Southwest Salads with Lime Vinaigrette

I noticed that pretty much anything is a hit around here if I offer it as a "Make your own" dinner.  They love to participate in the preperation and although I don't always enjoy the extra mess, it's definetely a way to encourage them to try out some new things.  I wasn't sure if it would fly with salad but it was a success and they actually asked for leftovers.  No complaints here! 

First, we took a trip to the Farmer's Market and the girls helped me pick out the fresh veggies.  We are just getting more produce from our garden as well so that helps if you can simply go to your backyard!  When we got home, I simply chopped up fresh peppers, tomatoes, lettuce, etc and put them out in a welcoming fashion.  The girls loved picking their veggies and dishing out their blackbeans.  We topped the salads with a homeade dressing that was a huge hit!

Lime Vinaigrette Recipe

1/2 cup packed cilantro

1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 cup lime juice

1/8 cup fresh orange juice, strained to remove pulp (I use this strainer)

1 minced fresh garlic clove

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and puree in food processor and chill.  Shake well before serving and enjoy!