Mixed salad with warm bacon dressing and bacon waffles

Tonight I wanted salad, my teenager complains (somewhat jokingly) that we eat salad too much, but Momma loves salad and since Momma does all the cooking Momma cooks what she loves best!

My husband does not cook.  There are times when I would love to have one of those kitchen friendly hubbies that can come home and whip up dinner while I'm out running errands or at the gym after dinner.  I do not have one of those.  I resigned myself to this fact long ago.  Don't get me wrong, he loves food, and-if it came down to it-he would learn to provide for himself if the only other option was starvation, but he does not enjoy being in the kitchen.  Lucky for him, I do! 

In an effort not to create a mini Me of my husband I have always encouraged my six year old to join me in the process of cooking, I like to think that someday my future daughter in law will thank me.  Fortunately he enjoys it.  We pretend we are Collette and Remy and I speak to him with an outrageous French accent, he loves it, we laugh, we chop, we laugh some more.  Tonight was no exception:

My Sous Chef

Lest you think he does not enjoy his task this is, as Paulo would say, his "normal" face.  If you ask him what's wrong?  He'll tell you, quite exasperated, this is my normal face!  He was in charge tonight of shredding veggies for our big salad. 

To a bowl add whatever salad veggies peek your fancy.  Tonight we had spinach and red leaf lettuce tossed with shredded red cabbage, shredded carrot, chunks of heirloom tomatoes and a few cherry tomatoes tossed in for good measure, for a little extra sweet crunch I added diced yellow apple to the mix.

The dressing is very simple:

Bacon, finely diced, and cooked until crispy.  Remove from the pan and set on paper towel to drain, reserving 3 tablespoons of the grease.

Add 3-4 tablespoons of finely diced onion, I used white, red would be good, the original recipe called for shallots which I did not have on hand.

When the onions are soft and translucent, remove from the heat and add 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard and 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, whisk well to combine, season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm until you're ready to toss your salad.

Now, bacon waffles?  Yes, bacon waffles!  I was inspired by my latest Rachel Ray magazine, there is a special section about a back to school party that was put together for a gluten free kid.  In the mag she used the bacon waffles as sandwich bread, I loved that idea!  Prepare whatever waffle mix you are fond of, add the reserved cooked bacon to the mix and 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, mix well.  Heat your waffle iron and cook as usual.

Bacon, it's what's for dinner!

Now, I do not normally cook with so much pig, but tonight, I made an exception.  The salad dressing was great, just the right amount of sweet and savory, the bacon waffles were a big heat with all my boys-who all happen to love bacon.  I think if I can get the waffles crispy enough I will use them as a sandwich alternative for Paulo when he's back in school and still gluten free.

And, just for good measure, because I simply could not believe how pretty the loaf turned out:

I love, love, LOVE the honey oat bread from Ginger Lemon Girl!