New Favorite Salad

 A special friend passed away a week ago today and I was asked to furnish a salad for the luncheon after her memorial service...

 I thought about a broccoli salad but that seemed quite ordinary...so I started with that concept and tweaked it up a bit and the result is a keeper!

 After the hiatus from cooking because of the heat and humidity it seemed good to be in the kitchen once again!  And it was a pleasure to make this salad in honor of a special lady!

 Salad:

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

1 pound package of bow-tie pasta

1  1/4 pounds broccoli, separated into small pieces

1/2 cup red onion, diced

1/3 cup Raspberry Blush Vinegar, plus a little

2 cups red grapes, halved

1/3 cup sugar

1 cup dried cranberries, or a few more if desired 

1 cup Light Hellmann's Mayonnaise

1 pound bacon, cut into bite-size pieces, cooked and drained

Toast the pecans and set aside~

Prepare pasta according to package directions~ do not over-cook~

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, and sugar in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients (except the pecans & bacon).  Stir carefully but thoroughly and chill for 3-4 hours.

Shortly before serving add the toasted pecans and bacon.

Place in your favorite serving dish and enjoy~

Janice was a kind and talented lady and her legacy lives on. Someday I will share a candy recipe that I received from her many years ago!