Sorry it’s taken me so long to get this up…my computer is on the fritz! But it should be back up and working soon, so regular posts will be happening again 
. This salad is what I served with our yummy Valentine’s Day dinner and I LOVED it!! Some people don’t care to have fruit on their salad, but those are actually some of my favorite additions. I copied part of this salad from one I had had at a work dinner (with like, half the Kansas legislature…I love my job!) that everyone just raved over! I would have liked to add blue cheese like that salad had, but our store doesn’t carry it, so oh well! I made some quick candied pecans, too, that I have been using the leftovers all week over pudding, salads, just eating etc lol!! The best thing about a salad? You can modify it to fit whatever toppings you like! Me? I like every vegetable under the sun on there, with all the extras I can get. Hubby? He wants lettuce. And ranch. lol. So have fun with the toppings and make it your own! But here’s how I did mine….
Strawberry Salad
1 bag salad mix- I used the ‘Italian’ blend
Red Bell Peppers, sliced
Red Onion, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
Strawberries, sliced
Blue cheese crumbles
Candied Pecans (recipe below)
Throw it all into a bowl and toss! There are no real measurements, since it depends on how many you are feeding, whether it’s a side salad or main dish (add some chicken– YUM!), personal tastes, etc. So just make it your own! I made a simple dressing just mixing bottled ranch and strawberry jelly. I just kept adding and tasting until I liked it.
Candied Pecans
2 cups pecans, chopped roughly
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
Melt butter in a small skillet. Add pecans and cook for a minute or so, just until you start smelling the nuts. Add the sugars and combine. Pour onto a greased cookie sheet and pop into a 350 degree oven. Bake about 5 minutes, making sure the sugar doesn’t burn. Pull them out, let them cool and enjoy!! I stored mine in the fridge in a tupperware.
