It’s that time of year where my self control goes out the window. With all the cookies, candies and cocktails everywhere we look, staying on track to maintain a healthy lifestyle isn’t the easiest. I’m horrible at resisting temptation, so I have to make sure that all along the way I have good food options too. That way, making healthy choices is a bit easier.

In addition to all the holiday goodies lying around, I always make sure to have bowls of fruit and vegetables at the ready. Mighties® Kiwi are one of our favorite, healthy staples. Known for being always ripe and ready to eat, Mighties® Kiwi are one of the easiest to eat snacks there is. Around our house, they go into lunch boxes, get taken on the bus to basketball games, are a common after school snack, a healthy side dish at dinner and more. From my 7 year old up to my teens, Mighties® Kiwi are much loved in our home….

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I’m talking Bacon again this week with a new #KraftFreshTake challenge!

You may remember that with my first #KraftFreshTake challenge I made these amazing Cheesy Bacon Bite appetizers. Now, I’m rising to the next challenge…

I decided I was going to make a Cheddar Jack and Bacon Shrimp and Walnut salad topped with Cheddar Jack and Bacon Salad Dressing. How’s that for the longest recipe title, ever? You get it… there’s bacon and cheese involved. That’s really all you need to know!…

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First of all, as you can probably guess, I loved Oregon. Completely and totally to pieces. And yes, I may have said one or two times that I want to move there… big shocker, right? I promise I don’t say that about every place I visit… just many!

Friends from left to right: Maria, Rebecca, Amy, Jenna, Heidi, Jessica, Lori, Sandy, me, Rachel and Bridget

Joining me on the trip to Oregon were some of my great friends in the blogging business. You know them all, I’m sure, and I bet you read their recaps weeks ago… these gals are talented, smart, beautiful and totally on the ball. I would be the slacker of the group.

We gathered together in Medford to spend some time getting to know the folks at Harry & David, a bit better. We were given the opportunity to take an inside peek at the company, look at how their operations run, and discover the true heart of their organization… the people who have worked for them throughout the years. Needless to say, I was impressed.

While I was in Oregon I learned a few things. I discovered that Harry & David grows their pears and peaches right there in Oregon. I also learned that they are the most incredible peaches and pears I have ever tasted (which is why I am signing up for The Harry & David Fruit of the Month club ASAP… you can’t get fruit like this in Kansas!)

I learned that I have fairly mad skills when it comes to basket arranging. Creating and tying bows… not so much. (Plus I found out that Harry & David is full of long-term, dedicated employees. People who work there, stay there. As a former Human Resources person, I know what a special thing that is… they are obviously doing something right!)

I discovered that even though I thought I hated blue cheese, I actually LOVE blue cheese… specifically blue cheese from a friend of Harry & David, Rogue Creamery. See that simple little app up there with Harry & David peaches and a piece of blue cheese? I could eat that every single day and nothing else and be perfectly happy. So good.

I was also reminded of my love for the friendship I have with people I have met through the years from blogging. It’s crazy that some of the people I consider to be some of my dearest friends are people I met on the interwebs. I am so thankful to have these ladies in my life and am especially grateful to Harry & David for bringing us together for an epic event. It was truly fantastic.

The recipe I’m sharing today is a throw together of an incredible salad we had on the Harry & David event. It was probably one of the best salads I have ever had and the dressing was so light…I had to try and create a version at home. I have no idea if I’m even close, but this Red Wine Peach Vinaigrette is almost as good!)

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Recipe: Red Wine Peach Vinaigrette

A light and refreshing Red Wine Peach Vinaigrette recipe.

Ingredients

• 2 Harry & David peaches pitted and sliced
• 1 Tablespoon garlic minced
• 2 Tablespoons red onion chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 4 Tablespoons dry red wine
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

Instructions

• Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Serve over a fresh spring mix salad. Refrigerate after use.

Disclaimer: Harry and David paid for my travel and accommodations and treated us to an amazing event. All opinions expressed are my own.

The post Time With Harry & David and Friends {Recipe: Red Wine Peach Vinaigrette} appeared first on Dine and Dish.

(Above Video courtesy of Dole)

Last month I had the opportunity to head out to Monterey, California to spend time with some key people from Dole Fresh Vegetables as part of the Dole Salad Bloggers Summit. As is the case with many blogging trips, I was surrounded by some very talented and genuine bloggers.

Joining me at the Dole Salad Bloggers Summit was – Shaina, Shanna, Kathy, Romy, Debra, Cheryl, Jaden, Maggy, Dana and Brooke. We had such a fun time together. As much as I’d love to talk about these fab bloggers….

…and the incredibly beautiful city of Monterey, California…

…and the food, the wonderful glorious food…

…I want to get to the heart and soul of this trip, which was Dole. We were wined and dined and treated extremely well on our trip to Monterey, but you know what? The part of this trip that has stuck with me and will stick with me for a long time to come was standing out in the middle of an iceberg lettuce field, surrounded by row after row of perfectly maintained lettuce. I watched the step by step process as the workers in the field gently pulled the lettuce from the ground, removed any damaged leaves, bagged it and put it into the box which was then taken out on a truck to head to our grocery store shelves. To our grocery store shelves! Straight from that field in Monterey, California.

We all know that Dole is a big household name, but what I discovered on this visit was that Dole is not “corporate”. They have partnered with small family farmers all over the region to grow the freshest vegetables possible. The employees at Dole are passionate about their product, the workers in the field are treated well and have a legacy of tenure and the farmers take great pride in the vegetables they grow. Beyond picking up salad from the grocery store, I honestly never thought much about what it takes to get the lettuce to our kitchen table. As a family who has salad on our table almost every night, I am thankful that Dole has opened my eyes to the story behind what nourishes our bodies each and every day.

For an inside peek at our trip, make sure to check out the video Dole put together above. I want to give special thanks to The Clement Monterey for the spectacular service and beautiful accommodations, The Sardine Factory and Le Bicyclette restaurants for the unforgettable food and for the team at Dole for the hospitality and experience.

Thanks to Dole, it is easy for our family to enjoy salad on a regular basis. I don’t know about you, but I know we wouldn’t eat as much salad as we do if it weren’t for Dole’s bagged lettuce and salad kits. Whether we are eating it straight out of the bag or sprucing it up with something a little fancier, Dole has been and will be a big part of helping our family to eat our veggies!

For the picture above I spruced up a package of Dole Spring Mix lettuce by adding a few delicious ingredients. In individual parfait glasses layer the following: Spring Mix Lettuce, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, diced hard boiled eggs and shredded cheddar cheese. Top with a drizzle of creamy ranch dressing. Make sure to leave a little room at the top for “tossing” to mix up the salad and added ingredients. Enjoy!

Dole sponsored my travel and accommodations, however all opinions expressed within this post are my own. Thanks to Cheryl from TidyMom for the use of some of the blogger pictures!

The post The Dole Salad Bloggers Summit – Monterey, California appeared first on Dine and Dish.

There are some people out there who have serious salad making talent. For example, one of our neighbors knows how to make a killer salad. He throws things in and whips things up and before you know it, you are feasting on the best salad you’ve ever had. Me? Although we eat salads with our dinner almost every night, I’m not that great at just throwing salad ingredients together.

I recently went to Monterey, CA with Dole salads and learned something pretty cool. Did you know that their bagged lettuce has recipes on the back for salad dressing that would go good with the particular variety of lettuce in the bag? I had no clue and let me tell you… I think it is a brilliant idea for those of us who are more salad challenged.

I’ll write more about my trip to Dole next week, but as you are planning your food for Memorial Day, make sure to check out the recipes on the back of the Dole bagged salad packages for inspiration and ideas.

I picked up a bag of Mediterranean lettuce the other day and loved the sound of the recipe for Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing, so I made it for dinner. I got a little dump happy with the roasted red peppers, so my dressing was quite thick, but the flavor was fantastic! Our dinner salad included rotisserie chicken, Mediterranean lettuce, grape tomatoes, feta cheese and mozzarella cheese balls. With the addition of the Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing, it was salad perfection!

Have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, everyone. I can’t wait to see what you’ve all cooked up!

Recipe: Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing (from Dole Salads)

• 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons roasted red pepper, chopped
• 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (I used Red Wine vinegar because that’s what I had… yum!)
• 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste.

1. Combine all ingredeints in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend until smooth. Season to taste.
2. Serve over salad with toppings of your choice.

The post Dole Salads Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Dressing Recipe appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Each week I will feature questions from bloggers. If you have a question you would like answered, please email it to me at kristen <at> dineanddish <dot> net. I will post your question during one of the Ask a Blogger segments and will link back to your blog. Hopefully, we’ll get enough answers for you to help you out some!

The first question is one I get all the time…

“Posting every day on my blog is so hard to keep up with. Is it necessary to post every day? How many times is the right time to post during a week?”

My answer to this one is simple… you have to figure out a rhythm that works well for you. When I first started blogging 3 1/2 years ago, I wrote a new post every day. I soon found out that between cooking, photographing and writing a post each day, I was quickly getting burnt out. I eventually went to 3 times a week and felt like that fit what I was able to do much better and I enjoyed blogging a whole lot more. When I was posting so often blogging became more like a chore than something enjoyable. I think the key with blogging is to be consistent. If you post once a week, make it on the same day so that your readers know when they can expect to get new content from you (I know I need to practice what I preach, don’t I? 🙂 ).  Do what works for you and your readers. Is there a right or wrong answer to this question? Experienced bloggers…what do you think? I look forward to hearing what you have to say!

Now, at 11:58pm, here is my Menu Plan Monday menu for the week:

• Monday: Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin from Food Network
• Tuesday: Panda Express Copycat Orange Chicken from Recipezaar
• Wednesday: Baked Chicken Legs from Chaos in the Kitchen
• Thursday: Special Spinach Salad (recipe below… this is my new favorite salad recipe!) with Baked Chicken from Wednesday
• Friday: Crab Cakes from Paula Deen
• Saturday: Mushroom Stuffed Chicken from Cooking Light
• Sunday: Shrimp Fra Diavlo from Cooking Light

Special Spinach Salad (from my Sister-in-Law)

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 bunch of romaine, torn
1 pkg (6 oz) fresh baby spinach
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
3 cups shredded swiss cheese
1 med. red onion, sliced
1/2 lb. sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 can 15 oz mandarin oranges, drained

Poppy Seed Dressing:
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp. dijon mustard
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup canola oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

1. In a small heavy skillet, melt sugar low heat add almonds and stir to coat. Spread onto a greased sheet of foil; break apart if necessary.
2. In a large bowl combine romaine, spinach, mushrooms, cheese, red onion bacon and oranges.
3. For dressing, in a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar , onion, mustard and salt cover and process until blended. While processing, gradually add oil in a steady stream, stir in poppy seeds.
4. Pour dressing over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with sugared almonds.

The post Ask a Blogger and Menu Plan Monday (Recipe: Special Spinach Salad) appeared first on Dine and Dish.

Nick is a fairly predictable guy. Sometimes I think he might be a little bit OCD because he is very routine about things. He wakes up at the exact same time every morning, he goes to the window and peeks out the blinds, walks into the bathroom and brushes his teeth, turns on the shower water, goes pee, hops in the shower, etc. His routine is just that… a set in hard stone routine. He is a very easy guy to figure out.

The other day, Nick, who never puts mustard on anything and detests honey said “I have really been enjoying the salad at  the deli in my office building lately. They have the best Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing I’ve ever tasted.” Excuse me? Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Dressing? Who are you and what have you done with my husband? After all of these years, I thought I was married to a Buttermilk Ranch / Italian dressing kind of guy, but noooo… I am married to a Honey Mustard Vinaigrette man and never knew it! “Since when do you like honey mustard vinaigrette salad dressing?” Apparently he has always loved it… honey mustard vinaigrette salad dressing is his favorite kind of salad dressing. Who the heck knew? Just when you think you really know someone they throw you for a loop!

Being the thoughtful, intuitive, kind wife I am, I made up a batch of Honey Mustard Vinaigrette dressing for my honey. We shall see if it rivals the deli in his office building. In the meantime, I am going to spend some time trying to unravel the layers of this mysterious man that I have lived with for so long. My marriage based on Ranch and Italian salad dressing love has been turned upside down.

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette Salad Dressing (from Recipezaar)

5 min | 5 min prep

1/2 cup

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