This salad rocks my socks off

Last night was buuuuuuuusssssssy.  So busy that somehow I did not manage to make time for myself to pee throughout the night.  I always get into my car after work and then realize I have to go to the bathroom so bad and I have been holding it all night and I am always surprised I make it home to my bathroom without my bladder bursting.  I have stopped at Hardee's before on my way...I never knew I had such capacity.  So, speaking of skills I didn't know I had, I totally feel like a domestic goddess right now, I got off of work late (busy trying to irrigate an old and festering insect stuck in someone's ear canal), came back to my apartment, changed clothes, found my recipe, went to the grocery store, bought all the ingredients, came back, candied pecans, made apple cider maple vinaigrette and chopped up red onion, apple and goat cheese, packaged everything to take into work tonight along with 2 bags of baby spinach, emptied the dishwasher, reloaded it and cleaned up the entire kitchen....in...one hour and 13 minutes.  Impressed?  I am.  Tonight at work we are having a potluck for a co-worker that is moving, and I was assigned salad duty.  Here is the recipe, I ripped it out of a Southern Living at the dentist's...it is phenomenal.

Spinach-Apple Salad With Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

Hands-on Time: 20 min.; Total Time: 50 min.

YIELD: Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

Sugared Curried Pecans

• 1 (6-oz.) package pecan halves
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

Maple-Cider Vinaigrette

• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2/3 cup olive oil

Salad

• 1 (10-oz.) package fresh baby spinach, thoroughly washed
• 1 Gala apple, thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (4-oz.) package crumbled goat cheese

Preparation

1. Prepare Pecans: Preheat oven to 350°. Toss pecans in butter. Stir together sugar and next 4 ingredients in a bowl; add pecans, tossing to coat. Spread in a single layer in a nonstick aluminum foil-lined pan. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until lightly browned and toasted. Cool in pan on a wire rack 20 minutes; separate pecans with a fork.
2. Prepare Vinaigrette: Whisk together cider vinegar and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk in oil until well blended.
3. Prepare Salad: Combine spinach and next 3 ingredients in a bowl. Drizzle with desired amount of Maple-Cider Vinaigrette; toss to coat. Sprinkle with pecans. Serve salad with any remaining vinaigrette.
Note: Pecans may be made up to 1 week ahead. Store in an airtight container. Vinaigrette may be made up to 3 days ahead. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-apple-salad-with-maple-cider-vinaigrette-10000001940915/print/