Grilled Chicken Caesar - Panera Copycat

Hi! My name is Katie, and I am a Panera addict!

No, I am not kidding, I am there all the time. I have a real issue with it. Why am I addicted? Well, for starters they have awesome hot tea. I am a hot tea addict, I enjoy several cups a day. They have good iced tea, too. I am also an iced tea addict, unsweetened and lemon please. I tell my husband all the time I want to go to Panera so I can "guzzle" the tea.

Please be don't make fun of me too much, take it easy. I really do say "guzzle" when I refer to Panera's endless tea.

Next, their lovely muffins. Cranberry Orange anyone???? In case you are wondering, a lot of my blogging is done over one of these lovely muffins and some hot tea. That was until I saw the calorie count in the muffins...now you will find me just guzzling the tea. Sad, I know! Do you think I could sneak in my own lower calorie snacks????

If it is dinner time it is most definitely a pick two with the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad (I am working on that recipe folks). Broccoli Cheddar Soup or Frontega Chicken Panini accompanies the salad...it just depends on my mood, but I will never be seen without the Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.

I am on a frugal journey. I love this frugal journey, but it isn't always easy for me. In some ways the frugalness takes really hard work and discipline. Three things have been really hard for me (I am sure the list could go on and on)

1. Leftovers. That says it all. You can't be frugal and throw food out. Ouch, that is a hard one. I am not a leftover person. Ickkkky, but I am working on it. I really am...we had leftover macaroni and cheese with our dinner this week. I think it was the first time I have ever served leftovers with dinner. Honest!

2. Not throwing out those plastic containers you buy. You know, the kind that are "disposable", but you are supposed to wash them. For the first few years I was married, I really didn't grasp hold of that concept (I know, I shouldn't be admitting this one either). I would buy new ones all the time and didn't think anything of it. I wash them now, are you proud of me?

3. Eating out. Wow, this is a hard one. I LOVE eating out. I enjoy my trips to Panera, but I sure can blow through my personal money quickly...so, I am learning to make some of our favorites at home.

Here is a copycat Caesar salad, one of my husband's favorites at Panera. I found this recipe over at Prudence Pennywise...check her out, she posts some awesome recipes.

I am guessing that you could make the entire meal for four, for the cost of one dinner at Panera! Next time I will have to calculate the cost and see.

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
pinch of cayenne, if desired
(mix this up and let it sit for a few hours if you can)

Grilled Chicken Breasts (1 pound)
Romaine lettuce, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
Parmesan Cheese
Croutons

Oh, and if you really want to be like Panera, mix it all up in a bowl and then put on a plate. That just distributes the dressing all over, so that every peice of lettuce has a taste of dressing. Very important in my book!

Serves 4

Recipe Credit: Prudence Pennywise

This post is linked to Frugal Friday

Balsamic Vinaigrette

I have been on a real salad kick lately. That salad kick has born a new kick of homemade salad dressings. I love knowing what I am eating because really... who's heard of half of the ingredients on the back of the bottle.

There is also the flavor component. Homemade just tastes better and fresher, as it should. I thought I would share my favorite dressing...Balsamic Vinaigrette. Balsamic vinegar is something I just can't get enough of, it has such a great flavor.

This is just a good basic recipe to have in your recipe box! You do have a recipe box, don't you?

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Anyone else make homemade dressing? If so, please share your recipe with me...

This post is linked to Frugal Friday at www.lifeasmom.com

Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad

Last week while at Meijer, I spotted some beautiful strawberries! They were bright red and looked like they were bursting with flavor. Now, while I love strawberries, especially on a salad, I never buy them in the early spring.

You can probably figure out why...they are expensive! This year I have seen them significantly less expensive. I have been racking my brain to figure this out. I know my prices, and know this is unusual.

Last night on the news, my question was answered! Supposedly California and Florida's berries all ripened at the same time, so the market is flooded. I knew there had to be a reason for this.

Ok, on to the salad. This is really just something I threw together, but the dressing is what makes it...in my humble opinion. There are so many things you could do to this salad. You could serve it as just a side salad, change the fruit up, add chicken. It makes a nice light and easy dinner when you are on the run!

Here is what I put on my salads:
Baby Spinach
Bacon, cooked and diced
Strawberries
Gorgonzola Cheese
Pecans
Mushrooms

Honey Poppy Seed Vinaigrette
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons poppy seeds
dash of Worcestershire sauce

Put the dressing ingredients in a jar and shake it up. It is best to make it the morning of and let the flavors really come together.

The dressing yields 4 servings

This recipe is linked to Ultimate Recipe Swap at Life as Mom