Strawberry-Avocado Salad

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love summer food! I love the freshness, the bright flavors and colors, and the fact that it's just feels cleaner and healthier. Don't get me wrong, nothing could ever replace my warm bowl of stew or dumplings when the weather is cold, but there is just something so great about a nice summer salad.

I bought some beautiful strawberries the other day, and if I've learned anything about berries, it's that you pretty much need to make sure they are eaten within twenty four hours of purchasing them, otherwise you may end up with the tragedy of them going bad before enjoying them. So I thought they would be delicious in a big green salad. I sweetened the strawberries with a bit of Splenda beforehand, just to really get the full contrast of sweet strawberries and tangy balsamic vinaigrette. And I know I put avocado in EVERYTHING, but it was the perfect creamy mediator between the two flavors. And for an extra treat, candied almonds to top it off! I really enjoyed this salad, never once missed the meat and felt so good when I was done. Ah, summer!

Strawberry-Avocado Salad

Ingredients

romaine lettuce
baby spinach
strawberries, sweetened if desired
avocado
balsamic vinaigrette
candied almonds (Combine sliced almonds with a few teaspoons of sugar in a dry saute pan, place on medium heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar melts completely over almonds, remove from heat.)

Directions

Toss your leaves with desired amount of dressing. Top salad with remaining ingredients and enjoy!