Things I Love Thursday- Asian Sesame Salad from Panera

Oh my good golly it has been a long time since I have participated in Things I Love Thursday...or any significant blog post for that matter.

Losing my free time due to my 3 year old suddenly giving up naps will do that to you.

I am normally a chocoholic, anything sweet I can get my hands on, a bowl of ice cream is the perfect bedtime snack kind of girl. This pregnancy however, I have been less drawn to the sweets (gasp!). I'm almost ashamed of myself. Lately I am more eager to grab something salty (oh yummy chips and pretzels how I love thee). Salads have been soooo tasty. Give me salad over pasta any day (who am I?). I also have been drawn to like the tangy/sour things like orange pop and vingegrettes.

I also love the oriental salad from Apple.bees. So, on a recent date night (whohoo!) when we ventured to Panera- I decided to try the Asian Sesame Salad. Sounded good and similar.

Oh my dear gracious was I in heaven! This salad is simply amazing! Better than Apple.bees!!! The chicken is baked not deep fried. The dressing is a sweet tangy goodness that is so light and clear you can hardly tell its there. The sliced almonds, greens, on wontons make this perfect!

Oh how does my pregnant self crave this salad. However, my dear pregnant self cannot afford to go out every night of the week to fulfill this craving.

This is where I'm hoping you all come in. Anyone have any recipes that are similar to this? I've tried the dole asian mix with dressing- it was ok...but the dressing was not quite the same.

Is there a dressing that anyone knows of that is similar? A kit? An online recipe? I've tried the recipe I've seen that is suppose to copy it- but it was complicated and didn't taste nearly the same.

Thanks for the tips! And don't forget to check out more posts for Things I Love Thursday hosted by the Diaper Diaries.