Wilted Spinach and Asparagus Salad and Pizza Night!

It's Saturday!! Today for lunch I made us that wilted spinach and asparagus salad for which I posted the link the other day as as bonus.  Tonight is Pizza Saturday at our house. Now, we live 5 miles from the nearest town in which places are only open really during Tourist season and about 20 miles from any other town. So its not like we can just pick up a phone and call a place to have the pizza delivered. Either I bring it home with me if I am out, we go out to eat, or we eat frozen or serve it ourselves. I mentioned earlier that I am trying to keep my wheat intake to a minimum.  (Wheat, not gluten... I need to make that distinction)  So now that the best pizza place in the entire world (well, maybe this side of the Mississippi for sure) is open again, I treat myself to it every other week. On the off weeks I try to get myself a wheat free pizza somewhere, either frozen, make it myself or pick it up from a place in town that sells gluten free pizzas.  Tonight is a night that we go out to Big Time Pizza in Keystone, SD.  Run by Robert and Marie Davis, its a wonderful little Mom and Pop type place. Their daughter works there, last summer their son worked there as well. And it is by far the best pizza our family has ever had. A little pricier than we normally spend when we go out, but definitely worth it. SO WORTH IT. And they serve Baltika, Russian Beer which is a big hit for the beer drinkers out there.  If anyone is ever going through the Black Hills between March and December, its a definite stopping place. You can visit their page on Facebook. 

So now for the main event:  

Wilted Spinach and Asparagus Salad. 

(I know, my picture-taking skills are not the greatest, but you get the idea...  )

The link to it is here.

I do have some notes about this salad.  I changed a few things. I did not have red onion so I used Tastefully Simple's Onion, Onion.  It would likely be more colorful with red onion. I also used Tastefully Simple's Garlic, Garlic instead of fresh garlic because of time. (And you use less of the dried seasonings than you do of the fresh).Other than that I followed the directions in the recipe.  

Some things I would do differently next time...  I would cut the spears up into bite sized pieces or blanch them until they are softer. I do think they were lovely being still a little crisp but I like a salad where I don't have to cut things with my knife.  That's just me.  The other thing I would do differently is that in the recipe, they have you putting the 3 T of balsamic vinegar and the 2 T of oil into the frying pan and whisking with the herbs there. I found it quite difficult to whisk the oil and vinegar together in such a large area when there was so little of it. I would probably whisk the oil and vinegar together first in a small bowl, maybe with the onion and garlic but not necessarily. Then I can get them together well without it flying all over the place. I am not the neatest of chefs. LOL  

Other than that, I loved it. My son was neutral, and my husband liked it ok, but he's tired of asparagus.  So in my book, that means this one is a keeper. 

Now go and try it for yourself. Happy Eating!