Girard’s goodies

Would you believe it?  I have ANOTHER giveaway for you guys!

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Most San Francisco natives are probably familiar with Girard’s dressings.  I grew up with them in the fridge, and have always associated them with some of the most delicious salads.  Before I was dairy free, their Caesar dressing was pretty integral in my diet.

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to receive a package of Girard’s goodies in the mail.

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  • Light Champagne (two bottles)
  • Olde Venice Italian (two bottles)
  • Apron
  • Eco-friendly bamboo utensil kit
  • Cotton tote bag
  • Recipe card holder
  • Soap holder
  • Girard’s recipe booklet

Truth be told, when I was first contacted about trying their dressings (over a month ago!), I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure what the ingredient list looked like.

After browsing their products online, I decided to pass on the opportunity.  But then they offered to send me a package of vegan, HFCS-free dressings made to my specifications.  Well, shoot!  Talk about a wonderful chance to give the company feedback about what a healthy hippie wants to dress her salad with!  I decided to go for it.

 

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There are still things I’m not thrilled about (msg for one), but I won’t deny their new recipe is an improvement.

Worth noting is the fact that the Olde Venice Italian and Light Champagne are gluten free, sweetened with sugar and molasses, and have lower sodium than their former versions.

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Since I’ve been in the elimination phase of FODMAPS, Kyle has been the official taste tester.

Here’s one of his recent lunches:

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What does he bring to school?

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Salad with a side of Girard’s Light Champagne dressing.  [We are different because I prefer to pre-dress my salads the night before, but he doesn’t like soggy lettuce and takes the dressing in a separate tupperware]

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Spinach, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, avocado, almonds, with salt and pepper on top.

Want to win your own Girard’s goodies?  You can win the exact same package as mine (see contents above) by leaving a comment below sharing your answers to the following questions about salad preferences:

  • lettuce – spinach, kale, romaine, iceberg or other? (so hard to pick!)
  • avocado – yeah or nay? (I may judge you for saying nay)
  • most unique topping you can think of (vegan or not, I wanna know what you randomly enjoy be it Manchego cheese, olives, or roasted bell peppers)

I’ll pick a winner at random on Wednesday, October 5th.  Answer as many questions as you want.  The more comments, the more entries…so get going!

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Comments (105)

  1. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

    I LOVE Girards!!!!

    lettuce = romaine or kale or TJ’s mixes

  2. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

    avo = YAY for sure
    and in raw vegan choc mousse is the best way to eat them 🙂

  3. Averie @ Love Veggies and Yoga

    most unique topping you can think of = sometimes I put popcorn on my salads. A vegan and GF version of “croutons” I’d like to think 🙂

  4. Hilary

    I love romaine and spinach mixed together for salads!

    Avocado is def a yay!

    I like putting cold plain pasta on my salads.

  5. sarah

    Umm, I don’t like leaves very much, so I tend to go with lettuce-less salads, chock fulla other veggies.
    Avocado for the win!
    I love wheatberries in salads and roasted , salty pepitas for a toppings:)

  6. Jes

    Definitely like avocado and black beans. Avocado is the bee’s knees!!

  7. Kimberly

    Lettuce=Spinach…I love spinach!
    Avocado=YES!
    Topping=I like to put leftover dinners on my salads, like a casserole, roasted root veggies, spaghetti!

  8. kena houston

    I love kale salads…so yummy. Yes, on avocado…and i love to top my salads with jalapenos, chickpeas, and cottage cheese.

  9. Kerryne

    Lettuce…. my fav is the butter blend. Super sweet and soft. Love. I also like to throw some spinach in but that doesn’t always agree with my tummy 🙂

  10. Kerryne

    Avocado? Ummmm… can I get a hell yes! Love it. On everything and anything.

  11. Kerryne

    I will put almost anything on a salad. I love a good greek salad though with olives, feta and sometimes even sun dried tomatoes. Banana peppers are yum too! Pasta, crackers, Quinoa, you name it. Mmmmmm

  12. Mary

    Spinach is my favorite.
    Avocado:yeah!!!
    Toasted sesame seeds are my favorite topping.

  13. Kat

    Salad = for a mixed salad, spinach for sure. I do love a good massaged kale salad, but I usually keep those super simple (aka just kale).
    Avocado = always, forever.
    Toppings = I’m a big fan of jalapeno, brown rice, and raw garlic (people get really grossed out by it, but it’s one of the perks of being in a long distance relationship!)

  14. coldandsleepy

    What a tasty looking salad! I’ve never heard about Girard’s before but I’m not a big dressing eater and I’m from the east coast… so this is not surprising really.

    Lettuce – baby spinach all the way. I really hate iceberg (except on sandwiches, occasionally) and romaine’s okay but I’m not going out of my way for it.

    Avocado is an obvious yay! I may be from the east coast originally but after 5 years in California, if I don’t get avocado in my blood stream every couple of days I go BERSERK.

    Unique toppings: my mom would always soak croutons in salad dressing over night and then put them on top of salad the next day. This sounds horrible (mushy croutons?!) but is actually really delicious in a super decadent way.

  15. hipveganchic

    Spinach!
    Avocado is so a YEY!
    and the best topping is warm roasted veggies (eggplant, red peppers, onions, etc)!

  16. Melody

    lettuce – definitely spinach! The other greens are 90% water but spinach has some great stuff in it for your body.

  17. Melody

    avocado – YAY YAY YAY. Favorite sald ingredient ever other than a whole lot of balsamic vinegar.

  18. Melody

    most unique topping you can think of – I love artichokes and palm hearts in my salads!

  19. Stephanie

    I’m your typical romaine kind of girl.

    Avocado is a MUST on my salads. I have noticed that in the past month, my avocados haven’t tasted as good as they did in June. So sad…

    Most unique salad topping? I had some leftover pizza from the previous night’s dinner hanging out in the fridge. I knew I might never eat it, but my salad was bare and empty so I decided to cut the cold, sauceless pizza and throw it in. Cold, seasoned croutons. Best idea ever.

  20. Katherine

    lettuce – I like a mix of romaine and baby spinach
    avocado – definitely yeah!
    most unique topping you can think of (vegan or not): I really love hearts of palm, pickled green tomatoes from my local farmer’s market, roasted fennel, and I’ve been loving tahini as dressing lately

  21. Leanne @ The Skinny Architect

    I’m always looking for a new dressing (I currently make my own)! Maybe this one is it!

    My answers:
    lettuce – butter lettuce, hands down. Best Lettuce Ever. Or, baby romaine!

  22. Katie

    Hmm i’ll go –
    arugula – yes. avocado – hells yeah. and most interesting i’d say is sauteed veggies – or lightly breaded artichokes… mmm hummus too!

  23. Leanne @ The Skinny Architect

    Avocado – absolutely. That is one of my summer toppings. It’s also quite good if you whisk some avocado with oil and vinegar to make a creamy dressing without added fat.

  24. Leanne @ The Skinny Architect

    Most unique topping: It’s more of a combination: baked teriyaki (sp?) tofu, vinegar infused beets, and kalamata olives. Bonus if you get all three in one bite!

  25. Sarah

    I like spinach and a baby greens mix, even some romaine thrown in there for crunch. Most inportant thing is that greens to toppings ration has to be three to one.

    Avocado, I’d prefer it mashed up on some toast on the side rather than in the salad (although I do like guac on a salad, just not chuncks of avocado)

    Hmm. Best/strangest toppings? Crumbled up veggie burgers, taboulli, any kind of bean, and beets.

  26. Rosie

    SPINACH or kale, LOVE avocado.
    and cottage cheese on top!

  27. Jen G.

    I love to get a mix of greens from the grocery, although when I’m at a restaurant, I love the chance to eat iceberg. (I can’t justify bringing it home from the grocery, but it takes me back to childhood!) And avocado — yay! I’ve got a sweet tooth, so I love fruit and nut toppings on my salads.

  28. Dana H

    I love everything but the kitchen sink! If its a vegetable, I most likely want it in my salad. And definitely YAY on avacado! Num!! 🙂

  29. Jenny

    I have a spinach obsession, but I often invite romaine and kale to the party, too. Avocado is my bff, we hang out together, like, every day. As for unique salad toppings, sometimes I throw kale chips on top for a salty crunch (I used to use tortilla chips for this, but kale is better).

  30. Roberta

    Spinach and definitely avocado. I love veggies of all sort on my salad but one of my favorites is to carmelize onions in olive oil, add mushrooms, and then add balsamic vinegar. While it is still warm, I dump it on the rest of the salad, and stir really well to coat everything and eat it without adding any further dressing.

  31. bebe

    Spinach, avacado, black beans, and salsa….. that’s my kind of salad.

  32. Lindsay Loves Veggies

    Generally, I do spring mix salads, since it’s quick and easy. I absolutely love avocado, although my boyfriend shudders everytime I eat it. 🙂
    My favorite random salad topper would have to be artichoke hearts. I adore them. I haven’t had them in the house in a while, but last year I went through one of those HUGE jars of them. It was wonderful.

  33. erin

    first off, i want to say that i absolutely love your blog! i’m currently a uws resident, but lived in the bay area for 4 years prior, so i like a lot of your references. i eat salad in some form most days. i love using steamed kale and collards as a base, but a lot of the time i go for romaine. avocado=yay on everything! i love mixing in rehydrated seaweed, sunshine burgers, miso paste, tahini…pretty much anything can be worked into salad

  34. Rebecca

    My greens choice is usually spinach, but it also depends on what I get in my CSA box (could be mixed greens, romaine or red-leaf lettuce, arugula, etc.). Sometimes I like to mix up a bunch of kale salad, too, since it can sit and won’t get soggy.
    Avocado is always a yeah, but I don’t always have one on hand!
    It’s not that unique, but I’ve been putting dried figs on my salads a lot lately.

  35. megan

    I have to say I like romaine the best… but when i was anemic spinach salads were my salde of choice… I like a little avocado.. but sometimes i cant handle how creamy it is.. sooo many textures… also i like to put pickles on my salad… like cut up dill pickles.. i have also been known to use the juice as part of the dressing… !

  36. TwoFacedChef

    Spinach, avocado (always!) and sunflower seeds

  37. dana

    •lettuce – spinach or kale or butter lettuce sometimes
    •avocado – yeah yeah yeah
    •roasted veggies/fruit and goat or feta make delicious salad toppings

  38. Jessica

    spinach
    avocado – definitely YAY!
    salsa – love it as a dressing!

  39. katie

    -kale
    -DEF avocado! its a new fav of mine!
    -i like making “cheeseburger” salads- a burger patty, cheese, pickles, ketchup mustard, etc

  40. Ashley @ Freckles & Spice

    I really like to mix my greens. Spinach + Romaine or Spinach + Arugula. Steamed kale for hot salads

  41. Ashley @ Freckles & Spice

    Avocado is always a yes!

  42. Ashley @ Freckles & Spice

    I like to mix hot and cold. So having warm roasted or steamed veggies on my salad some people find weird. I also really like the cumin spiced soybeans from TJ’s. I’ve been on a beet kick lately too.

  43. Nancy

    Lettuce – mixed greens
    Avocado? – yes
    Unique topping – almost any leftovers that taste good cold (mac ‘n’ cheeze, etc.)

  44. Daniela

    You have to have spinach, baby spinach! oh yeah!

  45. Clare

    I LOVE Girards! I’d never heard of them before, but recently moved to the Bay Area, and can’t get enough (the Light Champagne is my favorite!)
    Now, to the salad: I’m all about the spinach; Avocado is a MUST; for something unique – I’ll pretty much eat anything on salad, but to pick one, I’d go with cottage cheese!

  46. alain

    I am ALL about the kale baby! it soaks up dressing so well without getting soggy. it just absorbs and softens, which makes it a great lunch choice if you’re packing a day or two early.

  47. alain

    oh man…..avocado is one of those things that I can’t imagine people not liking. It is nature’s butter therefore I slather it on everything! Weirdest thing i have ever put it on must be ice cream and it was dang good!

  48. Mariya

    I like crunchy Romaine but spinach comes in a close second.

  49. Mariya

    I would NEVER pass up avocado for anything 😀

  50. Mariya

    In place of dressing I like to dump hummus on my salads~

  51. alain

    I LOVE topping my salad with a korean kimchi pancake. I make a big tub of kimchi, let it do it’s ferment thang and then mix it in with some socca batter (chickpea flour and water) and fry it up in a pan with some coconut oil. it’s crunchy on the bottom and so dang flavorful and carby.

  52. Jen

    avocado = of course!! i get excited when we’ve got avo in the house for a salad or sandwich.

  53. Jen

    My favorite green is spinach, definitely.

  54. Fran

    1. Kale!
    2. Avocado – Yay!
    3. Dried cranberries!
    😀

  55. Jeri

    1. definitely spinach or arugula!
    2. depends on my mood, but yay most of the time!
    3. hmm, unique? well i love sweet potato on my salads! seriously, go try it because its amazing!

  56. julie

    ettuce – spinach, kale, romaine, iceberg or other? right now i hate the color green. wah 🙁 but if i had to choose at the moment i’d go KALE!

  57. julie

    avocado – yeah or nay? YAY!

  58. julie

    most unique topping you can think of. mmm right now pumpernickle pretzels! haha

  59. Yalanda

    Spinach is my favorite ‘lettuce’ hands down! But as of late, I have been steaming kale and using that too!!! (Also love making Kale chips, little olive oil and sea salt and into the oven). I love cutting up apples and red onion on my salads. Perfect blend of sweet and savory. Avacado. I. LOVE. AVACADO. Love it.

  60. Brigid

    I either like really crisp lettuces (such as romaine) or really soft (such as butter lettuce), depending on the toppings and my mood. Avocado is a heck yes! Radishes are probably my favorite slightly unusual salad topper.

  61. Jennifer@knackfornutrition

    Spinach and romaine mixed together for the base…

  62. Jennifer@knackfornutrition

    …the more avocado the better!

  63. Jennifer@knackfornutrition

    And the weirdest topping I suppose would be nutritional yeast. I love the stuff!

  64. Daniela

    Avocado of course. Slice and add it or make guacamole and mixed in the salad. Trader Joe’s has a guacamole and hummus dip that I sometimes add to the salad when I’m feeling to lazy to make guac.

  65. Daniela

    random topping would be pickles.. I love pickles. or lots beans or chili mix it and remember some guac. so yummy.

  66. Daniela

    i prefer the 50/50 mixes like baby spinach and spring mix it’s perfect for an indecisive person like me.

  67. Kate

    I love arugula, avocado definitely a yay and I love a veggie burger with a huge hunk of hummus on top!

  68. Dianna

    Arugula, an obscene amount of avocado and some tempeh to mix it up!

  69. Clare @ Fitting It All In

    spinach, yes to avocado, and I love roasted sweet potatoes on my salads!

  70. Missy

    Spinach, LOTS of avocado, and a few falafel balls!

  71. jules

    I like a mixed salad with as many different types as possible and of course I love avocado! On top I like to sprinkle nuts, especially cashews, and dried tomatoes.

  72. Kaitlyn@TheTieDyeFiles

    Ooh fun!

    1. Romaine+spinach. Gotta have a mix.
    2. HELL YES.
    3. Frank’s Red Hot. YUM! And banana peppers.

  73. Danielle J

    Spinach
    Huge yay to avocado! 😀
    I’m a big fan of scrambled egg whites on my salads

  74. Meghan

    Leaf lettuce, spinach, romaine with avocado, apple, pecans, dried crans and a dijon dressing.

  75. Megan

    Spinach, avocado (more is better!), and something crunchy like nuts

  76. Courtney

    “Before I was dairy free, their Caesar dressing was pretty integral in my diet.”
    Me too! And I am not even from CA…we had it in good old MN 🙂 SO delicious…
    Courtney

  77. Courtney

    Oh! I forgot to answer the questions…Lettuce? My default is romaine, but I love kale too!

    Courtney

  78. Courtney

    Promise you won’t judge me? I know you will…but…NAY on the avocado. I keep trying it hoping to like it, but I really just don’t. I don’t mind it blended into something where you can’t taste it, but then that doesn’t really count… 😉

  79. Courtney

    Odd toppings? Hmmm…I have done pickles, salsa, hummus, TVP, soup (yes–soup! it is actually pretty good if it is a thick lentil/bean soup…nice mix of hot and cold and crunchy and cooked), dry roasted edamame, chili, nutritional yeast (duh), veggie burgers, sauerkraut (obviously, not all of those together/at once)…really anything goes with me!

    Courtney

  80. Elaine

    what a cool giveaway! i’ve never heard of this brand.

    it’s a toss-up between spinach and romaine, preferably both if i’ve got them!

  81. Elaine

    and avocado is an absolute, HECK YES. some days it could substitute for the dressing itself!

  82. Melissa

    Definitely spinach, so tasty and nutritious. As for avocado, I’ve never had it before, so I cannot say yay or nay. It does seem interesting though. A unique ingredient I like to add is mandarin oranges! Yum!

  83. Elaine

    i’m not super creative on toppings, so i imagine mine are pretty typical. start with spinach/romaine mix and go from there. my favorite would be either one with feta and tomatoes or a taco salad…both with lots of avocado of course!

  84. Kelsey

    for greens I’d have to say kale. but really it’s all good!

  85. Kelsey

    yay for avocado!

  86. Kelsey

    as for unique toppings, I looovee steamed peas in a salad.

  87. Lindsey F.

    lettuce- all of the above adding in arugula

    Hell YES Avacado- and all of the people’s who opt out of it

    Unique Topping- anything goes for me; cinnamon, marinara sauce, eggs, freeze dried blueberries, you name it ill try it on a salad 🙂

  88. Michelle

    Green = spinach. Avocado = YES! Topping = plain steel cut oats (sounds gross, but way underrated)

  89. BroccoliHut

    Spinach
    Yay for avocado!
    Wasabi peas!

  90. Kamaile

    Spinach and avocado fo’ sure!
    I like sesame sticks & toasted walnuts on my salad.

  91. Jackie W.

    Iceburg and avocado! And I love grapes!

  92. Ellie

    Kale for roasting, but spinach for regular salads please!

  93. Ellie

    Is there anyone in the world who does not like avocado?

  94. Ellie

    This might not be interesting, but I like to put humus and tabouli on my salads to bulk them up.

  95. M

    spinach, avocado – yeah!, and i like plum chutney on my salads!

  96. Sayward

    lettuce – other: red leaf!
    avocado – YES
    most unique topping you can think of – kimchi

  97. Cari

    I love spinach and kale!

  98. Cari

    definitely a YES to avocado :)– great with sriracha!

  99. Cari

    my most unique topping? hmmm… i often like to get creative with my salads– wasabi peas are great, and strawberries are a great compliment to avocado in a salad! I also really like some spicy roasted broccoli and crumbled falafel on a salad :).

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  101. Haley

    spinach – that was an easy decision
    avocado – yes, yes, yes
    most unique topping you can think of: my leftover dinner or a dressing made out of hummus and fancy salsa mixed together (i’m not that creative here, but it is usually good!)

  102. Yin

    I’ve never put kale in my salad so I would go with that.

  103. Yin

    Avocado is a must 😉

  104. Yin

    Most unique topping? Kiwi. Not going to lie, it was pretty good 😛

  105. Finadoodle

    Prepare to judge. I say nay to avocado! Nay I tell you! There’s nothing you can do to stop me!
    ….Okay, fine, that was just to be difficult. Avocados are the bomb diggity, but I’m not crazy about them in salads. Something about the way the lettuce sticks to it, and you bite in expecting crunch, but instead get mush. Delicious mush, but offputting.
    When it comes to greens, I’m happy with a variety of anything, especially if spinach makes an appearance. Except iceberg. I have a personal vendetta against iceberg lettuce.
    Current salad addiction: greens+beets+apples+roasted almonds+quinoa+MAD veggies+balsamic vinegar/mustard/chia gel dressing. Not that out there, BUT OH MY GOODNESS SO YUMMY and perfect for autumn. Throw some squash or pumpkin in there, and you might go into a taste bud satisfaction induced coma. Be warned.

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