Broccoli and Grape Salad

I found this recipe while searching salad recipes with enough carbs to fuel running, but some fruit and veggies in the mix to help with some of those vitamin thing-ies.  This really was delicious, a good balance of salty and sweet combo,  and very very filling. 
So if you are looking for a nice salad, or just a new recipe, here is one that worked for me! 
Broccoli and Grape Pasta Salad
Ingredients:  1 c. chopped pecans, 1/2 pkge (16 oz size) bow-tie pasta, 1 lb fresh broccoli, 1 c. mayonnaise, 1/3 c. sugar, 1/3 c. diced red onion, 1/3 c. red wine vinegar, 1 t. salt, 2 c. seedless red grapes (halved), 8 cooked bacon slices (crumbled-I used the 'real' bacon bits you can buy in the salad section and just red the back for how much equaled a slice). 
Instructions:  Preheat oven 350.  Bake pecans in a single layer for 5-7 minutes (until lightly toasted, stir halfway through).  Prepare pasta according to directions.  Cut broccoli florets from stems, separate int small pieces, finely chop.  Wish together mayonnaise and next four ingredients in a large bowl.  Add broccoli, cooked pasta, and grapes.  Stir to coat.  Cover and chill 3 hours.  Stir in bacon and pecans before serving. 

Grape Salad

My friend Jolene told me about this recipe she had at a friends house, and it sounded weird, but weird is right up my alley, so I decided to give it a whirl.  Oh...my....I wish I hadn't b/c it's one I'm going to want to make over and over again, and I keep trying to tell myself to fall in love with raw carrots, and tofu, but I keep getting distracted by sugar and cream coated grapes, and it's just a deep, dark, downward spiral I enjoy waaaaay too much. 
Here's the recipe for Grape Salad
Ingredients: 
2 lbs of green grapes, 1 lbs of red grapes, 6-8 oz cream cheese, 6-8 oz of sour cream, 1/2 c. sugar, 1 t. vanilla, 1/4 c. chopped pecans, 2 T. brown sugar
Instructions:
1.  Wash and pat grapes dry (don't cut into halves, I wondered about this, but after some research, I guess this helps the dressing not become to wet). 
2.  Mix cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla (it calls for 8 oz of the cream cheese, and sour cream, but I think thats a little too much).  Stir in grapes. 
3.  Top with pecans and brown sugar.  You can eat right away, but if you store it overnight, the brown sugar becomes a little caramel-ish.  That's always a good thing in my book!
Linking To:
Paisley Passions Sugar Bananas