Strawberry Lime Slushy

Yum

I'm loving the California strawberries this year.  They are so sweet, plump and a juicy red!

There nothing better than biting into a juicy strawberry on a hot day, don't you think?

Well possibly one thing that could be better is drinking them instead, preferably while sitting in the pool cooling off!

So I grabbed my fresh strawberries and started out making us fresh drinks with a virgin strawberry margarita in mind but more on the slushy side with lots of crushed ice.  Perfect for a hot day while lazing by pool.

With very few ingredients and using all fresh fruits you can create a wonderful cooling drink!  Just throw it all in a blender and give it a whirl.  It's as simple as that...but tastes like HEAVEN!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Lime Slushy

serves 2

1 c water

2 T lime juice

4 T sugar
2 c fresh strawberries, hulled
2 c ice cubes

Optional:  Straws for drinking

Place all the ingredient in a blender. Blend until ice has crushed and everything is blended.   Pour into glasses and enjoy!

Summer Dessert Heaven: Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream

Yum

Yay for summertime!

I love summer.  Eating alfresco, cooking on the grill, and hanging by the pool.

We had a nice bash over the weekend with some friends we hadn't seen in forever...and we took that time to fire up the grill for some fresh food.  Even dessert was finished up using the grill!

So let's talk about this dessert.  Do you like lemon?  MGG loves it, it was my mom's favorite as well, and I like it mainly in baked goods such as muffins and cakes.  Pies? not so much.  In planning my menu I was sifting through an old Cook's Country magazine and had dog-eared a recipe for Meyer Lemon Pound Cake.  Say what? Lemon pound cake...ummm yes please!

Now, I know it's summer, and it's taboo to turn on the oven  but this was a serious situation here.  I had to have this pound cake.  So I got up really early and used the oven before the day got hot.  Success!!!  This cake was so easy to make. I even snuck some of the batter, so I knew it would taste outrageous.  And it did!  Everyone said so....haha!

Typically during the summer, our desserts run toward angel food cakes, trifles, pudding of some sort etc.  You know, throw it together quick and easy stuff.  So the pound cake did require more time than we usually put into our desserts but it was well worth it.  You could just as easily buy a ready made pound cake (it may not be lemon) and it would work just as well, but you really should try this lemony one.  The flavors of lemon and strawberry together are heaven.  So worth the effort.

Once the cake is made the rest is easy.  After the dinner grilling was done I grilled slices of this luscious lemon pound cake and plated them with macerated strawberries and a big ole scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Oh man, was this gobbled down by everyone.  Our long lost friends may not be so lost after eating this.  I'll bet we see them often this summer just to get more of this Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream!

Enjoy!

Grilled Lemon Pound Cake with Slice Strawberries and Vanilla Ice Cream


Pound Cake
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Meyer lemon zest
1 cup granulated sugar plus 2 additional tablespoons
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
5 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

Toppings: 

Macerated sliced strawberries

Vanilla Ice Cream

To make the cake: Preheat oven to 325 F. Spray a 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk the sour cream and lemon juice together in a small measuring cup.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the lemon zest and sugar. Rub together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter to the bowl and beat the butter/sugar mixture on medium speed until very pale and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the eggs in 3 additions, beating well after each addition until the mixture is smooth (stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary). With the mixer on low, alternately add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the sour cream mixture in 2 additions, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Once all the ingredients have been added, scrape down the bowl then beat on low for another 30 seconds to fully combine.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Smooth the top then tap the pan on your work surface to release air bubbles. Bake the cake for 55-65 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted near the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then turn it out.

Once the pound cake has completely cooled, (about 2 hours) slice it into 1 inch thick slices.  Add slices to an outdoor grill, or indoor grill pan and all to toast several minutes on each side until grill marks appear.  Top with strawberries that have macerated in sugar for about 15 minutes.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve immediately.

Pound cake was adapted from Cook’s Country, April/May 2006

Springtime Brunch: Strawberry Sour Cream Muffins

I love springtime.  It makes me want to eat outside and have brunch!

I can't think of a better way to celebrate the nice weather of spring than having a brunch filled with foods that speak 'spring'.  Omelets with asparagus, mushrooms, and peas come to mind.  So do strawberries.  We see the first of our strawberries in the spring and they peak around May.

One perfect way to feature these luscious babies is to bake them into some muffins. Not just any muffins though.  This is a brunch...it deserves a little decadent muffin. One with sour cream in it to make it soft and tender.  Oh the joy of a strawberry muffin!

I've used a basic recipe and even provided you with lower carb options should you choose.  Either way you make them they will turn our fantastic!  Perfect for your spring brunch menu.

Remember, if you can't find some good juicy strawberries yet, then use frozen ones. They will work just as well, and you don't have to thaw them!

Enjoy the spring weather!





Strawberry Sour Cream Muffins



Makes 12


2 c flour
1 T baking powder
1/8 t salt
½ c sugar or ¼ c Splenda sugar blend
2 large eggs
1 c sour cream
6 T canola oil
1 t vanilla
1 c frozen or fresh strawberries, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 12 cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl add flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Stir to combine. In another small bowl lightly beat eggs. Add in sour cream, oil, and vanilla. Beat slightly to mix. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened. Do not over mix. Fold in strawberries.

Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tin. Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool 5 minutes in the pan, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

Ice cream is a weakness of ours.

We just love the creamy goodness but sometimes we like to shake it up a bit from our usual scoop of ice cream.

This time we turned our favorite dessert into a creamy, dreamy, Fresh Strawberry Milkshake!  Oh man was it good! We had just come from the farmers market and had bought extra strawberries to make a shortcake with but I couldn't help myself, and decided to put them in a milkshake.

Now I typically gravitate toward a chocolate milkshake, but something about these strawberries were calling me.  Might have been the nice spring weather, or the bright red colors. Whatever it was I was disappointed because these berries were just delicious!

A milkshake is easy to make, you just through everything in the blender and turn it on.  Voila, a perfect milkshake is born.

So now we are sitting on our patio enjoying the beautiful cool weather and a delicious Fresh Strawberry Milkshake.  Life is good!

Enjoy!



Fresh Strawberry Milkshake

serves 4

8 ounces strawberries, cored and sliced
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pint low-fat vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup 2% milk

Pour all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve immediately.

Strawberry Agua Fresca

You know what goes well with chicken verde tacos on a warm and sunny afternoon? Agua fresca!

On Sundays, we hit the gym. We've recently gotten into spinning in our gym. Riding out on the streets around Los Angeles is a peril I'd rather not experience. With crazy drivers everywhere bicycling can be harmful to your health! Instead we spin (high-intensity, indoor cycling on stationary bikes) and we love it! It's really hard though, and after a good workout and all that sweating (or glistening for Southern girls!) all I want is an ice cold agua fresca to hydrate myself.

If you know me I frequent the farmer's markets a lot. We have a fantasic one down the street that takes place on Sundays.  So usually before our workout I hit the market and by some fresh seasonal fruit for the week, and our agua fresca! This week I found some late season strawberries....oh were they sweet! .

Essentially, agua frescas are made with pureed fruit, water, a little sugar and splash of lime juice. It can be made using a variety of fruits. I love melons and berries in mine. I've seen agua fresca all of the internet in two ways, strained and unstrained. I prefer a clean water texture with the hint of fruit so I strain mine. You can do this either way. If you like it pulpy, go for unstrained.

So make yourself a wonderful lunch, such as my chicken verde tacos , and a refreshing drink to go along with it, sit back, relax, and enjoy the day!





Strawberry Agua Fresca


yield: 4 cups

3 cups strawberries, washed and hulled

2 cups water
juice of 1 lime 

3 Tbsp sugar, more or less according to taste

In a blender add the strawberries, water, lime juice, and sugar.  Blend until liquified and sugar is well blended.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer (optional) into a pitcher.  Serve over ice.

Red Velvet Berry Parfaits

It's time to celebrate once again, the last summer hurrah.   Labor Day weekend is almost here and boy do I have a wonderful dessert for you!

I saw a recipe on Rattlebridge Farm  for a Red Velvet Berry Crumble and was so wowed by it that I new I was going to do a variation of my own...parfait style.  It's the perfect red, white, and blue dessert to go along with many holidays such as Memorial Day, 4th of July (Independence Day) and especially Labor Day.

Since I only wanted to make a few of these parfaits, I took some help from my grocery store and bought 2 slices of red velvet cake and deconstructed them for my parfaits.  You could use red velvet cupcakes, brownies, or pound cake.  I've seen most of these in our local Ralphs market.  Add some vanilla or cheesecake flavored pudding, some berries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream all layered in pretty dishes and you are set.  Easy as pie!

The taste is unbelievable too.  I mean, who doesn't love red velvet cake?  There are whole books just on the stuff.  It's the bomb, and is highlighted in this dish!

So if you are planning a get together, BBQ, or any family gathering for the weekend, this is the perfect dessert.  Hope you enjoy it...we gobbled it up!



Red Velvet Berry Parfaits

serves 4

1 pkg. sugar-free vanilla pudding (or cheesecake flavored)
2 c 2% milk
2 store bought red velvet cake slices (or cupcakes, brownies, pound cake, etc.)
handful of fresh blueberries
handful of fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
handful of fresh raspberries

vanilla ice cream 

Make the vanilla pudding according to package directions using the milk.  Allow to set up in the refrigerator for 5 minutes before using.  

Cube the red velvet cakes and place several in the bottom of 4 dishes or glasses.  Top with a large dollop of pudding.  Add a few more pieces of red velvet cake and divide all the berries among all the glasses.  Top each with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream.  Place a blueberry on top.  Serve.

Strawberry Shortcake Scones

I have a real thing for berries.

I do.  I swear.  Every year when berry season hits in Southern California I go hog wild.  Buying berries every week from the farmer's markets until I'm blue in the face....almost literally!  I buy them all, blackberries, raspberries (red and white), strawberries, blueberries...you name it.  I just LOVE them!

So with all these berries around I have to find new ways to use them.  Which often means searching for new twists on standards like scones.  I love a good scone, don't you? Since they are a little more involved than a quick throw together meal I usually save this type of item for my weekend breakfasts.  Perfect for sitting on the patio eating them with a nice cup of hot tea.  

So I've found myself with an excess of strawberries a while back and we've been eating them in desserts such as parfaits and strawberry shortcakes.  Our strawberries have been to DIE FOR this year.  So sweet they don't need any sugar!  

So I hit the Internet and came across the best recipe for a strawberry shortcake style scone.  Wow!  I knew that this would be right up my alley.  What makes these different from regular scones is the addition of ricotta cheese and whipping cream to the mixture.  These ingredients elevate your scones to a different level and make them so tender and moist.

Hands down, this is an excellent recipe for scones.  The strawberries are the highlight but the tender but moist biscuits make it heaven on a plate.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Shortcake Scones 

slightly adapted from BHG.com

Yield: 12 scones

1 cup chopped fresh strawberries
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup whipping cream
Whipping cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.   In a small bowl, toss together strawberries and 1 tablespoon flour. In a large bowl combine the 2 1/2 cups flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center of the flour mixture; set aside. 

In a medium bowl combine the egg, ricotta, and 1/4 cup whipping cream. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Add strawberries. Using a fork, stir just until moistened. 

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or until dough is nearly smooth. Pat dough into a 10x4-inch rectangle. Cut in half lengthwise and in sixths crosswise to make 12 rectangles. 

Place rectangles 2 inches apart on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Brush with additional whipping cream.  Bake about 16 minutes or until golden brown. Remove scones from baking sheet. Serve warm. 

Summer Salad

Here's the 2nd great dish that's perfect for the upcoming 4th of July holiday.

This salad is one of our go-to salads during the summer months.  We tend to eat much lighter than the rest of the year, and we eat tons of fresh fruits and vegetables. MGG and I love going to local farmer's markets and picking in season items to make for dinner over the weekend.  It's a fun summer pass time.  

This year has been one of the best I can remember for strawberries.  they are so plump and juicy and need no sweetening.  I just can't get enough of them.  My Summer Salad features these wonderful berries and the combination of the sweet berries, tang from Gorgonzola cheese, and crunch of pecans is perfect.  Something you will enjoy over and over all summer.

I also love items that are quick to put together.  Who really wants to spend all day in the kitchen during the summer? Not me!

So make sure to round up your friends this weekend, and bring this salad.  They will request seconds....no doubt!

Enjoy!

Kitchen Tip:  Add some grilled or rotisserie chicken to make this a main course salad.



Summer Salad

serves 6

7 cups of romaine lettuce, torn (1 large head)
1 cup of Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup pecan halves
3 cups of fresh strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

In a large bowl add the lettuce.  Layer on the cheese, pecans, and the strawberries. In a small mason jar add the oil, vinegar, salt, mustard, and garlic.  Place lid on and shake to combine.  

Pour dressing over the salad right before serving.

Strawberry Banana Bread

I'm stocking up on my summer fruits by buying large quantities and freezing them.

I love my summer fruits, especially the berries.  I can't even believe that the season is almost over.  The good thing about living in Southern California is that the summer heat doesn't actually end until October here.  I just wish there fruit would last as long!

I recently bought blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, and red and gold raspberries.  I flash freeze them in a single layer on a sheet pan in the freezer for about 1 hour and then store them in good freezer bags.  They will last me well into winter when I want a nice smoothie or dessert.

So I didn't freeze all my berries because I've been in the mood to make some fruit dishes lately.  I kept out some strawberries to try this Strawberry Banana Bread I've been eyeing on Pinterest from Lisa over at Wine & Glue.  It looked scrumptious and let me say, it is!

I hope you enjoy this bread and use up all the fresh summer berries you can while they last!




Strawberry Banana Bread

makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 large ripe bananas, mashed well
4 Tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs, beaten
6 oz vanilla Greek yogurt 
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup diced strawberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9 by 5 inch bread pan with cooking spray. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.  In a large bowl whisk together the mashed bananas, melted butter, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla.  Gently add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, folding them together until just combined.  Gently stir in the strawberries. The batter will be very thick.

Pour the batter into the bread pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the bread comes out clean or with a few crumbs.

Allow to cool 10 in the loaf pan, then invert and remove the bread to a wire rack to cool.  Slice and serve.

adapted from Wine and Glue

Simple Entertaining: Deconstructed Strawberry Angel Parfait

To us summer spells Entertaining...

When summer rolls around that's what we think about most. We love to dine al fresco and take advantage of the long evenings, sitting around by the pool, or having smore's over the fire pit. The addition of friends and family just takes it up a notch and creates some of our fondest memories.  

Sometimes we grill, other times we fix something quick indoors, but we always strive to make dishes that are easy to put together, flavorful, and delicious.  This is key to simple entertaining, keeping in mind that it's not about the process of cooking, or how elaborate the dish is, or perfection...it's about the mingling with friends, the conversations, and laughter.

Being stuck in the kitchen all night while everyone else is sitting outside is not my idea of entertaining. Besides, who wants to miss the fun?

So this dessert fits the profile of easy to put together. California has so much fresh produce on hand from local farmers that we always take advantage and tend to make dishes utilizing them.  Fresh berries are in abundance right now, and I'm in a strawberry mood!

This dessert is perfect for entertaining...or just for the family. I call it deconstructed because it uses the basic ingredients of a parfait...without the parfait glass.  The simple part is that it uses the help of a pre-made angel food cake that's been torn into bite sized pieces.  To round it out you have ripe, juicy, plump strawberries and blueberries sitting among some cheesecake flavored pudding. Topped with whipped cream you have one heck of a tasty dessert! 

Easy to put together, check!  Flavorful, check!  Delicious, double check!!

Simple Entertaining...

Deconstructed Strawberry Angel Parfait

serves 10-12 (make a many or as little as you like!)

2 pkg (3/4 oz) cheesecake instant pudding

4 cups of milk

1 pre-made angel food cake

1 pint of strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/2 c blueberries

whipped cream

In a large bowl combine the pudding mixes and the milk. Stirring to combine until all pudding granules are dissolved. Place cling wrap directly on pudding to avoid a skin from forming and place in the refrigerator to set.  

Tear the angel food cake into medium bite size pieces.  Hull and slice the strawberries.  To assemble:  Place pieces of cake on each plate.  Top with about 1/4 c of pudding drizzling over the cake.  Scatter about 1/4 cup of strawberries and a few blueberries over the pudding.  Add a dollop or two of whipped cream.  Serve.

Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake

May is strawberry season in Los Angeles!

It holds the great Strawberry festival up in Oxnard, which is a blast!  We try and go each year and eat everything strawberry in site.  I usually come home with a flat of strawberries and a stomach ache!  They have everything from strawberry margaritas to strawberry nachos, even strawberry pizzas!

You can ride strawberry rides, listen to the Young Dubliners, or bungy jump to your hearts content.  Plus there are vendor's booths selling all sorts of hand made crafts.  But the main draw for me are the juicy, plump, ripe strawberries! Just thinking about them now is making my mouth water!

So what do you do with a big flat of strawberries?  Well I have lots of recipes that will use them up but first off I wanted to make my Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake. Now this cake is famous among my family. When they heard I was going to break out my 9x13 pan and make Grandma's cake I immediately got all sorts or stories bringing back fond memories of this cake....and requests for the recipe.

My mom handed down this recipe and even she was in love with it.  She said the flavors are just outstanding and that the fresh strawberries in the icing are a must to make this cake the bomb!  She told me stories of Grandma serving this cake a family gatherings as it was such a crowd-pleaser and served a lot of people. Mom was smiling ear to ear as she recalled the fond memories of this cake.

I must say it is easy to put together as it uses a box cake mix to start.  I was blown away at the end result. This is one of the most moist cakes I've tasted and full of strawberry flavor. I did change up the icing just a bit from the original recipe. The icing calls for mashed strawberries to be incorporated in the icing.  I chose to chop my strawberries and fold them in leaving them chunky so that you get bits of strawberries throughout.  I must say it came out fantastic!  Everyone just loved the cake and there wasn't a bite left.

Guess I'll have to make another one!

Enjoy!

Grandma Landon's Strawberry Cake

serves 15

FOR THE CAKE:
1 box (18.25 Oz. Box) White Cake Mix
1 box (4-serving 3 Oz. Box) Strawberry Jello
¾ cup Oil
½ cup Water
¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
4 whole Eggs
½ cup Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
3 Tablespoons Flour

FOR THE FROSTING:
½ stick Butter
3 ounces, Cream Cheese, softened
1 dash Salt
1 pound Powdered Sugar
⅓ cup Strawberries, Fresh or Frozen, Thawed And Mashed (I cut mine into chunks)

For the cake:
Mix cake mix and box of Jello until blended. Add oil, water and baking soda and then beat 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs and beat 2 to 3 minutes. Toss strawberries with 3 Tablespoons of flour. Fold the strawberries and any juice that may have accumulated into the batter mixture. Pour into a greased and floured 9″x13″ pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done.

For the frosting:
Beat butter and cream cheese with salt until smooth. Gradually beat in half of the powdered sugar, then the strawberries, then the remaining powdered sugar until smooth. (Note: if you leave the strawberries chunky then fold them in after the frosting comes together, adding all the powdered sugar.)  Frost the cooled cake and enjoy.

Strawberry Pear Smoothie

 

By now you probably know that I love my smoothies!  

It's something that I look at as a healthy indulgence.  Reminds me of the milkshakes I dearly loved growing up.  But who can have those all the time?  Not this girl!  So my wonderful thick and creamy fruit smoothies are the best alternative.

Typically a quick breakfast for me, but I also been know to have one on a hot afternoon.  The weather is changing and we are getting the dreaded "Santa Ana" winds around here.  They create havoc with my allergies, but they are a sure sign that fall is on the way.  

With that come different seasonal fruits.  Apples and pears are bountiful in the stores right now and I try to create my smoothies with in-season fruits.  So I grabbed some pears, and some frozen strawberries that I saved from the ripe summer crops and whipped my latest smoothie creation.  The pears lend a light sweet flavor that are perfect next to the superfruit strawberries.  Oh yum!  

Full of vitamins and antioxidants....and just plain delicious!  You have to try this one, you'll love it!

Here are some other wonderful smoothie flavors to try as well.
Peach Cobbler Smoothie

 

 

 

  

Tropical Smoothie

 

Pineapple Mango Chia Smoothie 

 

 

 

Strawberry Pear Smoothie

1 6 oz container vanilla lite yogurt

½  medium banana

½ c strawberries (fresh or frozen)

1 pear peeled and chopped

¼ c milk

½ c ice cubes

Directions

Combine ingredients in a blender and mix until combined.  Serve in a tall glass and enjoy!

 

 

 

California Salad

Yum

 Happy 4th of July!

So many wonderful memories of this holiday and my childhood.  Joining the 4th of July parade with my bike all decked out with red, white, and blue flags and crepe paper in the spokes.  Then having a great cook out in the back yard and finally going over to the park to lay on a huge blanket and watching the fireworks at night.  Oh, I just love the feeling of this holiday!

These days we often have a pool party and grill prior to watching the fireworks.  Sometimes we have a potluck style get together, other times we have a themed menu.

This year we're having a potluck style get together with many friends.  Each bringing their own favorite dishes.  Tons of food, lots of friends, great fun!

I'm bringing a wonderful salad I call a California Salad.  My inspiration came from a small salad shop that we used to eat at frequently.  They had this salad that was full of fruit, topped with chicken, and had a sweet dressing.  This is my version, and it's perfect for any potluck, or holiday celebration.

To make this easier use leftover roasted chicken, (or roast a breast or two fresh, or pick up a rotisserie chicken!) and slice the breasts thinly.  

Hope you enjoy this salad, it's fresh, light, and delishhh!

California Salad

1 head of Romaine Lettuce, torn

1/2 c Blueberries

1 1/2 c Strawberries, sliced

1 c Pineapple, cut into chunks

1/3 c Mandarin Oranges

1 Roasted Chicken Breast, sliced

1/3 c Pecans Halves 

1/3 c Poppyseed Dressing

Fill a bowl with the torn lettuce.  Add blueberries, strawberries, pineapple and Mandarin oranges.  Add slices of roasted chicken breast on top.  Sprinkle with pecan halves.  Drizzle with poppyseed dressing.  Toss to distribute dressing and serve.