Strawberry Spinach Salad

 

I made this salad for a neighborhood progressive dinner that we participated in.  It was super delicious and got rave reviews.  At first, I was going to take the dressing and let people add their own, but then I decided to just mix it all together, like the recipe stated, and I am glad that I did.  The dressing was extremely thick, which would have made it weird when people added it themselves, but when I stirred it all together, it wasn't an issue.

Strawberry Spinach Salad
adapted from: allrecipes.com

1 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp poppy seeds (or chia seeds, which is what I used)
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. minced onion
10 oz. spinach
sliced strawberries
1/4 c. sliced almonds
Feta cheese

In a blender, blend together the sesame seeds, poppy seeds, sugar, oil balsamic vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire and onions until smooth.  In a large bowl, combine the spinach, strawberries, almonds and feta cheese.  Gently stir it all together with the dressing.  Add the dressing in a little at a time, until you get as much as you want.  I had dressing leftover at the end.  Serve it immediately.

Super Moist Almond Poppy Seed Bundt Cake (Which Can Be Done Gluten Free!)

My mother-in-law is gluten intolerant.  She is in town this week and so we tried out a new cake one night.  This is a semi-homemade cake, and it is really only gluten free because of the gluten free cake mix that she bought.  You could make the cake non-gluten free by using a regular old cake mix.  And it would probably still be delicious.  But, if you can't do gluten, this ended up being easy, moist and delicious.  My mother-in-law says she will never make gluten-free cake any other way now!

Almond Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
adapted from: allrecipes.com

1 yellow cake mix (we used a gluten free cake mix)
1 package instant vanilla pudding (the small box)
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 c. water
1/2 c. oil
4 eggs
2 tsp. almond extract

Almond Glaze
I didn't really measure my ingredients for this glaze, but I used appoximately:
2 c. powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. milk
1 tsp. butter
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 c. sliced almonds

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a bundt cake pan.  In a large mixing bowl, stir together the cake mix, pudding mix and poppy seeds.  Make a well in the center and add in the water, oil, eggs and almond extract.  Mix it for 30 seconds on low speed and then 4 minutes on medium speed.  Pour it into the cake pan.  Bake it for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Let it cool completely before removing it from the pan.
In a small bowl, mix together the powdered sugar, milk, butter, almond extract and stir it until it is smooth. Drizzle it over your cooled cake.  In a small frying pan, toast the almonds over medium heat until light brown.  Then sprinkle them on your cake.

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds

 

Last week I helped make dinner for our Ward Relief Society Christmas dinner (yes, we are a little early, and yes, I did encourage that).  I made a salad that I found on The Sisters Cafe.  These cinnamon almonds went on top and they were so delicious!  I will post the rest of the salad soon because it got rave reviews. You know those shops in malls, where when you walk past them, your nostrils force you to stop and taste and possibly even pay exuberant amounts of money for that delicious smelling cinnamon-y, sugary, crunchy, almond goodness?  Well, these are just like those!  Only, it's your house that smells like that!  And you aren't paying ridiculous amounts of money to eat that sugary goodness!  Aren't you happy? 


Cinnamon Roasted Almonds
1 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. almonds


Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  Grease well a 13X17 inch baking sheet.  I used actual shortening to grease mine.  In a small bowl, combine the sugar, salt and cinnamon and set it aside.  In a large bowl, slightly beat the egg white.  Add the vanilla and beat it until it is very frothy, but not quite to the stiff peak stage.  

Add the almonds to the egg white mixture and stir them well, until they are all coated.  Here is a little tip:  Don't add more almonds past this point.  The almonds have to be coated in the egg whites or the upcoming sugar won't stick to them.  I learned this the hard way.  

                                      

When you have your almonds nice and egg white-y, add the sugar mixture and stir it all together until they are evenly coated.  Pour them onto your greased pan and spread them evenly.  Bake for one hour, stirring them when they are halfway through.