonds, and feta cheese. In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, milk, sugar, cider vinegar, and poppy seeds. Pour about half over the salad and toss to coat. Add more of the dressing if needed. Serve salad immediately and garnish with more feta cheese and almonds if desired. Pin It Now!

Greek Salad

I made this salad for a Sunday night church fellowship meal we had. I didn't eat it because I don't like raw onions or cauliflower, but it actually sounds good, still!  I guess I should have tried it!

1 head iceberg lettuce, chopped (I used Romaine)
1 red onion, sliced
1 pound bacon - cooked, drained and chopped
1 head cauliflower - broken into small pieces

Layer all ingredients until time to serve. Then toss with dressing.

Dressing:
2 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sugar

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Mississippi Cornbread Salad

I have other Cornbread Salad recipes posted on here by myself and my mom, but couldn't find this one - the one I usually use!  It's such a great salad!

MISSISSIPPI CORNBREAD SALAD

1 (8 1/2 oz) package cornbread mix (I use Jiffy)
1 (1 oz.) envelope ranch salad dressing mix
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 can chopped Rotel tomatoes, drained well (I use tiny fresh sweet tomatoes, but then the canned green chilies, drained)
2 cans (16 oz) pinto beans, drained (I used Ranch Style Beans, rinsed and drained, but prefer pinto)
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
2 jars or bags "Hormel Real Bacon Bits"
2 cans (15 1/4 oz.) whole kernel corn, drained

Prepare cornbread per package instructions. Cool. Stir together salad dressing mix, sour cream, and mayo until blended. Set aside. Crumble half of the cornbread into a 3 quart casserole or glass bowl or large salad bowl. Top with half each of beans, tomatoes, cheese, bacon, corn, and dressing. Repeat layers. Top with a little of cheese and bacon bits for decoration, if desired. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
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Taco Salad Bowls

One of our favorite meals is Taco Salad.  I usually make it all together in a great big bowl, mixing it together right before serving.  Everyone just dishes it into their own bowl, but when we have it, we never have enough bigger bowls.  And since it's the only thing we're having when we have it, you want a bigger bowl instead of a small one.  Another thing when we have this meal is that half of us like tomatoes and half don't. I usually leave them out of all of it and just put the tomatoes in a small bowl on the side.

But now I've found a new solution to this problem!  Have you ever eaten at Fuzzy's Taco Shop?  There Chicken Taco Salad with Garlic Buttermilk Ranch dressing is my absolute favorite! I think I could eat that salad every day.  Since there's no flour and no sugar, it makes it extra- appealing to me!  But the salad is neat because it's served in a huge stainless steel bowl.

And that was the inspiration. It's so easy to mix the dressing and salad together because the big bowl is extra-big!  I also liked the restaurant's bowls being stainless steel.  Kind of made it fun!  So, I planned to get me some stainless steel bowls for Taco Salad night.  I didn't need as big of bowls as Fuzzy's uses, but wanted something bigger than I had.  Guess what?  I went into Walgreen's today for something and happened to see some of those bowls! There were three sizes - in the dorm-living section, so probably a temporary item!  I bought the medium bowls (8 in. diameter) and bought the six they had - just enough for our family.  They were $2.00 each, but I'm wanting to get more of the for when we have company. I also want to pay $1.00 or less for each.  The quest is on!

(Ingredients:  Leaf and Iceburg lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, crushed tortilla chips, Ranch Style Beans (heated), browned ground beef seasoned with salt, onion powder, and garlic powder, tomatoes, and Kraft Catalina Classic salad dressing.)

Another thing I decided would be fun is to let everyone make their own salad.  There's room to mix them because of their size and now the non-tomato lovers can keep them out all on their own!  The kids thought it was really fun and it tasted really good! Maybe it tastes better done separately, maybe it was the bowl, maybe it was just in their heads :).  Who cares, right?  Everyone was happy.  Everyone was full!  Everyone had fun! 

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Strawberry Spinach Salad

A few weeks ago I made a strawberry spinach salad for a school event.  I've had numerous requests for the recipe, but since I combined several and don't measure everything, it's been difficult to get it put together.

I know that this is what I did for the dressing.  I didn't have some of the ingredients the original recipe called for so I'm just putting what I did.

DRESSING:
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
dash of paprika
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (I just shook a drop out)
1 tablespoon minced onion (I just shook it out without measuring)

Mix the dressing ingredients in a small bowl, until sugar dissolves. Cover the dressing and allow to chill for 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine:

10 ounces of fresh spinach 
One quart of strawberries

Pour dressing over the salad.  Add sugared pecans. (recipe below)  Toss to coat.

SUGARED PECANS:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups pecan halves
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil. Pour the butter onto the lined sheet. In a large bowl, mix the egg whites, sugar and cinnamon. Add the pecan halves and toss until they are fully coated. Spread the pecans onto the baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring the pecans every 10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.  


My notes about this recipe:
I actually let some of the pecans get a little too done - almost burned, but apparently people liked that, too!!  Isn't it funny that something you think might be a flop is well-liked?  Haha!

Some recipes say to chill the dressing for an hour, then chill the salad for 10 - 15 minutes before serving, but I didn't have time to do that. I'm wondering if that's why people liked it so much - because it wasn't so cold?  I think so, so that's why I'm just putting 30 minutes on the chill time of the dressing. I think even 15 minutes would be fine.

Now if I can remember who all wanted the recipe, I'll be doing good!
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Luscious Grape Salad

Posted by Lori:

This is a new recipe from Kraft.  Sounds DELICIOUS!  I've used the cooking creme before and really liked it.  Sounds like a great recipe for a Memorial Day cookout!

1 tub (10 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Original Cooking Creme
1/4cup packed brown sugar
4 cups each seedless green and red grapes, halved
2 cups fresh pineapple chunks
1/2cup PLANTERS Slivered Almonds, toasted

MIX cooking creme and sugar in large bowl.  Refrigerate up to 24 hours before serving.

HOW TO TOAST NUTS

Toasting nuts adds crunch and intensifies their flavor. To toast nuts in the oven, spread nuts in single layer in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. To toast nuts on the stovetop, place nuts in ungreased skillet. Cook on medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. To toast nuts in the microwave, place up to 1 cup of nuts in a microwaveable shallow dish. Microwave on HIGH until fragrant and crisp, stirring every 30 sec.

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Grape Salad

Posted by Lori:

This is an unusual, but very good salad.  It is from a cookbook I received from the Waynoka, OK, church ladies after speaking there for their spring ladies' day in March.  With grape at their peak season right now, be sure to try out this delicious salad!

Grape Salad

3 pounds red seedless grapes
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup  brown sugar

Mix the cream cheese and sugar together;  add the sour cream.  Mix the grapes and cream cheese mixture together.  Warm the pecans and add the brown sugar.  Sprinkle this on top of the salad.
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Ladies' Day Salad Luncheon

Click HERE for my post about speaking at the Waynoka, OK church ladies' day this past Saturday.  It talks about the theme and my lesson points. This post is more about the food :).

For the salad luncheon, the ladies has three of these serving jars.  One had raspberry tea and another had peach tea.  This one was just plain ice water, but look how pretty they made "plain water"!!  I love the addition of the cranberries and ice in layers.  BEAUTIFUL!

Trifles are one of the prettiest desserts to serve, in my opinion.  This one was delicious, as well.  I have a few trifles posted on this blog, if you're interested.

Fruit pizza is always a hit and these individual fruit salads are a great way to serve desserts.  Spring time fruit is in season and so pretty right now!

Have you notices the little cards by each dish?  One of the Waynoka ladies goes to great lengths to make sure each dish is labeled.  However, she goes above and beyond by making the cards "pretty", in the theme colors, and also makes the cards double-sided, so that it is visible from both sides of the table.  Both lines of people can see the name of the dish.  BRILLIANT!

More delishness!! (My spell check says this isn't a word, but it's a new word.  I made it up! :)

....and even more!

....and more!....

My plate.  Isn't it pretty?  Tasted absolutely wonderful, too!

Great job, Waynoka church ladies!!

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Pear Salad

Posted by Donna:

I remember my mother making this simple salad a lot. She would also serve it when she hosted the ladies from her Extension Club. I still like it and eat it quite often. You can tell how much I like it because I eat it in "pairs!"



Pear Salad

Pear halves
Miracle Whip
Shredded Cheddar Cheese



Put a dollop of Miracle Whip on each pear half. Top with the cheese.

When my mother would serve it, she would first lay the pear on a lettuce leaf. I think this used to be quite popular among the ladies my mother's age.

It sounds like a very strange combination, but it works together quite well. Pin It Now!

Fabulous Feta Salad

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Posted by Lori: 

This is the third and final new salad I made for last week's school event. This one was delicious, and for sure it will become one of my favorite recipes when needing to take a salad for luncheons or events. I can eat a whole can of Mandarin oranges, anyway, so putting them in a salad makes it that much better, in my opinion!

FABULOUS FETA SALAD
5 ounce package spring-blend salad mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
11 ounce can mandarin oranges, drained and halved
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Poppy Seed Dressing  (recipe below)

 Divide salad mix equally among four serving plates; top each with equal servings of pecans, feta cheese, bacon and mandarin oranges. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese; drizzle with Poppy Seed Dressing. Serve immediately. Serves 4. 

***I made the salad in a large bowl, adding the dressing right before serving.

 POPPY SEED DRESSING 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon poppy seed

Whisk together mayonnaise and sugar; whisk in vinegar and remaining ingredients. Add to salad.

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Farmer's Wife Salad

Posted by Lori:

Here is another recipe I made for our school's FFA auction/fundraiser this week.  It came from the Gooseberry Patch Quick & Easy Family Favorites Cookbook, as well.  This salad was really good and was almost gone when I went to pick up my bowl.  It's definitely a keeper!  

My sister-in-law mentioned on the bread salad that maybe garden fresh tomatoes would have tasted better to me.  I'm absolutely positive that it would have.  Nothing beats straight from the garden tomatoes!  Too bad our part of the world didn't grow any last summer.  It was too hot, I suppose.  The little tomatoes (sweet cherubs, I think) make an "OK" substitute, but still there is no comparison.  (Makes me excited about planting our garden this summer!)

FARMER'S WIFE SALAD 

(What a cool name for this salad!  If it were me it would say "Goat Man's Wife Salad! :)

1 head broccoli, chopped

1 head romain lettuce, torn

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 cup mayonnaise-type salad dressing

3 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 Tablespoons vinegar

3/4 pound bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

Combine broccoli, lettuce and tomatoes in a large bowl.  Combine salad dressing, sugar and vinegar in a separate medium bowl, pour over lettuce mixture and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with bacon.  Chill before serving.  Serves 8.

Recipe submitted by Coli Harrington, Delaware, OH

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Panzanella Bread Salad

Posted by Lori:

Monday night we had an FFA Chapter event, where officers were asked to bring salads.  Since two of our children are officers, I decided to do three different salads.  I searched through a Gooseberry Patch Quick & Easy Family Favorites' cookbook, looking for some new recipes.  This recipe, for Panzanella Bread Salad caught my eye because of the odd ingredient - bread.  I like cornbread salad (you can find it on this blog.  Search Cornbread Salad.)  I don't ever remember seeing a recipe with bread in it, have you?

Well, I made it, and I ate it.  It was okay, but not great (in my opinion).  Since many of the attendees were teenagers, not a lot of people tried the salad.  But, I'm posting it, just in case someone else might like to try it.  It's definitely different, but I had fun making it!

Panzanella Bread Salad

4 cups Italian bread, torn into bite-size pieces

5 tomatoes, diced

1/2 red onion, sliced

1/2 cucumber, peeled, quartered and sliced

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Combine first 6 ingredients; toss well. Sprinkle with vinegar, oil, salt and pepper.  Let stand at room temperature 1 1/2 to 2 hours before serving so the bread can absorb the dressing.  Serves 4 to 6.

Submitted to cook book by:  Annmarie Heavey from Bridgewater, MA

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Broccoli Cornbread Salad

Posted by Lori:

During the end of school banquets this week, I've had several baking opportunities.  For tonight's sports' banquet I needed to take a salad.  I decided to try to create something new, just for fun - and hoping it would be successful enough to share with you tonight. It is kind of a cross between a cornbread salad and a broccoli salad we've got posted on here.

When my daughter saw what I'd made she questioned me about the ingredients.  Reluctantly, I told her.  She just looked at me like I'd lost my mind!  But, when I made her carry the salad into the banquet, she was really concerned - concerned that people might think she had made it!  :)  

I ate the new creation and really liked it.  My daughter said it was "okay".  But, right after the banquet, our high school principal's wife asked me about it.  She and our middle school principal both liked it and she wanted to know what all was in it.  So, since at least three people liked it and a lot of it is gone, I'm posting it for you.  Let me know what you think if you try it.  I know it sounds odd, but the flavor combination is really good!

First make this broccoli cornbread:

Broccoli Cornbread

4 eggs

2 sticks butter, melted

1 cup small curd cottage cheese

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed

2 boxes Jiffy cornbread mix

Mix all ingredients together. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until browned on top.  Allow the broccoli cornbread to cook then crumble it with a fork.

Other Salad Ingredients:

2 cans black eyed peas, drained and rinsed

2 cans whole kernel corn, drained

3/4 - 1 cup sunflower seeds

1 - 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup or more grated Parmesan cheese (I think I'll try Feta next time!)

Mix together the following three ingredients for cream mixture:

1 cup sour cream

1 cup Miracle Whip

2 packages Italian Dressing & Recipe Mix

Layer salad in very large bowl or two smaller bowls:

A portion of crumbled broccoli, black eyed peas, corn, cream mixture, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and cheese.  Repeat layers as many times as needed, ending with cream mixture (you can mix up the layers and add or subtract portions as desired.  I didn't use all of the cornbread, either.  I ran out of space, but it's good to eat all by itself!

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Grilled Chicken Salad

Posted by Lori:

Tonight we had Grilled Chicken Salad for supper.  For some reason when I woke up this morning, that is what popped into my mind. 

Do you ever have found memories of a food and it takes you back to a certain time that really didn't have anything to do with the food itself but your relate it to that?  That's what Grilled Chicken Salad does for me.

Almost 10 years ago we lost a baby.  A sweet little boy.  Caleb was stillborn.  The weekend before we lost him, we knew there might be something wrong.  (To read my devotional blog post about Caleb, click here.)

Our friends (he was also our preacher) invited us to their house to eat on a Saturday night.  They knew about the possibility of something being wrong with the baby and they wanted to help our family. They served delicious Grilled Chicken Salad. I had ordered salads like that at restaurants, but never made it at home.  Of course the grilled chicken was good, but the homemade Hidden Valley Ranch dressing made it even better! It was simply served with a few types of lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese.  Nothing fancy at all....and that's just how we served it tonight, too.

So, tonight as we ate around the table as a family, I mentioned the memory I have with the salad.  Of course none of the rest of my family remembers what we ate that Saturday night like I do.  My memory is tied to the friendship we shared and to what happened during the next week's time.  Just a few days after that we found out Caleb had died.  Actually it was probably that very Saturday night, according to the doctor's calculations.

Let me leave you with a thought today, instead of a typical recipe:  Never underestimate the power of food when added with friendship and love.  For you, you may simply be taking a dish to someone who is just getting home from the hospital, or for someone who has lost a loved one, or for someone who has had a baby.  It may not seem like a big deal.  But for the recipient, maybe you are creating a memory that will stay with them forever.  A memory of your friendship and caring and love.
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Carrot Salad

Posted by Donna:



At a recent fellowship meal at our church, one of the ladies made this salad. It's really very good. I'm glad she made it---just to remind me to start making it again. These old recipes are hard to beat.


Carrot Salad

1 small onion, chopped (I prefer purple onion---the amount of onion can be suited to the individual. I'm usually prone not to put as much as recipes call for.)
1 green pepper, chopped
1 can tomato soup
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup vinegar
1 tsp. dry mustard
pepper to taste
salt (opt.)
2 lb. carrots, sliced, cooked, and cooled

Combine all the ingredients, except the carrots in a saucepan.
Bring to a boil.
Add the cooked and cooled carrots, mixing well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Enjoy. Pin It Now!

Broccoli Grape Salad

Posted by Donna:

I really like this salad. A friend from church shared this recipe several years ago.

Broccoli Grape Salad

Red grapes, halved
Green grapes, halved
1 bunch broccoli
1 red onion
1/2 cup bacon crumbled
8 oz. can water chestnuts

Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
3 T. cider vinegar

After whisking the dressing ingredients together, pour over the salad and refrigerate a few hours before serving.

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Have it Your Way Fruit Salad

Posted by Lori:

I first heard about this fruit salad at a ladies' retreat I attended last month.  Several ladies asked the chef for the recipe.  It was super-simple and very adaptable to suit individual taste preferences.  So, I named it "Have it Your Way Fruit Salad".  It's a fitting name, I think!


Have It Your Way Fruit Salad

1 can peach pie filling (can use other fruit pie fillings and also, sugar free may be used)
Fresh fruit, frozen fruit, or canned fruit....as desired
If using bananas, add 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all filling and fruits in mixing bowl.  Stir until well mixed.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

I used both peach and cherry pie filling because I don't care for the "clear" color of the peach filling (goofy, I know!).  The mixture of the peach and cherry made a pretty reddish color.

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Craisin Salad

Posted by Donna:


Hopefully, neither of my two girls have posted this recipe. I checked all the salad recipes and didn't find it on our blog. We all three make this at times. This salad was served at a luncheon for family members when my uncle's wife passed away. The lady who made this very willingly shared her recipe.

Craisin Salad

Dressing:

2/3 cup canola
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 T. sugar
1- 1/2 T. Dijon mustard

Salad:

2 pkgs. spring mix greens
1 pkg. original Craisins
1 pkg. Feta cheese, crumbled
2 Granny Smith apples, diced (dip in lemon juice or sprite)
1 cup walnuts, toasted at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or longer

Whisk dressing ingredients together. Set aside. Place salad ingredients in large bowl. Toss salad with dressing.
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Frozen Cranberry Salad

Posted by Lori:
I found this recipe today on a website for a tea room.  It's one of the salads on their menu, but is also from a cookbook made up of recipes from tea rooms all over the country.  If you've ever  visited a tea room, you know that they make some of the best dishes around!  I'm looking forward to trying this salad.  I knew it was good to be part of a tea room cookbook, so decided to share it before making it.

Frozen Cranberry Salad

8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. mayonnaise
1 c. sugar
2 (12oz.) cans cranberry sauce
2 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and
sugar using the whip attachment on mixer, until smooth. Add cranberry sauce and continue mixing until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine heavy cream and powdered sugar and whip to medium stiff peaks. Fold whipped cream mixture into individual cups and place in freezer for 1 hour, until frozen. Serve chilled. Pin It Now!

Avocado Potato Salad

Posted by Lori:

Yesterday at a church potluck luncheon one of the ladies brought this Avocado Potato Salad.  Although my husband, parents, sister and her family like avocados, I typically don't.  I've tried to get more used to it because it's a healthy fat type of food.  I don't seem to have any trouble liking the non-healthy fat-type foods, so it's a challenge for me.

I decided to try a bite of this dish.  It was great!  I even asked for the recipe so that I could share it with my mom, sister, and all of YOU.  If you like avocados, I'm certain you'll be wanting to try this unique potato salad.  Let me know what you think so that I can pass on the word to the sweet lady who shared her recipe with all of us.

AVOCADO POTATO SALAD

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 medium ripe avocados, divided
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon snipped chives

Please potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 - 20 minutes until tender.  Drain water and cool.

In large bowl, combine potatoes, bacon, and green onions.  For dressing, in a food processor, combine ONE avocado and remaining ingredients - except chives.  Process until well blended.  Stir in the chives.  Pour over potato mixture and toss to coat.  Cube remaining avocado; gently stir into potato salad. 

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