Sunny Broccoli Salad!

1 bunch of broccoli
1/4 c. sunflower seeds-or less
1/2 c. raisins-or less
4 green onions-chopped
4 strips of bacon- crisp

Put all these ingredients in a large bowl, big enough to stir it all together.

Dressing:
1 c. mayo
1/3 c. sugar
2 Tbs. cider vinegar

Mix together dressing ingredients. Pour over other ingredients. Mix well and chill to allow to blend. The longer the better.

Broccoli Salad is always a food I think of when I think of the summer time. It goes well with any dish, and it is absolutely delicious. My mom got me hooked on this dish a long time ago as a way to get me to eat my vegetables.

Shopping for Sunny Salad
I never realize how little I know about cooking until I go try and buy the ingredients for my recipes. We all remember what happened with the strawberry cake. Let's just be glad I had taken my boyfriend with me to the grocery store. Green onions are not onions that are green, they are the skinny, tall onions that make little circles when you chop them up. Also, I had to call my mom on the phone to make sure that cider vinegar was the same thing as apple cider vinegar. I didn't want my salad apple flavored! Even though my boyfriend was telling me it was the same thing, I just had to make sure. Luckily, I already knew what mayonnaise, sugar, and raisins were.

Stirring Up Sunny Salad
I started off by putting all the broccoli into a giant mixing bowl. I suggest putting the broccoli into a big bowl because stirring the salad can get very messy. I then chopped up all four of the green onions and threw them into the bowl. I threw in more sunflower seeds than the recipe calls for and less raisins than the recipe calls for. I love sunflower seeds and I am not a huge raisin fan. I also added an extra strip of bacon because I really like the extra crunch the bacon adds. So, I didn't quite follow the exact recipe, but with this salad you can mix and match to go with the tastes that you like. While the bacon was cooking, I threw together the dressing. It really does not look very appetizing while you are mixing it together, but I promise it tastes great! After the dressing was ready I poured it all over the rest of the ingredients. Then I had to mix in the dressing really well to make sure it got all over the broccoli. This is where the big mixing bowl comes in handy. After your arm gets sore from stirring so much, it should be ready. The longer you let it sit in the refrigerator the better it will taste. It allows it to cool and allows the broccoli to absorb the dressing and the full flavors of all the ingredients. Once it has been in the refrigerator long enough to satisfy you, then enjoy your sunny salad!