This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone.
I love living on my little farm. I can walk right out into the garden and pick a basket of fresh lettuce every afternoon. We grow most of our food because we like knowing where it comes from and it helps us save money. Our income is quite fixed so I am always looking for ways to pinch a few pennies. To add some protein to the salad fixings I look to online coupons for add ins like cheese and nuts. This allows me to make a homemade salad bar many nights for dinner. I absolutely adore eating seasonally!
Almost everyone can can grow a little lettuce at home. Even if you only have a tiny outdoor space it can be cultivated in a small container and it would provide you with delicious fresh produce to enjoy grown from your own hand. There are even methods to grow it indoors year round! I’m fascinated by these machines but the hubby just gives me “the look.”
If you cannot see the video you can watch it on YouTube HERE
Of course I cannot leave the garden without being accosted by some very suspicious looking characters demaaaaa-nding bribes. What else was I going to do? I had to get back to the yurt didn’t I? And seriously – would YOU have been able to resist those faces? I cannot believe that I am not even safe in my own yard!
Once that first bit of lettuce pushes through the dirt I start dreaming of salad. It truly is a staple meal around here in the summer. A salad is the perfect dinner for a number of reasons; it’s my busiest time of year as I am dealing with the harvest and it’s so easy to put together. It’s hot as all get out – yes Montana gets hot. In fact this year has been abnormally warm and we have been having temps in the high 90ies since late June. We usually don’t see it that warm until early August. Neither one of us likes to eat heavy meals in the the heat so salads are perfect! On most nights our table is basically a salad bar so each of us can make our dinner just as we like.
It’s so easy and fun to do! I start with a base – this would be the various lettuces that are ready to be picked and then whatever vegetables we both like. This night it happened to be cucumbers and zucchini – there are always zucchini! Then I take advantage of sales and coupon deals for my add ins.
Make Your Own Salad Bar
Serves 3 – 4
4 cups mixed lettuces
2 small cucumbers, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 small zucchini, cut into small chunks
salt
1/2 cup nuts such as Planter’s Dry Roasted Peanuts
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese, such as Kraft cut into small dice
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup snowpeas
4 strips bacon such as Oscar Mayer Butcher Cut
Kraft Buttermilk Ranch dressing or dressing of choice
Fry the bacon over med-high heat until it’s crispy. Drain on a paper towel. Cut or break into small pieces.
In a large bowl add together the lettuces, cucumbers and zucchini pieces. Sprinkle with salt and mix well.
Place each of the different salad bar components in a separate dish so the diner can choose what they would like to add to their salad.
Keep the dressing on the side so each can add to their liking.
Of course we each have a different way of making our salads and I think mine is the best!
Doesn’t that look delicious?
There is one thing missing, though – it needs its creamy Ranch Dressing. I swear I could drink that stuff right out of the bottle!
NOW it’s a salad! The bacon, cheese and peanuts provide enough protein so that I’m satisfied and full after eating. Of course I don’t have bacon every night as much as I’d like to! Some nights the add ins can include eggs, corn, seafood, fruit – it all depends on what I have on hand. That is the beauty of dinner salads! Occasionally I include some homemade bagels or bread with dinner. Or a smaller salad and some soup made with the vegetables I’ve picked. This is the beauty of living seasonally.
I enjoyed every single bite of my salad. Each forkful was a surprise to my palate because a different combination of foods came with every one. This is what I love so much about salads. You have a bit of sweet with the raisins and the smokey, salty richness of the bacon and then the creamy sharp taste of the cheese all surrounded by the just picked lettuce, cucumbers and zucchini from the garden. The crunch of the peanuts adds a perfect touch.
I also found some Kraft coupons for Jet Puffed Marshmallows and Hershey’s chocolate so I decided to make a very quick and easy dessert. It’s almost like eating those campfire treats we all love but without the campfire.
Chocolate Dipped Marshmallows
2oz Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate
2 tsp unsalted butter
1 bag Jet Puffed Marshmallows
multi-colored jimmies
Melt the chocolate and butter over med-low heat in a small saucepan. Have a piece of parchment paper or foil ready next to the stove to rest the finished marshmallows upon until you put them in the refrigerator.
If you cannot see the video you can watch it on YouTube HERE
After the chocolate and butter have melted, remove it from the heat and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Then it is as simple as dipping the marshmallows in the chocolate – about halfway up their sides – then into the jimmies, and then to rest on the parchment. Carefully move the dipped marshmallows (on their parchment) to a plate and refrigerate for about 10 – 15 minutes or until the chocolate hardens.
They were so good.
The operative word being were.
I think I am going to have to take advantage of those printable coupons and get some more Hershey’s chocolate and Jet Puffed Marshmallows!
Hubby certainly liked these little treats. He taste tested them quite thoroughly for me.
Erm.
The #CollectiveBias here was that these should make a repeat appearance.
You can take advantage of the great #PackedWithSavings deals that I found at my local Walmart on all of these wonderful Kraft products with printable coupons!
That’s right!
You can print them right from your computer using this spiffy widget – but you have to hurry because there are only so many of them and when they are gone, THEY ARE GONE!
So hustle up and click so you can wow your kids and friends with those chocolate dipped marshmallows!
They’ll think you slaved and only you will know how easy they were to make!
You’ll also find great coupon savings on Capri Sun, Oscar Mayer Hot Dogs, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and many other Kraft products. I know I need to save what I can and every little bit helps so go and check out the deals.
