Just.Make.This.

This is a my little ol' hummingbird getting ready to feed ! Happy Blue Monday ! {hosted by the wonderful Smiling Sally}


I could watch these guys all day long.... here they are, playing tag !


Oh my goodness.... this is soooooooooo good. {Participating in Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !}

Especially when you need a fabulous side dish to go with enchiladas, rice & beans.......

Barefoot Contessa's Guacamole Salad is ...well perfect! Spicy, crunchy, delicious...

It's great on it's own, or if you are lucky enough to have leftovers, then I put this amazing salad inside a flour tortilla and have a veggie burrito ................. Y U M !

{note: the only variation I made was that I added cilantro}

Guacamole Salad by Barefoot Contessa

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and 1/2-inch diced
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup small diced red onion
2 tablespoons minced jalapeno peppers, seeded (2 peppers)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes)
1/4 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 ripe Hass avocados, seeded, peeled, and 1/2-inch diced

Place the tomatoes, yellow pepper, black beans, red onion, jalapeno peppers, and lime zest in a large bowl. Whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, salt, black pepper, garlic, and cayenne pepper and pour over the vegetables. Toss well.

Just before you're ready to serve the salad, fold the avocados into the salad. Check the seasoning and serve at room temperature.

Strawberry Salad

Happy Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !




I love buying my fruit and veggies at our local farmers market...

I love supporting the local farmers...I scooped up fresh strawberries and went home and made my favorite strawberry salad.

{Participating in Outdoor Wednesday over at A Southern Daydreamer ! }

I. LOVE. THIS. SALAD. It's refreshing. Perfect for hot summer nights...

{Participating in DIY day over at a soft place to land. }

Strawberry Salad

1 head of romaine, chopped or baby spinach

red onions to taste

strawberries

Dressing:

1/2 C. Mayo

2 TBS. milk

2 TBS. rice vinegar

1 or 2 TBS. poppy seeds

1/2 C. sugar

Chinatown Chicken Salad

{Quite possibly my favorite beach home around here... I took this photo because I adore this color...it makes me happy just looking at it.}

I love spring & summer foods !

After a long winter of soups & pasta, I really look forward to summer salads !

I made one of my favorite summertime salads last night....

Chinatown Chicken Salad { from California Sizzles Cookbook }

1/2 pkg. wonton wrappers

vegetable oil

1 med. head lettuce, shredded ( I use the pre-packaged cabbage/carrot mix )

extra shredded carrots

shredded cooked chicken

1 C. roasted peanuts

3 T. sesame seeds (optional)

2 T. chopped cilantro or to taste

Dressing:

1 t. dry mustard

1/2 tsp. powdered ginger

2 tsp. soy sauce

2 T. sesame oil

1/3 C. veg. oil

1/3 C. rice vinegar

1. Slice wontons into strips and fry in veg . oil until lightly browned. Drain and set aside.

2. Combine lettuce or cabbage mix, chicken, peanuts, sesame seeds and cilantro. Toss with dressing.

3. Add fried wontons before serving.

It's Foodie Friday hosted by the wonderful Designs by Gollum !

Oh, and in case you are wondering, I could probably eat this entire bowl myself in one sitting, it is THAT GOOD !

Spinach - Mushroom Salad

This is one of our very favorite salads. I've been making this for 17 years. This has been requested as our salad on Thanksgiving.
Spinach-Mushroom Salad {The Southern Living Cookbook}

1 pound fresh spinach ( I like to use baby spinach )
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 hard cooked eggs,chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 C. vegetable oil
3 Tbs. vinegar ( I use cider vinegar )
1/3 C. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
dash of pepper
8 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

Wash spinach and pat dry.
Tear into bite size pieces.
Combine spinach, mushrooms, eggs and green onions in large bowl.

Combine oil, vinegar, sugar, salt, dry mustard and pepper in a jar. Cover and shake vigorously.

Top spinach with dressing just before serving. Sprinkle with bacon on top.

P.s. It's DIY Day over at A soft place to land.

Southwestern Salad with Chipotle Lime Grilled Chicken

This salad is so yummy and a family favorite ! I knew I wanted to grill on Labor Day, and I knew exaclty what I wanted to make ! I just didn't think I'd be doing it in the rain !
Southwestern Chicken Salad

10 C. torn romaine

1 15oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 C. cherry tomatoes (or whatever you have )

1/2 C. Caesar Salad Dressing ( I used Ken's Tableside Caesar)

2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

2 TBS. snipped fresh cilantro

1/2 C. broken tortilla chips

* 1 1/2 C. chopped cooked chicken ( NOTE: I used the grilled chicken )

1. In large bowl, combine romaine, black beans, tomatoes, (and chicken )if you want to add it all together. ** I made the salad and served the chicken on the side.

2. For dressing : whisk salad dressing, chili powder, and cumin. Pour over salad. Toss to coat.

Sprinkle with cilantro and tortilla chips.

Chipotle Lime Grilled Chicken

Oooh this summer I discovered KC Masterpiece Lime Chipotle Marinade and it's amazing !

I just marinated the chicken for a few hours, and grilled !

Plenty of leftovers for my hubby to take to work.

He'll be Oh so Happy !

P.s.

It's DIY Day at a soft place to land !

That Yummy Taco Salad !!!

Last night I asked the kids what they wanted for dinner this week... The answer was unanimous !! A resounding "That Yummy Taco Salad" was the answer. Now , we are talking about a pre-teen & 2 teenagers. If you have kids, you know it's pretty hard to please them sometimes, so it must be good ! I went to WalMart for the ingredients, so it's really not all that expensive. Here it is if you want to try it !

Taco Salad by Paula Deen
Prep Time: 10 min
6 to 8 servings

2 ripe tomatoes, diced ( I use more, I like tomatoes!)
1/2 pound sharp Cheddar, shredded
1 head iceberg lettuce, washed, drained and shredded

1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef, browned, crumbled and drained

16 oz. Catalina Salad dressing ( or less, depending on your taste )
1 (7-ounce) bag Fritos, crushed
8 oz. Taco Sauce ( I use Old El Paso Taco Sauce, Medium )

Brown Beef & Onion together, set aside.

Combine the tomatoes, cheese, lettuce, and ground beef in a large bowl. Add the salad dressing and mix well. Just before serving, add the taco chips, tossing to combine with other ingredients. Top each serving with taco sauce. Yum !