Peach-Pecan Vinaigrette…and Hot Rocks!
Admittedly, it’s a bizarre title for a post. But I assure you it makes total sense. 
So today is officially the first day of summer, which means that we all have one thing on our minds – SALADS. Ok, maybe not. 
But I bet we’re all eating a lot more of them than we were in the cold of winter, right?
I am not usually one to whip up exciting, impressive salad dressings; most of the time I’d rather put my effort into the non-liquid components and then just squirt some olive oil, vinegar, agave, or thinned-out hummus on top. But ’tis the season for main-meal salads, so giving due attention to all of the parts seems a bit more necessary.
A few days ago I entered the world of homemade salad dressings with this.
Peach-Pecan Vinaigrette! If you’re into fruity salad dressings, this one is a winner! As the name implies, it’s just a mix of pecans, peaches, water, and red wine vinegar.
Given a quick whirl in the food processor.
Ta-Da!
Served atop a very colorful mixture of greens, cherry tomatoes, yellow bell peppers, carrots, cooked sweet potato, and golden raisins.
Peach-Pecan Vinaigrette
Inspired by the latest Whole Foods Market flier
Serves 6-8
Ingredients
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup chopped peaches (I used thawed, frozen ones since fresh aren’t in season yet)
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Puree all ingredients in a food professor or heavy-duty blender until smooth. Add more or less water, depending on how thick or thin you like your dressing.
Easy as pie! Well, actually, significantly easier than pie! 
And now onto the Hot Rocks! This weekend I had the absolute pleasure of meeting up with my old friends Beth and Barbara for dinner. You may remember Beth from the Broad Street 10-Miler, but I hadn’t seen Barbara in years! We actually got back in touch after she came across this little blog I’ve got going here. Barbara, if you’re reading, it was so great to see you!!! 
We dined at the White Rose Bar & Grill in my hometown of York, PA, where I ordered something a tad bit bizarre. 
It was from the “Hot Rock” menu, which apparently means cooking on “volcanic stones.” The stone is heated in an oven for 6-8 hours, and then you literally just cook your food on it at the table.
I ordered some jumbo scallops and shrimp.
Here’s the hot rock, which I first sprinkled with salt to keep the seafood from sticking.
It was good, but I honestly don’t think I’d order it again…merely because when I eat at a restaurant, I want them to do the cooking for me! Ha!
The three of us also split an order of crab fries, which were ridiculously good.
And this slice of peanut butter-chocolate love.
Obviously all of this food was divine, but I will be the first to admit that I went a little overboard. How do I know? Because my body was physically uncomfortable afterward. 
I haven’t felt like that in a long time, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant. I suppose it was my body’s way of reminding me that such decadence should be a special indulgence rather than a regular occurrence. Thanks for the nudge, body!
Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Now it’s back to the grind!
What’s your favorite salad dressing? Do you usually buy it pre-made or make your own?
AND
Does your body ever tell you when you’ve overdone it a bit at a restaurant? How do you deal?
Themocracy
I know when I stand up and I feel like I have a food baby in my belly….and it’s just uncomfortable. Such a terrible feeling…..
I love sesame dressings! I usually buy them, but I’ve been trying to make my own as of late. Your dressing sounds delicious, btw!
I hate that uncomfortably full feeling. I had that feeling after my graduation dinner at Fogo De Chao. I thought I’d never eat again!
I thought the hot rocks was going to be a hot rock massage- I’d love to try one of those, but never have.
I wish it had been a hot rocks massage!!!
wow that dressing looks amazing!
Ugh, I hate that feeling. I try hard to avoid it but every so often I still get it. I find that for me I normally indulge too quickly. So if there is a bread basket and I’m hungry, I eat too many pieces. Or if there is an appetizer, I eat too much. Then when the meal comes I’m already satisfied, so anything I eat is now too much. I am definitely in need of working on this!
I often do the same thing with the bread basket, for sure!
I TOTALLY know what you mean about ‘feeling’ the cake..I felt that way after eating the sunday on my bday after lunch! Too much food..and too much sugar!
Of course, I made my bday cake, so it was very low sugar..and it didn’t make me feel yuck!
Thanks so much for the salad dressing recipe! I’ve been trying to come up with good, homemade salad dressing ideas. I’m a slave to the store-bought version (usually Newman’s Own), but I really want to start making my own. This will be a great way to start!! Also, my body definitely does tell me when I’ve had too much, especially in the sugar/butter department. I feel lethargic and uncomfortable. It’s just a reminder, though… like you said… that those should be treats… not the norm. Good point.
That sounds like an awesome dressing recipe! I usually don’t put much effort into salad dressings but I wish I did because they can really make such a difference. I once made an amazing orange and balsamic dressing but I can’t remember what I put in it!
That overly full feeling is the worst! I usually deal by drinking water and taking it easy for the rest of the night, and then just return to normal eating the next day with tons of veggies and clean eats.
That salad dressing looks so good! I love it that it would have so much added extra good fats and protein from the nuts!
I had that feeling TWICE this weekend – hence my post on sugar last night. Yeah – I will get there with it. When I do those things and then feel that way my body is obviously out of whack somewhere! So I step back, take a deep breath & get to work figuring it out : )
Those crab fries look crazy good!
That’s a fabulous sounding salad dressing!
I normally just feel a bit too full and sick, but just accept it and move on 
tomorrow’s another day!
My favourite sort is some kind of balsamic/agave combinatio, but to be fair, I’ve never really tried many. Yours does sound lovely though!
Gah, I hate it when I’ve overdone it at a restaurant
That salad dressing looks amazing, I am definitely going to try making it. One of my goals this summer is to make my own dressing. I have been bothered by all of the ingredients in prepared dressings and the price of the more natural ones!
I know! It costs an arm and a leg to buy a dressing that isn’t filled with frighteningly long ingredient lists!
Thanks for that creative salad dressing. I have some peaches in the freezer, think I will try that today!
I hate that feeling of being over-full, and I have to admit, it has happened too often recently.
i’m already planning on how to utilize that dressing soon
what a fabulous combination! as fr dealing with eating too much out, i’ve lately just been telling myself “there’s nothing you can do about it now, but you can change the rest of your day/week” – it’s been helping!
I know EXACTLY what you mean about knowing when you overdid it. I’ve always been a big eater so I used to get that feeling a lot (where you can barely stand up and walk upright b/c your tummy is so full) but now I try to avoid it all costs. It still happens occasionally though and you’re right, it’s a good reminder from your body!
I actually have never made my own dressing although it certainly seems SO much healthier for oyu. I try to stick to newmans own salad dressings.
I got a salad dressing maker for my birthday from WIlliams Sonoma that I still haven’t used! Those crab fries, OMG do I wanna try those.
I used to get SO amused when i had a “food baby”. i’d lie down on the sofa and blow my tummy up so high i could pass as being 9 months pregnant. it used to amuse me SO much!!!
that peice of cake looks absolutely BLOODY amazing, and so does the salad…maybe not equally though
xx
Hahaha I am cracking up right now at the thought of a “food baby.” That is definitely what I had going on that night!!!
This looks like a great, easy dressing recipe! Like you, I rarely make my own dressing, unless it’s called for in a recipe.
My absolute favorite dressing is Galeo’s Miso Sesame dressing. I’ve tried many dressings, and this is by FAR the best! It’s actually used by restaurants! I order it by the case and probably pour it on top of 90% of my greens.
Your restaurant meal looks like it was fun, delicious and interactive! I’ve definitely experienced overly full/uncomfortable syndrome after a meal…I usually find that a nice, slow stroll does the trick.
Have a great day!
The peach vinegarette sounds WONDERFUL! I am definitely trying that! Not difficult, either! Bonus! And CRAB fries?! Holy moly. I think that’s the best sounding food I’ve seen in blogland in quite some time. I LOVE crab! My body definitely gripes at me after over-doing it. It doesn’t take much sometimes if something is really rich, either!
Okay, it seriously cracks me up to hear you talk about York! I am typing this from my parents place in good old York. I LOVE White Rose. It has definitely become a bit to bar-ish in the past year (remember the old days when the main dining room was picnic-esque and you could actually get a table on Friday night?), but I love the hot rock! I’ve never actually ordered it myself but enjoy watching other people try and cook their food. Plus, it seems like a healthy alternative for anything in York. But obviously, their fries are a must. And so is the crab dip. Be still my heart.
Ohhhhh I’ve never had the crab dip! I’m sure it’s amazing!
We need to plan a blogger meet-up!!
but how could u not go overboard! that looks incredibly YUMzzzz <3
one of my fav things to make homemade is dressing- i find that homemade dressings almost always taste betetr than anything sold in a store. plus the fact that u have control of how much or little flavor u want is great too! my fav dressings are made with mustard and garlic as a base.. and usually have apple cider vinegar or some lemon juice for zip. oh and fresh dill taste great mixed in too
I really do need to come up with some new salad dressings. I think my favorite is just a simple balsamic vinegar reduction though. It’s sooo sweet and thick.
I know I overeat for sure, the feelings set it after dessert. If I can just say no to dessert (which somehow I can do sometimes) I feel just fine. I cope by NOT eating for the rest of the night (which I probably dont need to anyways) and then starting fresh the next day. Its all you really can do right?
a lot of times i’ll just use balsamic but i love making vinaigrettes with olive oil, balsamic, mustard, garlic and sometimes a citrus juice.
Yum, that dressing looks amazing! My favorite dressing is Ginger
Happy Summer! That dressing looks so refreshing. I am bookmarking this one!
My favorite dressing right now is just a simple homemade honey dijon vinaigrette. Nothing fancy.
Those fries look so good! Crab anything sounds good to me. And your salad is so pretty. I’ve seen that hot rocks thing before, but I’ve never done it. Food is fun when it’s interactive like that!
I had peaches in my food processor today, too, but they weren’t for me! Fresh organic peaches, and the little man wouldn’t even eat them! Rrrrr…
Yummy salad dressing. I will have to give that one a try one of these days. Yes my body says no…but my mind is saying keep going!
It’s a little sad really.
Love the dressing! Such a delicious and fresh sounding taste combination. And I love that the pecans are put in whole like that and sort of act as the oil replacement!
Hot rocks sounds like fun and definitely interesting! But I, too, hate that awful overly stuffed feeling. I guess it’s beautiful in a way that you learn from it and that your body becomes so hyper-aware of its fullness/satiety.
Have a great night!
I like soy vinegarettes the most! Your dressing sounds awesome – I actually never make my own because I am too lazy, but yours looks simple enough for me to attempt it!
What a beautiful thing to see you *thanking* your body for being overfull and providing a reminder for what it feels like to eat too much! Wow, I really am heading in that direction, and can totally understand why, but it is hard, especially after years of that full feeling triggering more shame and eating. Just last night I found myself eating after dinner – I paused and said “what’s going on here?” – turns out I was feeling too full and fat (muffin top!) and that’s why I was eating. At least I was able to hit pause long enough to think about it and stop…maybe if I can be more thankful for that overfull feeling it will help prevent the following eating episode. Thanks for the inspiration, Katie.
Congrats on hitting the pause button! I think that’s one of the hardest things to do – stop yourself from eating emotionally once you’ve started. GOOD FOR YOU!