A great salad any time of the year

Poppy Seed Salad

(The candied almonds in this recipe really make the salad; they are so good it's hard not to eat them all before you use them!)

1 head romaine lettuce
¼ c. slivered almonds
½ bunch fresh spinach
1 ½ Tbsp. sugar
1/3 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 ripe avocado, diced (I don't always add this)
1/3 lb. grated Swiss cheese
½ red onion (optional)
¼ lb bacon, cooked & crumbled

Cook almonds in sugar over med-low heat to caramelize. Once sugar starts to melt, stir to make sure all nuts are coated and not burning.
Mix lettuce, spinach, mushrooms, bacon, and cheese together. Just before you are ready to put on the dressing, mix in the avocado. Carefully toss salad adding a little dressing at a time until desired coating is reached. (You will not need all the dressing). Add caramelized almonds on top. Serve immediately.

*Note: You can also top with plain almonds, sunflower seeds and/or roasted cashews.

Poppy Seed Dressing:

Stir until smooth: ¾ cups sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. salt
Add and mix well: 1/3 c. red wine vinegar
Add: 1 c. salad oil a little at a time, using a blender to mix well.
Stir in by hand: ¾ Tbsp. poppy seeds

*Note: I keep all ingredients in a bowl and use a hand mixer to blend in the oil.