[Fancy Pants] Caesar Salad

So a couple of weekends ago I celebrated my momma on Mother's Day. If you know me or are a follower you know by now she's a pretty special lady in my book {and that of many others}. I asked her what she wanted to do for Mother's Day, and she said she simply wanted a meal cooked by me. So!  No simple meal would do. I had to fancy it up a bit. C'mon, it's Mother's Day. So this post is a the first installment in a 3 part series [ahhh a trilogy!!]. We started with a [fancy pants] caesar salad. 

This salad is an adaptation of a salad I had when I was about 6 or 7 in Palm Springs, CA with my grandparents...and yes, I still remember it today [it was that good]. We were at one of the [fancy pants] hotels that my grandparents loved to take us to for dinner when we visited every March for Spring Break. Yeah, tough stuff huh? To say they were the epitome of what grandparents should be, would be the understatement of the century. And no, it wasn't just because they introduced me to what "fine dining" looked/tasted like at an incredibly young age. It was their being; their kindness, unconditional love, generosity, and the way they made you feel like everything you did or said was the most important thing they'd ever heard. I am so grateful I was so close to them and got to share their love.

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ok, back to food.

this dressing ROCKS!! 

warning: husbands have been known to lick this out of the bowl. 

Fancy-Pants Caesar Salad 

• caesar dressing
• 2 tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 2 tbsp light mayo [made with olive oil]
• 1 tbsp EVOO
• 1 tbso garlic powder
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• salt + pepper to taste

1. combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl with a whisk. 

• salad
• 8-10 romaine leaves, cleaned 
• 1/2 cup croutons, crushed 

1. using a spoon layer 1-2 tbsp of dressing on each romaine leaf.
2. sprinkle crushed croutons on top and any extra s+p or parmesan cheese.
3. serve immediately, or let chill in the refrigerator.
4. pick up and eat each leaf by hand [finger fooood!]

pretty simple, huh?

no one said fancy = complicated. 

this salad is great for a special meal for someone you love, 

or to take and stand out at the good out potluck dinner. 

either way, I think you're gonna love it!

me + the sweet lady I'm named after, 

in Palm Springs, right around time of the [fancy pants] caesar salad.

love you, Grandma.

always + forever