Mandarin Orange Almond Salad

I crave this salad a lot! The dressing is my personal favorite.
  Thanks to my friend Jennifer Meyer for this recipe.

Dressing: (make it ahead of time for best flavor)

1 tsp salt

1 ½ T. sugar

2 T. red wine vinegar

¼ cup oil

2 shots Tabasco sauce

Ground pepper to taste

Sugared almonds:

Brown 3-4 oz. sliced almonds in 2 T. butter. Add 2 T. sugar and coat. Immediately remove almonds into a bowl to cool.

Salad:

1 bunch Romaine lettuce

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

strawberries, sliced (opt., but I always try to include them)

grapes (opt.)

Pour dressing over and toss. Sprinkle almonds over just before serving. In a pinch, you can use bagged pre-made roasted almonds instead of the sugared ones.