Mom’s Summer Salad

1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (low-carb alternate: 5 packets of Splenda)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley

Assorted vegetables: cucumbers, celery, onion (red or white), carrots, peppers (green, red, etc.), broccoli, tomatoes, etc.

Mix dressing, whipping it together with a fork. Peel and chop veggies. Put it all together in a huge bowl with a lid. Marinate for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better) in the refrigerator, mixing occasionally (if your bowl has a lid, you can just shake the whole thing . . . carefully).

** I just finished up a big batch, and it’s sitting in the fridge. It’ll make a great lunch tomorrow. Even though I don’t like tomatoes, I still always put one in . . . it adds great flavor to the “brine”.