Salad in a Ball (Jar that Is)

My doctor says I need to eat more vegetables...(don't we all?)

I like eating salad, but hate making it.

So, yesterday I prepared seven salads in Ball jars, so all I have to do is open the fridge, and "wah-lah" a single serve salad is waiting to be devoured.

This took me about an hour from start to finish - well worth the time.

I found the following pin on pinterest and thought I would try it.

http://pinterest.com/pin/85568461642563766/

My family likes beans, nuts, meats and cheeses.

So I gathered:

Black Beans

Garbanzo Beans

Dark Red Kidney Beans

Raisins

Pecans

Walnuts

Sunflower Seeds

Reduced Fat Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Turkey Deli Meat

Shredded Carrots

Mixed Greens including Baby Spinach

and Cucumbers (not pictured)

I gathered our favorite dressings...

and bought me some Blue Cheese Chunks (I'm the only one that likes them).

Then I started "LAYERING" our salads

in Ball "Pint and a Half" jars.

As the Pin states, layer your jars:

1.  Dressing on the bottom

(this is IMPORTANT - keeps the salad fresh if the dressing is at the bottom)

2.  Hearty Bits next (beans, cucumber, carrots, etc.)

3.  Lighter Bits (seeds, nuts, mandarin oranges, tomatoes)

4.  Spinach, Arugula and Mixed Greens

Seal in a jar.

I made several different salads for my family:

RASPBERRY, BLUE CHEESE, WALNUT: (my favorite!): Raspberry dressing, red beans, carrots, cucumbers, blue cheese crumbles, raisins, walnuts and spinach.

TACO RANCH: Ranch Dressing, Picante Sauce, black beans, turkey, sunflower seeds, carrots, cucumbers, shredded cheese and mixed greens.

HONEY MUSTARD TURKEY: Honey Mustard dressing, carrots, cucumbers, garbanzo beans, red beans, turkey, sunflower seeds, raisins, shredded cheese and mixed greens.

RANCH NO MEAT: Ranch Dressing, cucumbers, carrots, cheese, garbanzo beans, red beans, pecans and mixed greens.

KEEP REFRIGERATED

USE THESE SALADS WITHIN A WEEK - no problem at my house!

To Serve:  I recommend dumping just the lettuce onto a plate...

Then shake up the remaining ingredients and dump on top.

That's it!

Yum!  Very fresh and tasty!  Enjoy!

Try adding your favorite ingredients to create "ready-to-eat" Salad in a Jar for your family.

Other ideas:  hard-boiled eggs, tomatoes, celery, radishes, beets, strawberries, orange slices, ham, roast beef - the possibilities are almost endless!

Keep Calm and Kerri On!