I swiped this recipe from Julie at The Sporadic Cook. I made it at Thanksgiving but we ate it up so fast I didn’t get any pictures then. The small Super Bowl gathering we had was a good excuse to make it again.

The nuts should be easy to make, but I have a confession – for some reason I can’t seem to carmelize nuts properly. Instead of the butter and sugar turning into a smooth, yummy coating for the nuts, it just clumps and then begins to separate. I don’t know why this is, and if anybody can help me out, please give me some hints! I’m sure this step will go well for you though, so don’t hesitate to try. It really is supposed to be easy!

For the nuts you’ll need:

2 cups pecans
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet and add the sugar and spices. Stir over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add the pecans and stir about 4 min. over medium heat. Pour them out onto a cutting board lined with wax paper and sprinkle them with sugar to make them sparkly.

To make the dressing you’ll need:

1/4 cup apple juice
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 Tbs. brown sugar
2 Tbs. dijon mustard
3/4 cup oil
2 Tbs. poppy seeds (I left these out)

Mix all the ingredients together and pour over the salad just before serving.

Now for the actual salad:

bag of baby spinach
2 apples, chopped and mixed with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from browning
1 cup chopped celery

Put it all together and turn yourself around – I mean toss the salad – and enjoy!