(the only photo I took of the salad was this one I posted on Snap Chat - follow me at: pnpflowers)

The 4th of July may be behind us but if you are looking for a great new salad to bring to your next potluck, Summer BBQ or workplace luncheon...you just might want to try this one!!

This BLT Salad is something I fixed for my family on 4th of July as part of our family reunion this year. And the platter was empty. *wink*

Besides, you really can't go wrong with homemade croutons, bacon, tomatoes and lettuce topped with a creamy buttermilk/parmesan dressing.

Looking for something paleo-friendly, dairy-free and gluten-free?
I created a Whole30-friendly version for myself as well.
Instructions are shown beneath the original recipe below. *wink*

So let's get right to the recipe(s), shall we?

BLT SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK PARMESAN DRESSING + BUTTERY CROUTONS
(From Southern Living Magazine - June 2016 - pg. 151)

Serves 6 - I doubled the recipe for our family reunion

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cubed white bread
3 TBSP butter, melted
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 TBSP. minced shallot
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup buttermilk - I used 1/2 cup milk plus 1 TBSP. white vinegar mixed together
3/4 mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. sugar
12 oz. romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. assorted fresh tomatoes, sliced - I used small vine ripe tomatoes
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped
Flat-leaf parsley and torn basil leaves to garnish - I totally skipped this!

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375º

2. Prepare Croutons: Toss together bread, melted butter, salt, and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Place on a baking sheet and bake 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

Tip: I baked mine until I felt they were nice and crispy - I think I ended up doubling the bake time.
Also, I baked mine the night before and then put them in a Ziploc® bag overnight. The next morning they felt a little soft so I put them back in the oven at 400º for about 5 minutes to crisp them up again. Then I decided to leave the Ziploc® bag unzipped to keep them from softening again.

3. Prepare Dressing: Combine shallot and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk and next 5 ingredients.

4. Make Salad: Arrange romaine lettuce hearts onto a serving platter. Top with sliced tomatoes and chopped bacon, and drizzle with 3 TBSP of dressing. Add croutons, parsley and basil. Serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side.

••••••••••••••• WHOLE30 - FRIENDLY VERSION BELOW ••••••••••••••• 

BLT SALAD WITH BUTTERMILK PARMESAN DRESSING
(Adapted from Southern Living Magazine - June 2016 - pg. 151)

Ingredients
1 TBSP. minced shallot
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup buttermilk - I used 1/2 cup unsweetened whole30-approved coconut milk plus 1 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise - I made THIS mayo
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/8 tsp. apple juice
12 oz. romaine lettuce hearts, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. assorted fresh tomatoes, sliced - I used small vine ripe tomatoes
6 slices cooked bacon, chopped - whole30-approved brands
Flat-leaf parsley and torn basil leaves to garnish - I totally skipped this!

Directions
1. Prepare Dressing: Combine shallot and vinegar in a medium mixing bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk and next 5 ingredients.

2. Make Salad: Arrange romaine lettuce hearts onto a serving platter. Top with sliced tomatoes and chopped bacon, and drizzle with 3 TBSP of dressing. Add parsley and basil. Serve immediately with remaining dressing on the side.

••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I always love finding new recipes to try for large gatherings and I was really happy with the way this salad turned out. As was everyone else.

I hope you'll try it my friends!!

xoxo,
Jess

KEEPiNG iT REAL
I was up until midnight on the 3rd, making this salad and two different desserts.
But it was all worth it.
I hope you all had a fantastic 4th of July weekend!!
I spent mine celebrating with my entire family at our Family Reunion at the Encore Club at Reunion Resort, here in Orlando. It was so awesome to see everyone and soak in the sun for a few days together. I'll be posting a few pics soon!

SHARE | FUN Gift Ideas from Uncommon Goods

You guys!!! Have you ever checked out the Uncommon Goods website?

I am in LOVE with all of the unique products and gift items they have available.
I have put together a collage of some of my favorite things from their Personalized Gifts section (see above) but they are all just too cute not to give you

PROMISE ME | Vintage Baking - Texas Sheet Cake

This is all that's left of the from-scratch, homemade Texas Sheet Cake I made on Labor Day!

Never having made a Texas Sheet Cake before - this recipe did NOT disappoint.
I whipped it up Monday morning to bring to a BBQ some friends invited us too that afternoon.

It's not one of those cakes where you get to lose yourself in the complexity of the process.
It's actually super easy to make and my greatest pleasure came from using my favorite ingredients - which are the highest quality and unfortunately the most expensive.  I picked up the very best chocolate, vanilla, and flour I could find while J was working - because if it would've been left up to him...it would've been generic-brand everything and mama doesn't like baking or even cooking that way).  My mom taught me when I was younger that using the best ingredients makes a difference and it really does! I've had to make a lot of compromises living with someone who, for one, is budget-minded (not one of my strengths) and two, who doesn't truly appreciate the finer things in life - when it comes to ""frou-frou" baking and healthy cooking. He's completely content with cream of chicken soup crockpot meals, homestyle casseroles, a can of spaghettios and cheesecake swirl brownies from a box. And who isn't? But I prefer fresh ingredients, nothing from a can or box and if I could have my own chickens for beautiful farm fresh eggs I would SO do it. The chickens of course, would need to be one or all of the following breeds: Cuckoo Maran, Mottled Cochin or Porcelain since I'm told they lay the prettiest most glamorous eggs - although there's nothing glamorous  or sanitary about having stinky chicken pens in your backyard - but those gorgeous, fresh eggs would be so worth it). Ha!! Anyway...when the budget allows (or when I can sneak it into the cart) I make sure I'm working with only the best.

Although there was some debate at the barbecue over whether it was a "cake" vs. a pan of brownies...
there was no denying this cake was definitely a crowd-pleaser! What's not to love about a moist cake with an incredible chocolate from-scratch cake frosting topped off with some toasted pecans? Is it obvious I'm lobbying for "It's a cake" votes?) *wink*


I managed to make sure I still had a few pieces to bring home with me since the only other picture I had was this one I posted on MY INSTAGRAM FEED as I was getting ready to put it in the oven:

Ella helped me bake it and I was fascinated by the fact that you are supposed to pour on warm frosting immediately after the cake came out of the oven! Trust me...I hesitated...and even started to panic a little thinking the technique seemed so wrong...but it turned out SO right.

I was SO excited to try out this recipe from the Vintage Cakes book I purchased awhile back.
I bought it specifically to help me reach one of my "Promise Me" Goals to try out some Vintage Baking recipes.

Looking forward to sampling the other recipes inside the gorgeous book!
Here are some of the others I'm eyeing right now...
The Pink Cake - thinking I'll do this one for my birthday
Goober Cake - just because it's got peanut butter in it and looks amazing!
Italian Cream Cake - my stepdad is Italian and his birthday is at the end of the month - PERFECT!
Boston Cream Pie-lets - just because they are mini and who doesn't love Boston Cream pie?
Grammy Cake - sounds like it's going to be delicious and I get to use my pretty fluted cake pan.
Old Vermont Burnt Sugar Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting - yes, please! 

If you appreciate vintage recipes and beautiful cakes, you should totally pick up this book.
The gorgeous cover alone is reason enough to have it displayed in your kitchen! *wink*

Promise Me peeps...
How are you doing on your journey?
I've been able to cross off 5 things on my list with 18 more things to finish and only 5 months left to get busy - it's time to get busy!! You know the holidays are going to be crazy so don't let the next few months sneak by and then cram everything in come January! PLAN IT! We can do this. We are worth it!! Get your promises on your calendars. Incorporate your goals into your every day routine if you can. Plan ahead. That's what's going to get you to where you want to be!!

Looking forward to announcing the Monthly Surprise Winner for August!!
Stay tuned!!

KEEPiNG iT REAL
J has come a long way with his "palate"...he, himself, admits it quite often.
In turn, I've come a long way with recognizing the importance of a budget! *wink*
So, on paper...it's a win-win.