Apple Pecan Cranberry Salad with Pumpkin Maple Dressing

Have there been moments in your life when there has been an incredibly difficult situation, such as the loss of a job or maybe even the loss of your home, that ended up leading you to a better job or a better home? Maybe a financial hardship that seemed impossible to get out of that led to a new way of life that suits you better? 

Blessings are easy to spot when our prayers are instantly answered, like when we’re running late and we pray that the line at our favorite coffee shop isn’t too long, and when we arrive, the line is empty. Or when we pray for a close parking spot at Fred Meyer because it’s pouring outside and a front row spot opens up just as we pull in. But what about those moments when things don’t go our way? When we encounter a hardship of one form or another? It’s easy to feel sad and confused, wondering why this challenging time is happening in our lives, and oftentimes the last thing we want to do is look for the blessing in an otherwise unfavorable situation, But there’s always a blessing in there somewhere, even in the darkest of times. 

I’d love to suggest that we all take a little extra time this Thanksgiving to think of all the blessings that have come into our lives this year, both big and small, because the easiest way to attract more blessings in our lives is to acknowledge all of the good things we already have going on by celebrating them. Whether we share them out loud, write them down in a journal or simply sit quietly and think of all the blessings that have come our way, when we acknowledge, encourage and praise the blessings we have already been given, we undoubtedly attract even more blessings into our lives. 

Apple Pecan Cranberry Salad

Ingredients:

5 ounces spring mix lettuce

1 honey crisp apple, thinly sliced

1/3 cup candied pecans 

1/3 cup dried cranberries 

1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

Pumpkin Maple Dressing 

Ingredients:

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/2 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup pure maple syrup

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 

1 tablespoons honey

1 cup olive oil

Directions:

Combine all ingredients, except the oil, in a blender and process on purée until well blended. With the blender on low, drizzle in the oil and process until the dressing is homogenous. Pour into a lidded, glass container and refrigerate until ready to use. Stir or shake well before each use. Enjoy! The dressing will keep up to seven days.