The Ballard Bunch

"Summer, Summer, Summertime."

I'm craving salads lately - bring on the warmer weather!

This is my latest favorite (made as my contribution at Shantell's birthday party last week) - seven layer salad. I'm sure you all have your own variation of this that you love, but I'll share mine just in case. Thanks, Shanna, for the recipe!

* Lettuce (I chop up iceberg and romaine)
* Peas (a frozen bag, thawed0
* Olives (I dump them in whole - they somehow taste better that way to me)
* Red Onion (sliced thick or thin depending on your preference)
* Cucumbers (peeled and sliced)
* Dressing (a deadly combo of a Hidden Valley Ranch packet, a 16 oz container of sour cream and a brick of cream cheese)
* Cheese (I use swiss for one layer and mozarella for another - variation!)
* Bacon Pieces (I'm not a fan of "Bacos" or whatever they are called - I get the real bacon pieces that are in the condiment section of the grocery store)

Really, there are eight layers and they get doubled up as you build the salad, but you get the idea.

I start w/ a layer of lettuce, 1/2 the peas, 1/2 the olives, 1/2 the onions, 1/2 the cucumbers, 1/2 the dressing spread over the entire salad top, swiss cheese and then start again (skip the bacon until the very top - it'll get soggy and gross otherwise). Complete a second layer using the rest of your supplies and enjoy!