Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles!

Bacon Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

1) 1  pound asparagus spears, trimmed 4 to 5 inches long tips
2) 1 Tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil, 
3) 1/2 Tsp Each, Sea Salt & black pepper, garlic powder
4) 4 slices center cut bacon or pancetta
5) 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
**Optional**Chopped chives or scallions!

Directions:

A) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and trim ends of the asparigus. 
B) Coat asparagus with olive oil, add salt, pepper and garlic. Toss to coat well.
C) Bundle asparagus into 4 groups of 6 pieces.
D) Wrap a slice of bacon around each bundle tightly. Secure with a tooth pick if necessary.
E) Place onto a slotted broiler pan, bake 12-15 minutes.
6) Drizzle with maple syrup. Serve as an appetizer or side dish.
*If you have a thick cut of bacon, pre bake bacon in the oven for 10 minutes before wrapping. This will help avoid over cooking of the asparagus!

Salad Is Not Just For Veggies Anymore!! Try Adding Fruit instead of Salad Dressing!!

When many people think about changing their daily diets to include healthier eating, they think of salad as boring roughage!! Well it doesn't have to be. Salads are such a great way to get more vitamins into your daily diet, to give you more energy to tackle your busy day!! 

In our house we experiment on a  regular basis with our salads. I'm very lucky to have a man  that eats anything and a boy who loves his veggies! It can be a bit difficult to pack a salad so it is fresh to eat at lunch time. If you put the dressing on it in the morning, it's sure to be soggy by lunch. If you put the dressing on the side, you risk a messy surprise at lunch time! Well I decided to start adding more fruit to the mix, using spinach and mixed baby greens, instead of plain old lettuce. They don't sog out as much. Grapes, strawberries, blueberries, sliced apple or pear. Are a great natural way to add the sweetness we all love! Here is the kicker, instead of reaching for the salad dressing try reaching for a lemon slice! Squeeze the lemon slice on top of your salad when you are ready to eat it. Add a little fresh parmesan  or fetta, and you have yourself  one heck of a satisfying salad!! Something so simple can change the way you look at salad forever!! You can anything you like to a salad to please your taste buds, that's what makes them so great!! So go ahead, be brave and try something new!!

Strawberry Spinach Salad Supreme

Ingredients:

4    teaspoons    extra virgin olive oil 

1    clove(s)    garlic ( finely chopped ) 

2    onion ( green, chopped ) 

1/2    teaspoon    almond extract 

1/4    teaspoon    orange juice 

10    ounces    baby spinach leaves ( fresh ) 

1    oranges 

1/2    red onion ( quartered and thinly sliced ) 

1/4    cup    almonds, dry roasted ( whole or sliced ) 

1/4    cup    apples ( sliced ) 

Directions:

A) Wash and pat dry spinach, remove any long stems.
B) Grate orange rind into a small mixing bowl, add olive oil, garlic, almond extract, & salt.
C) Mix well, then add orange juice & mix again.
D) Peel and separate sections, cut each section in half.
E) Place spinach into a large bowl, add onions, oranges & dressing, toss well.
F) Top with almonds, fresh berries and sliced apple.

Cucumber & Tomato Salad