Favorite Salad

Getting back into the swing of things here. Did 20 minutes of cardio at the gym followed by 20 minutes of weights and another 20 minutes of cardio after that. Got out of there feeling as if I could eat a triple decker veggie burger. (Now, now. No salivating over that image, ha ha.)What I did? I made myself my favorite salad.

Here's what I use:

Romaine Lettuce (a lot of people prefer field greens, but I always think that unless it's coated in dressing, it tastes like pond muck.)
Canned Mandarin Oranges
Craisins
Feta Cheese (I prefer Mediterranean herbs in mine)
Sliced Almonds, roasted (I LOVE the brand Almond Accents in cracked pepper flavor)
Newman's Own Balsamic Vinaigrette (my personal favorite if I'm too lazy to make my own which means I always use it for this recipe.)

This comes with a story, lucky you.

Years ago, my husband I went on our honeymoon. We are both very practical people and did not want to start out our married lives in debt, so we sent our honeymoon driving around New England, visiting museums. BEST vacation ever. In Rhode Island, we stopped at a restaurant called The Red Parrot. (http://www.redparrotrestaurant.com/)

I was always very careful about my diet. If I was going to eat a lot of food, it would at least be chock full of vitamins and come from the ground. So I ordered a Caribbean salad. Can I just say that each bite I took was ecstasy? Sure, I loved visiting the Vanderbilt Mansion and entering Mark Twain's abode, but that salad? Still remember it vividly. Since then I've found similar ones at local restaurants, Chili's being one of them, but nothing holds a candle to that first taste of the real deal in Newport, R.I.

I've tried to recreate the salad, and I have to admit, mine can't compare either. Still, it's a pretty darn good try.

And slipping a few Hershey's kisses afterward doesn't hurt, either.