Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad

This salad has been a staple at our family parties for YEARS. I'm not sure where my mom found it, but it's seriously one of my most favorite things on this planet. And there are so many variations and things you can add or change about it to make it yours. Normally I add cashews and craisins, but I didn't have either of those things and it tastes perfectly yummy without them. I love a good, versatile recipe! (I'm eating it as I type this. I may have to go get me a second bowl. Good thing it's veggies!)

Ingredients:

Broccoli
Cauliflower
Bacon
Mayonaise
Vinegar
Sugar

Optional:

Cashews
Craisins

Directions:

Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Place the strips of bacon on the foil and put in the oven. Turn heat on to 400º. (Don't turn the heat on until the bacon is in the oven.) Let it bake for 17-20 minutes, checking on it during the last few minutes to make sure it doesn't burn. When it's done, put the bacon on a plate covered in a paper towel to soak up the fat. When it's cooled, crumble the bacon up.

While the bacon is baking, chop your broccoli and cauliflower and put it in a bowl. Add your cashews, craisins or any other things you'd like to throw in there.

For the dressing:  Mix together the mayo, vinegar and sugar. I've never measured any of these things, I just add them to taste. If you like it more vinegar-y, add more of that. Start small and add more of each ingredient until you get the taste you like and amount you need. You don't want to soak the salad, but give it a thin coating. Trust me, you don't want to soak it. :S

Once the bacon is cooled and crumbled, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, then add some dressing and toss it all together. Add the dressing a little at a time until you get what you want in there.

And you're done!