Jars O' Salad

I was perusing Pinterest a week or two ago and came across pre-made salads in glass mason jars. I've been trying to watch what I eat and really tackle my weight loss goal (more on that later). So I went shopping over the weekend and bought a case of fake mason jars (Main Stays brand, $7.97 for a 12 pack at WalMart. The true Mason Jars were either $9.97 or $10.97 - I can't remember, but I couldn't come up with a good reason to pay more money for the same damn thing. So I didn't.) and LOADS of salad veggies. These were a ton of fun to create and have been super delicious ALL week long (the only thing that didn't hold up for more than a couple of days was the avocado). I'm totally going to keep this up and to help you join in on the fun, I've listed my salad creations below. They were all yummy, but I think my two favorites were the Pear Walnut & Southwest. Let me know what you think, or if you have any suggestions for new creations. I get bored w/ food very easily, so I'm always looking for new ideas.

It is VERY important to put the dressing on bottom and lettuce on top, so that the two never touch. Otherwise your lettuce will get all wilty and soggy. Gross. Stack the densest vegetables (onion, bell pepper, carrots, etc.) on bottom, working your way up to the lettuce. When you're ready to eat, dump the jar into a bowl so that the lettuce falls out and is topped with all of the veggies and the dressing pours over the top.

I stacked in this order:

WALNUT PEAR
Light Raspberry Walnut Vinaigrette Dressing (Newmann's Own)
Red Onion (these were almost like candy after soaking up the dressing)
Pear
Glazed Walnuts (you could use plain walnuts, but...why?)
Blue Cheese Crumbles (Light)
Spinach Leaves

SOUTHWEST
Mango Chipotle Dressing (Kraft)
Shredded Carrots
Red Onion
Bell Pepper (I actually sliced up some of the mini sweet peppers)
Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half)
Black Olives
Grilled Chicken (1/2 of a breast)
Avocado
Black Beans (drained well)
Corn
Romaine Lettuce
*I had some seasoned tortilla strips that I packed separately and sprinkled on top right before eating. YUMMMMMMY!

ASIAN
Toasted Sesame Dressing (I think I used Kraft, but I can't remember. Just use your favorite Asian style dressing.)
Sugar Snap Peas
Shredded Cabbage & Carrots
Water Chestnuts
Baby Corn
Bean Sprouts
Field Greens
*This salad was very tasty, but I felt like it could have used some more substance. It didn't fill me up for very long. Suggestions?

COBB
Light Honey Mustard Dressing (Newmann's Own)
Shredded Carrots
Cucumber
Tomato
Black Olives
Grilled Chicken (1/2 a breast)
Avocado
Hard boiled egg
Field Greens

SHRIMP & SPINACH
Lemon Slices
Brown Rice Penne Pasta
Baby Shrimp
Cherry Tomatoes (cut in half)
Spinach Leaves
*I use the lemon slices as my dressing. This is a pretty light salad, but super delicious. If you prefer an actual dressing, just substitute for whatever you like.
**So it turns out this is NOT a good salad for the jars. I forgot that I like my pasta warm and that's hard to do when it's all packed together.

Some salads I'm going to try next time, and will let you know how they turn out:

Ceasar - Ceasar dressing, Chicken Breast, Tomatoes, Lemon Slices, Romaine, Shredded Parm, Croutons
Olive Garden Salad - Italian Dressing, Red Onion, Pepperonchinis, Black Olives, Tomatoes, and Iceburg
Caprese - Balsamic Vinaigrette, Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese Balls, Basil, Spinach