Berry Watermelon Spinach Salad

Last week I spent a lovely couple of hours with my grandma.  She's always been one of my favorite people.  As a kid almost every Sunday of my life, a certain gentleman would tell me how I looked just like my grandma.  Every week.  He must have really liked her.  But who doesn't?  She's that kind of gal.   To tell you the truth though,  I just didn't get it.   She was old.  I was young.  To me we looked nothing alike, but in all reality I probably did.  My grandma has always been a great cook.  She could be Paula Dean's twin sister.  They both LOVE to use butter, cream, and all sorts of goodness in their cooking.  I only remember ever eating one thing that I hated of hers.  It was a French Onion Soup she made when I was about 5.  So I can't really judge her by that.  What 5 year old likes soggy bread and onions together?  I love it now, but I just didn't appreciate it then:)  Everything else...........I love.  She has a cookbook that she wrote with one of her sisters quite a few years ago, and it is still my go to cookbook.  There is always something good in it.

Last week when I was with her, I did a little gardening while she took Jane for a little walk and then we had the best lunch ever!!  She tossed a salad and threw in a few extra things, and then we sat down to a cute little place setting to eat our lunch.  It was a beautiful salad that we each ate in a refined manner, until I was ready for seconds.  It was good!  Finally after I finished my second serving I apologized and just pulled the salad over and finished off the rest of the salad right out of the bowl.  No more lady like manners.  I was a hungry girl!  The salad was an unlikely combination I thought.  I would have never added watermelon to it, but that's what made it so stinking good!  It would be great for a shower, or just on a Sat. afternoon when you've been doing yard work all morning, and need some sustenance.  Thanks Grams for the recipe, and I had a wonderful time with you:)  Love ya!

Berry Watermelon Spinach Salad

Courtesy of my Grandma Navine!

Spinach

 Fresh Strawberries

Fresh Blueberries

Fresh Raspberries

Fresh Blackberries

(Or any combination of fresh berries you have. Just use what you have or what's on sale.)

Watermelon chunks 

(I cut up a mini seedless watermelon and used a few cups.)

Chopped Pecans or Walnuts

A Sprinkle of Parmesan or Blue Cheese

Juice of 1/2 a lemon

2 T. Honey or Agave

Poppy seed Dressing

(I used the Lighthouse brand.  It was low fat too, and delicious!)

Just use your judgement on proportions.  If you're feeding many use a lot, but if your feeding a few just cut back a bit.  I probably used the equivalent of one raspberry container for all my berries.  It served 4.

Dump everything in a big bowl and toss with the dressing, honey and lemon juice.  You could eat this with some grilled chicken on top for a heartier meal, or just as is.  I think it's absolutely perfect.