Sorry for the late recipe, but to be fair I did only make it last night for Mr. G's grandpa's 80th birthday party. Mr. G and I have been on a salad kick lately, which I think our bodies appreciate. I made one last week with leftover grilled chicken, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers, and cheese topped with a red wine and olive oil vinaigrette. It was delicious, but I wanted to try something a little more challenging for the party. I was inspired by a popular salad at the Italian restaurant where I used to work. It's called Apple Gorgonzola Salad, but I tweaked it a little to make it my own. It's the perfect summer salad, and it's especially great for those who want to indulge in something sweet without the calories of a cupcake. ;)
Summer Apple Salad Recipe:
Ingredients:
- 3 heads romaine lettuce
- 2 green apples
- 8 oz. crumbled goat cheese (the original recipe calls for gorgonzola, but Mr. G and I prefer goat)
- 2 small bags of glazed walnuts and dried cranberries (I bought them together in a bag, but feel free to purchase them separately - I just couldn't find any glazed walnuts by themselves)
- Pinches of cinnamon
- Dressing - I loved Marzetti's white balsamic vinaigrette, but Mr. G enjoyed Litehouse's raspberry walnut vinaigrette. You choose!
Directions:
- Rinse and cut lettuce heads into bite-size portions, excluding the tops.
- Rinse and cut apples into bite-size portions (cut in quarters, slice each quarter in half, then cut into smaller portions).
- Drop a few pinches of cinnamon in each cranberry/walnut bag and shake to mix (or mix in a ziploc bag if you bought the ingredients separately).
- Toss all ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Top with dressing and serve cold.
- I would guess this serves 6 as a main dish and 10-12 as a side salad. Mine fed about 20 in very small portions, and there was plenty leftover.
After a delicious dinner last night of grilled chicken, fruit salad, my salad, and veggies, I went to my very first legit tent circus. It was a family-run circus called Culpepper & Meriweather's, and they set up shop in the middle of a field, in the middle of nowhere. It was straight out of an old movie; I didn't know those types of circuses still existed! I went with Mr. G's youngest siblings, and it was their first circus. I still remember my first circus... It was a Barnum & Bailey's, and I went with my dad when I was really little. I don't remember the acts, but I do remember the cotton candy, which took me all night to finish. They had cotton candy last night, but I didn't partake this time around. I did, however, have some delicious birthday cake when I got back - a flourless chocolate cake made by Mr. G's mom.
In the midst of everything else going on last night, I also received an amazing belated wedding gift from one of Mr. G's relatives. Apparently she took a lot of photos at the wedding, because she put together an entire album of wedding photos and even made a video slideshow not only of the wedding but also of all the details (invitations, programs, welcome bags), the reception, and my bridal shower in MN. It was such a thoughtful gift, and I was so happy to see some of the photos the photographer was unable to capture (ie: a close-up of our vows and our first kiss!). The funny thing, too, is that Mr. G and I had finally watched our official wedding video in its entirety for the first time a couple nights ago - and now we have two! Plus, this is our first wedding photo album. :) I'm hoping to have one made by our photographer as well, plus I would like to put together a scrapbook. Maybe now I'll get on the ball with those!
I hope you enjoy the salad recipe! Feel free to comment with any of your own - I'd love some more to try.
Stay tuned for my next post on engagement / baby shower cupcakes. ;) Have I mentioned I love summer?
<3 Mrs. G
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