This Salad Is Just Right!

We are now two thirds of the way into our winter, longing ever more impatiently for the arrival of spring and its promise of warmer days ahead. We are all so desperate to warm and sooth our now freezing souls that we crave all of our foods to be warm.....even our salads! Well if you think about it, isn't it counter productive to have a nice hot bowl of soup accompanied by an ice cold salad? Well it sure is if it is 6 degrees outside and your bones feel like icicles.
This is a very traditional version of a wilted spinach salad, use this as your foundation to add your own personal touches such as;" hard boiled eggs, mushrooms, artichokes" whatever warms your heart.

Wilted Spinach Salad

1 lb. raw spinach
1 med. red onion, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon
1/3 c. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. (dry) prepared mustard
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. pepper

To 1 lb. well washed and dried raw spinach, (broken up and larger stems removed) add 1 medium onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings, cover and chill in refrigerator.
For dressing: cut up 8 slices bacon into bite size pieces and sauté until crisp. Add remaining ingredients and heat the dressing until it is bubbling. Just before serving, pour hot dressing over salad tossing gently to wilt greens.

Ryner12/flickr