Spruce up your Salad with Fisher Nuts {Summer Salad Kit Giveaway!}

While summer has meant sunshine, play dates at the park, and afternoons with the sprinkler, it has also meant that we've been enjoying the fresh fruits and vegetables that have been in season.

Being a vegetarian, I'm a huge fan of salads and thus far it appears that my kids are following suit. My husband just shakes his head when our girls jump at the chance to eat handfuls of raw spinach or are scooping up the edamame, but I couldn't be happier that healthy eating is at least one aspect that we don't have to nag at them about.

When it comes to making a salad, however, I have to admit that I usually end up eating alone when I try to get creative with my leafy greens and spruce up what goes into my bowl. While my husband and kids stick with the basics, I'm always on the lookout for ways to turn my salad into a light and satisfying meal all on its own.

Up until recently, that meant browsing around online or through cookbooks. But now whenever I need inspiration, I head over to Fisher Nuts and their list of delicious summer salad recipes!

Whether you are looking to use up leftovers from last night's barbecue, have an abundance of cucumbers in your garden, or are simply looking for a way to change up your standard pasta salad, Fisher Nuts has a way to do it.

Considering that they have long been the name known for growing and packaging nuts of all kinds — including mixes for snacking and baking —I can't believe that I never considered turning to Fisher Nuts for recipe ideas. Which meant that I was even more intimidated when they challenged me to use a Summer Salad Kit to come up with my own yummy salad creation!

Containing just about everything I needed to get started, I pulled out my Summer Salad Kit items and was ready to start chopping.

Inside I found Fisher Chef’s Naturals Sliced Almonds, Fisher Chef’s Naturals Walnut Halves & Pieces, Fisher Dried Cranberries, reusable produce bags, a salad dressing shaker, a stainless steel mixing bowl and salad tongs. Just add fruits and veggies and enjoy!

The end result? Oh yes, it was pretty darn tasty considering it includes just about all of my favorite salad fixings.

My final Summer Salad included:

• Spring Mix Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Apple pieces
• Black Beans
• Shredded Carrots
• Green Pepper
• Hard-Boiled Egg
• Cheddar Cheese
• Cucumbers
• Croutons 
• Strawberries
• Mandarin Oranges
• Fisher Dried Cranberries
• Fisher Chef’s Naturals Sliced Almonds
• Cilantro

That's right, it was all in there. To top it off, I found a quick and easy Raspberry Vinaigrette recipe from AllRecipes.com that was easy enough for even me to mix together. Just combine 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 cup seasoned rice vinegar and 1 (10 ounce) jar of seedless raspberry jam and blend until smooth!

All in all, it was hard for me to pause to take a picture before digging right in.

The next time you are looking to turn individual ingredients into a tasty salad, be sure to start with delicious fruits and veggies as well as yummy Fisher Nuts. And remember, for an added boost of inspiration, check out the great salad recipes right on their website to get started... or to get your mouth watering!

Thanks to the generosity of Fisher Nuts, one person will be prepared with the proper salad utensils and toppings, because...

One lucky person will win a Summer Salad Kit* from Fisher Nuts!

*Summer Salad Kit includes (1) package Fisher Chef’s Naturals Sliced Almonds, (1) package Fisher Chef’s Naturals Walnut Halves & Pieces, (1) package Fisher Dried Cranberries, (5) reusable produce bags, Salad dressing shaker, 8-quart stainless steel mixing bowl, and 11-inch salad tongs

(Enter with the Rafflecopter form below. If you have any questions or problems entering, there is a video tutorial found here that can help.)

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I am working with Fisher to create my own original salad recipe using Fisher Nuts and tools they provided. However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.