Simple Salad with Celery and Mandarin Oranges

Recently I returned from a weekend away with the husband in Austin, Texas.  Here are a few things to summarize our trip:

1. We ate a lot of food.
2. We drank a lot of margaritas.  
3. We bought cowboy boots.

So, when we got back to the frozen tundra of Wisconsin, I was hankerin' after some fresh veggies.  (I told myself that plenty of greens would negate the effects of the margaritas and Tex-Mex.  Riiiiiight.)  The only issue was an empty refrigerator.  And since I splurged on those cowboy boots (glorious, gorgeous cowboy boots), my pocketbook was empty, too.  Sigh. 

A thorough review of the fridge and cupboards uncovered all of the ingredients for a refreshing salad that reminds me of my childhood.  Now, this isn't a classy salad, per se, but it's green and, most importantly, all of the ingredients survived while we were in out of town.  Paired with some soup (yes, it was from a can.  I just got back from vacation, people!), it made a perfect hot dinner.

Simple Salad with Celery and Mandarin Oranges
Serves: 4

1 large head of Romain lettuce, chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 ribs celery, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
3/4 cup mandarin orange segments
1/3 cup croutons
2 tablespoons bacon bits
Your favorite Ranch dressing (homemade or bottled*)
Freshly ground black pepper

Layer lettuce, celery, oranges, croutons, and bacon bits.  Top with ranch dressing and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

*If you're going to buy bottled dressing, my favorite ranch dressing is Bolthouse Farms Classic Ranch.  The husband, however, is a Hidden Valley man.