Cabbage Apple Salad

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  I am not a huge raw cabbage fan, I don’t like Cole Slaws, and never make them.  However, I thought I would give this salad a try, since cabbage is so good for you and I tend to plant a lot of it in my garden (I do love cooked cabbage).  This turned out really good, and really simple, everyone, with the exception of my pickiest eater like this salad and when it comes to food the majority rules!  This one was  a winner.

First we will start with the dressing, here are our ingredients:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar

The method is pretty straight forward, put everything in a bowl and whisk together until smooth, then refrigerate until cool.

While the dressing is cooling it is time to chop the ingredients for the body of the salad.
There are only four ingredients:

Cabbage
Apples
Craisins
Pecans

Chopping up a cabbage is pretty simple.  This is how I do it and it only takes a few minutes.  Cut the cabbage into four wedges.  Cut out the core, but not completely, it makes things much easier if the leaves stay attached while chopping.  Then with a sharp knife cut the wedges into small strips.

For this recipe I used about three fourths of the cabbage, the rest I stored in a plastic bag in the fridge.  Cabbage will keep in the fridge for a few months.

Toss the ingredients together and add the dressing.
Serve cold.

Orange Strawberry Salad

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 The first salad in the series is Orange Strawberry Salad.  It is a perfect spring time salad, the colors are amazing and the taste is incredible.  So, without further adieu, we will get started.

First we are going to make our dressing.
Our ingredients are:

 1/2 tsp, orange zest
1/3 cup orange juice
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP sugar
1/2 olive oil
and
(the secret, surprise ingredient)
1 TBSP “Good Seasons Dry Italian” dressing mix.

 Mix everything together, and let sit a couple of hours so all the flavors can blend well.

 Now to assemble the body of the salad, there is a little prep work involved, not much, but you will need to plan for it.

Our ingredient are:

 1 package spring mix greens
1 pint (or more) strawberries, sliced
1 large orange cut into small pieces
3 green onion, sliced thin
1 cup candied almonds
(for a how-to on making candied nuts go here)

 

Toss all ingredients together
add dressing right before serving and enjoy!

 This is a really good salad, and so pretty!  The Italian Dressing mixed with orange is a surprisingly wonderful combination.  I am excited to try this salad out on more than just my family.

 (I found this recipe on pinterest a while ago, copied it down and can’t find it on my boards, so I am sorry I can’t credit the original chef)

(and if you are a “pinner” I am going to shamelessly ask that if you like this recipe please “pin it”)

Breath Of Spring

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 March might have come in like a lion, but has now mellowed out into a soft springtime lamb.

With the coming of sunny days and soft temperatures I feel the great desire to clean out the cobwebs from my brain and house.  One of my most anticipated “firsts” of spring is hanging out the laundry.  The other day was just perfect, the was a light breeze and the temperatures were in the sixties.  I haven’t hung out laundry since before Lydia was born last summer and I had forgotten how much I enjoy hanging laundry.  I had forgotten how fresh and clean everything smells, how much I enjoy the quiet while outside hanging wet clothes, and how much I love the feel of the sun on my face and the breeze in my hair.

 

What is your favorite “first” of spring?

I Love Flowers

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(I originally posted this three years ago, since I am getting ready to cut some branches for blooming today I thought I would give it a re-post)

I LOVE flowers, spring flowers happen to be my favorite.

Right now there isn’t anything blooming in my yard, it is still too cold, although there are a few flowers that are beginning to stir. In my flower beds there are yellow green spears pushing up among the mud and snow, and we also have this:

This is my big forsythia bush. It is the first plant in the yard that blooms. It amazes me that even through the freezing months of winter this little bush is getting ready to be the first to welcome springtime. With a little know how and very little work this bush is very easy to “force” blooms in the house, I will show you how.

You can see here the buds that are getting ready to bloom. All they are waiting for is a little more warmth and they will bloom a beautiful cheery yellow.

With some clippers I cut a handful of branches, remembering that I only wanted to clip a few and I wasn’t pruning, the more you take into the house, the less will be on the bush for the first springtime show.


I filled a vase with warmish water and just put the branches in. Very easy.

Since I didn’t like how spread out the branch were I just tied them with a ribbon, I could have cut more, but I wanted to save a lot for the bush.

I put it in a nice out of the way place (that can handle a large arrangement) and in 3 to 5 days it will start to bloom.

This is a fun easy way to bring spring into your house a few weeks early.

I know this method will work with pussy willows too, and a few others. (google it! LOL)

Now you tell me….what is your favorite flower?

(One week later)

March

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Around these parts March has definatly come in like a lion, a big freezing cold, windy, snowy lion!  So as the saying going, hopfully it will going out like a lamb.  March is also the month of salads here on my blog.  In the past I have done “Seven Senstaional Salads”, last year I skipped it due to a crazy month, but this year it is back and I am gearing up for seven more yummy salads to make, photograph and review all for you my loyal reader.  I hope you are as excited as I am!

Here are some salads from years past:

(You can find the recipes by going to the salad section on my side bar)

Spinach and Citrus Salad

 

Salad #2 (because I don't know the name)

 

Bowtie Pasta Medley