Easy Raw Salad Dressing Used Three Ways

Grape and Pear Salad

I made a dressing the other day that was so easy and very delicious. I decided to use it on three different salads. The first salad is one of my favorites. I love the combination of pear and romaine. I also tossed in some green grapes and sweet onion. The second salad started with baby spinach and was topped with a combo of fresh and dried fruits. The third salad is marinated with the dressing. I used Green Tea Kelp Noodles, some mushrooms, tomatoes, and fresh basil. I allowed it to marinate 24 hours and enjoyed a fabulous kelp noodle salad served on a bed of greens. Let's start with the dressing recipe:

Easy Raw Salad Dressing

In a small glass jar with a tight fitting lid combine the following:
1/3 C fresh lime or lemon juice
2 T raw honey
2 T organic Dijon (or use pure mustard powder)
First Cold Pressed EVOO
Pinch of dried basil or use fresh
Pinch of cumin powder
2 T dried onion flakes
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of fresh ground pepper
Shake well until fully mixed. Store in the refrigerator up to two weeks. Allow to sit at room temp for 30 min prior to use.

Grape and Pear Salad

1 small head of organic romaine thinly sliced
1/2 of a sweet onion, diced
1 pear, sliced thin
Handful of organic green grapes, cut in half
Drizzle with "Easy Raw Salad Dressing".

Easy Spinach Salad

Baby Spinach
1 pear, diced
1 kiwi, diced
1 handful of plain, dehydrated, unsweetened banana chips, chopped
2 T raw sunflower seeds, soaked 30 min
1 handful organic raisins
Drizzle everything with the "Easy Raw Salad Dressing".

Marinated Kelp Noodle Salad

1 pkg of white mushrooms, sliced
1/2 small carton of grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 pkg of "Sea Tangle" green tea kelp noodles, soaked first for 30 min in water, rinse and drain well
Fresh basil, cut into thin strips
Marinate all of the above ingredients for 24 hours in the "Easy Raw Salad Dressing". Serve on top of a bed of your most favorite greens.

~JMJ~ Today I am grateful for the smell of fires and cooler weather. The smell of wood fires brings back a flood of memories. I think back to cold winter nights in Michigan, growing up. I could smell everyone's fire in the neighborhood just as I would be going in for the night after playing hard outside. My cheeks were cold and my nose was running, and the smell of those fires was the best! I wanted to stay out longer just to smell them. The other memories are of all the campfires we have had over the years on our camping adventures. We love to camp and our favorite part is building our camp fire each night. We all sit around it and get mesmerized watching the flames. It is the most relaxing time for me, sitting in a camping chair with at least one child on my lap and just enjoying the silence. We don't get much silence around here, so I take it when I can get it. We have taken all of the kids camping ever since they were at least a minimum of 8 weeks old. We start them out young and just keep going forward. It makes all things come natural to them and makes for very happy campers.