the salad i love to eat / with pink poppyseed dressing

my favorite spring salad is so simple to make; it just takes imagination (and a sharp knife)! the key to success in wanting to eat salad is putting loads of deliciously fresh sweet and savory ingredients in it. my mother-in-law is the queen of throwing together a salad with whatever is in her fridge and having no fear in whipping together a coordinating salad dressing in the blender! i've taken a few tips from her and try to stock my fridge with healthy fruits and vegetables that can always be thrown into a salad last minute. good cheese helps it feel a bit more gourmet too. after all the chopping and such, i like to conjure up the price i'd be paying for this incredible salad at a fancy restaurant! this isn't really a recipe for salad, as you should just make due with what you've got. rather, these are suggestions for a spring salad mix. with salad combinations the possibilities are endless!

Spring Salad Possibilities

BASE
Green Lettuce I like giant pretty leafy greens or the spring mix at Costco!
wash and spin I love the OXO spinner. I chop and wash my lettuce and store it inside.
add any or all of the following ingredients:

SWEET & SAVORY mix in whatever sounds delicious to you...
Pears or Apples, sliced thin
Tomatoes
Strawberries
Blueberries
Craisins
Grapes
Celery
Cucumber
Grapefruit pieces especially amazing paired with avocado
Mandarin Oranges
Peppers i love yellow or red!
Avocado, cubed
Bacon pieces i like cooking bacon in the oven for no mess & extra crispy for salads!
Bleu cheese, Swiss, Feta, Parmesan or Gorgonzola cheese

CRUNCH i usually add just one of the following...
Walnuts
Pecans
Sunflower Seeds
Pine Nuts
Croutons

PINK POPPYSEED DRESSING
This dressing fits nicely into a Brianna's 12 oz. size bottle, so save that bottle and never buy dressing again!

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 small red onion, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup vegetable oil*
1 tsp. poppy seeds

Mix together first five ingredients in blender until smooth. Slowly add the oil until well combined. Then add the poppy seeds and pour into bottle and refrigerate. Will stay good for a few months! Shake well and drizzle on your favorite (custom) salad.

*If you have an awesome flavored virgin olive oil (I love orange and I am savoring the bottle slowly!), you can use half vegetable oil and half olive oil.

P.S. To create a fiesta mexican salad, omit the sweet fruits and instead add drained corn, black olives, black beans, pinto beans, avocado, tomatoes and cheddar cheese! Blend a squeeze of lime and a small bunch of cilantro into Ranch dressing for a quick delicious dressing.