Amazing Recipe!

So I went to a Pampered Chef party a while ago, and they made this salad, and it was absolutely heavenly, so I asked for the recipe. Please ignore the parts in the recipe that say to use such-and-such a utensil. =) Enjoy!

The Pampered Chef ®
Harvest Chicken Salad
Recipe


Dressing

2 oranges
1/3 cup fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, pressed

Salad

1 package (6 ounces) fresh baby spinach leaves
2 cups diced roasted chicken
1 cup diced celery
2 medium Red Delicious apples
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup toasted pecan halves (optional)
Orange segments and Whole-Grain Croutons (optional)

1. For dressing, zest one orange using Lemon Zester/Scorer to measure 2 teaspoons zest. Juice oranges to measure 1/2 cup juice. Combine orange zest, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, salt, black pepper and garlic pressed with Garlic Press in Classic Batter Bowl; whisk until smooth using Stainless Whisk. While continuously whisking, add orange juice in a thin, steady stream; set dressing aside.
2. For salad, place spinach in bottom of large serving bowl. Dice chicken and celery using Utility Knife. Cut apples in half lengthwise; remove stems and seeds using Cook’s Corer®. Cut each apple half into four wedges; crinkle cut wedges into small pieces using Crinkle Cutter. Chop onion using Food Chopper. Layer chicken, celery, apples, onion, cranberries and pecans, if desired, over spinach. To serve, drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Top with orange segments and Whole-Grain Croutons, if desired. Serve immediately.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving: Light (1 cup salad): Calories 100, Total Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat .5 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 13 g, Protein 7 g, Sodium 170 mg, Fiber 2 g

Preparing Orange Segments:
To cut orange into segments, cut a thin slice from the top and the bottom using Utility Knife; stand upright. Cutting from top to bottom, carefully trim away peel and white membrane.

Cut down one side of membrane. Angle knife under segment and lift out. Repeat with remaining segments.

Composure -- Waking Ashland

I came across this band while looking through my former roommate's music collection. They sounded remotely interesting, so I loaded their album on my iPod. And I really like them! Their sound is rock/pop with a piano thrown in the mix, and it's a nice break from the generic guitar/bass/drums band. In some ways, their music is similar to Death Cab for Cutie, Copeland, or perhaps Evan & Jaron a little, but they definitely have their own sound. They have such good harmonies! I think my favorite of their songs is "Hands on Deck" It's a softer sounding song, with mostly piano and just a touch of drums, as well as some strings. It is reminiscent of a ballad and is gorgeous! If you've never listened to their music, I definitely recommend it. Head on over to their myspace page to listen to a couple songs. http://www.myspace.com/wakingashland

Can't Stop Won't Stop -- The Maine

I recently got this album while raiding someone's music collection. I can't quite remember whose...maybe my cousin's? Anyway, I figured I may as well give them a try; if I didn't like them, I could always delete them. I'm so glad that I found them. I absolutely LOVE them! Their sound is somewhat similar to The All-American Rejects. That kind of style, anyway. I think I like them a little better than AAR though, in part because they are something fresh. I'm definitely looking forward to the things to come from The Maine. =)