Awesomest Salad Ever!!

Hi again! It's been awhile since I've posted and well, I have alot of excuses. Mainly the fact that my Sjogren's Syndrome has been acting up, and my eyes were driving crazy! Plus my oldest little girl just turned 4, so I've been busy planning (and executing) her party. Now that you know where I've been, let's get to this wonderfully awesome salad and the recipe for it.

My husband and I absolutely LOVE DisneyWorld!! The first time I ever went was on my honeymoon and I couldn't believe how great it was. Once Todd made us reservations at The Brown Derby. It's a neat restaurant at MGM/Hollywood Studios and they have this great Cobb Salad. They serve it as an appetizer for 2, but I could really eat the whole thing. My sister found a recipe online for it (and the dressing), made it, and voila! It was wonderful! I've since made it a couple of times a month for dinner and made it for my daughter's birthday party. Since everyone has asked me for the recipe...here it is!!


The Brown Derby's Cobb Salad with French Dressing
Adapted from: Allears.net

Salad
1/2 head of Iceberg Lettuce
1/2 head of Romaine Lettuce
1 C cooked Chicken Breast
2 medium tomatoes (blanched & peeled)
6 strips cooked Bacon
1 Avocado
3 hard boiled Eggs
1 C crumbled Blue Cheese
2 Tbsp Chives

Dressing
1/2 C Water
1/2 tsp Sugar
1 1/4 Tbsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Worchestire Sauce (make sure it's GF)
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1/2 C Red Wine Vinegar
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 Tsp Spicy Mustard
1 C Olive Oil

Directions: Chop both types of lettuce very fine and mix together in large bowl. Chop all other ingredients very fine. Arrange all ingredients over the lettuce in straight lines across the greens. Arrange chives diagonally across the above lines.

For the dressing: combine all ingredients and shake vigorously. Toss with salad and serve.

My New Favorite Vegetable!

Okay, so I never get excited about vegetables, but I am soooo excited tonight! The other day, my sister told me about this wonderful vegetable that is so versatile and that I really needed to try. I was a little skeptical (although I didn't tell her that), but found this scrumptious recipe on pinterest  and just had to give it a shot. Have I peaked your interest yet? Well then, take a look at this little cutie...

                                                   

In case you haven't figured it out yet, it's SPAGHETTI SQUASH! The really cool thing is that you cut the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, put it in the microwave for a little bit, and then shred the insides with a fork. It comes out kind of like noodles (hence the name), or shredded hash browns. I love squash anyway, so I'm not sure why I haven't tried this before. So, the even better news is that this little beauty is loaded with nutrients and is low in calories! Wow, I can't believe I just rambled on so much about a vegetable...

Have any of you tried spaghetti squash? I'd love to hear your comments, suggestions, opinions!

Here is the link to the recipe I tried, (Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin) but I did alter it a little, so I'm included my variation of it below.

Spaghetti Squash Au Gratin

Okay, so my picture looks like a hot mess, but it was really, really good!

Adapted from Dandy Dishes

Ingredients:
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1 Small Onion
2 Tbsp Butter
1 Clove Garlic (Minced)
1 Tsp Thyme
1 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 Cup Cheddar Cheese
1/2 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream



Directions:
Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Put in microwave safe bowl with 1/4inch of water and microwave for 10 minutes. While that is cooking, slice the onion very thin and begin to melt the butter in a skillet. Once the butter is melted, add garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, & onions. Saute until onions are brown. Once the squash is done, shred the insides with a fork and blend with onions, cream, and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Put into a greased casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake at 350F for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!