• Apr. 3, 2008
All things green

For Randi's Recipe Box Swap, I thought I'd share a recipe I tried for the first time this Easter.   I brought this spinach salad to my mom's for dinner that day and it was a hit.  I also brought it the next week to a friend's birthday party and it was well-received there as well.   It's a very pretty salad (as well as tasty) but unfortunately - no photo.
The recipe (with minor mods) is from allrecipes.com:

Spinach & Strawberry Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika,   1 tablespoon poppy seeds
  
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 10 ounces fresh spinach - rinsed, dried and torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 quart strawberries - cleaned, hulled and sliced
• 1/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, and Worcestershire sauce . Cover, and chill for one hour.
2. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries and almonds. Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Easy and really good!!

More green:  All the guys around here were very excited as today was the day for the "Gator" , a really neat toy important farm implement, to be delivered.   The Gator comes to replace our aging "mule,"  which in addition to being super useful for yard-related chores, also comes in handy a lot on the farm for jobs such as crop scouting and soil sampling.    Everybody ran outside the minute the John Deere guy showed up:
 
 All the features were checked out thoroughly,
 
And then it was time for a test drive:


Goodbye old mule, you've served us well.

Green is a pretty popular color around here for machinery,  and is also sported by our new(er) tractor which was  delivered recently:

This tractor is about 5 years old, much newer than some of the equipment we've been nursing along.   (and even being a used tractor, you do not want to know what this thing costs)     The tractor it's replacing had a lot of hours on it and was due for an overhaul.   Now that crop prices are decent for the first time in many years, it's a good time to make a few much-needed machinery updates.

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Comments

• Apr. 3, 2008
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Posted by Anonymous

Thanks for the recipe. I am expecting strawberries (the affordable kind) to make an appearance soon and I will be trying this!

I am glad your guys enjoyed their new toy....I mean piece of machinery. ;)

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• Apr. 3, 2008
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Posted by June

Your comment about the "toy" farm implement makes me laugh but I can that they are having ever so grand a time.

That spinach and strawberry salad sounds so delicious. It's going on my "recipes I want to try" list; thank you for sharing it.

I really, really ought to join your little drink resistance effort, too. I don't drink that many of them unless I'm running errands and then I stop and get a Mountain Dew which zips me through a couple of hours. My big downfall is sweet ice tea (I'm a southerner through and through).

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• Apr. 3, 2008
Yummy

Posted by Anonymous

I make a strawberry spinach salad that is very close to this recipe. It's very good. I love to use the dressing on other salads too. I like to throw together spinach leaves, with peas, swiss cheese, some turkey and almonds then top it with the dressing. Very delicious!

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• Apr. 3, 2008
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Posted by Anonymous

I quit soda over a year and a half ago - I dropped over 30 pounds doing absolutely NOTHING. It's amazing how many empty calories, etc., it gives you! I hear that diet even does the same, because of the additives and sodium.

Now I drink water and tea, and the change has been amazing. I am really sensitive to sugary things now, and things with high fructose corn syrup. My overall diet has changed for the better, and I didn't even try to change it. It just came naturally.

Sarah
colorfulsheep.etsy.com

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• Apr. 3, 2008
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Posted by Thimbleanna

Yum-Yum! That recipe sounds great -- I love salads with strawberries in them -- thanks for sharing it -- as you know, you have the best salads LOL! I'd love to join you in the no soda campaign, but I just can't do it. I'm too far gone!

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• Apr. 4, 2008
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Posted by woolwinder

I've had that salad before and it's delicious! Once you go without soda for a while, you won't really miss it that much. I've been off it for several years.

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• Apr. 4, 2008
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Posted by Anonymous

Well, from the middle of John Deere country, the green and yellow looks great!! (1/2 the people in our town work for John Deere!) the salad looks very yummy!! Must try. I also REALLY need to kick the diet soda kick, but it would take a miracle... I will give it some thought....
Janice

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• Apr. 4, 2008
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Posted by Anonymous

Wow, that's an interesting salad combo :)
Good luck with your new farm machinery. Have fun...I wouldn't mind having a ride in that :)

hakucho

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• Apr. 5, 2008
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Posted by Danielle

You are always cooking up something fabulous it seems, I think I want to come visit for dinner :) My boys would love a ride in your "Gator"! Unfortunately I just can not give up my diet pop, sorry lol ;)

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• Apr. 8, 2008
Salad Sounds Yummy!

Posted by Anonymous

I recently made something similar and loved it. I will have to try the recipe you posted. It sounds wonderful! How is the cutting back on soda going? I need to cut back on my diet cokes but it is hard. Be strong my friend!

Kelly aka Kelly*Girl*Knits

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• Apr. 8, 2008
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Posted by Oiyi

That Gator is so cool!! I bet it's a lot fun to drive it.

Sigh, I need to kick the soda habit, too. I started drinking more of it during my pregnancy because it would help settle my stomach. Now, I crave it and need the caffeine to stay awake.

www.oiyi.blogspot.com

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