My love of salad was pretty minimal in my upbringing. I was used to the Iceberg Lettuce served with large, odd-shaped, chunks of tomato and what seemed to be loads and loads of Ranch Dressing. Let’s not forget the dreaded-shredded cabbage with mayo, a school lunch spring special. I considered myself lucky if I was able to find four or five carrot shreds in the so-called (glob of) salad, let alone identify them.

“It’s cole slaw…a salad”, the lunch lady would say. “COLA salad?” I would repeat, {Giggles}.

Needless to say, the “salad” would find it’s demise in the school cafeteria’s garbage bin.

So now, I’m all grown up (yes, really!) and I’ve been eating all kinds of salads for years. The ranch dressing left me scarred, and has caused me to avoid it at all costs. Usually, a squirt of lemon juice or a light vinaigrette on my salad will do.

Then I was introduced to Sis Meliss line of salad dressings. There are two: Garlic Vinaigrette Dressing & Marinade and Mom’s Classic Caesar Dressing. Both dressings are made with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and do not contain added sugar or thickeners. The Caesar dressing does not contain eggs or anchiovies. Plus, they are vegetarian, soy free, gluten free and Diabetic friendly. All ingredients are natural!

I never thought I would describe the flavor this way: I can actually taste the love and passion Sis Meliss puts in every bottle. It really does taste “homemade.” It’s very flavorful and enhances my salad 100%.

http://www.nibblesandfeasts.com

I typically make my own salad dressings, however, it’s just wonderful to have someone else’s once in a while (we always get tired of our own dressings), but I dislike dressings that contain sugar or thickeners – so I was thrilled to bump into Melissa in my local nail salon. She is founder and owner of Sismeliss and has created a line of incredibly delicious dressings. They are all made with the finest ingredients and are sugar-free. I left the salon with two bottles stuffed into my purse, and a couple of weeks later, the bottles are almost empty. Even my daughter (not a big salad eater), asked for a bowl of lettuce, carrot and cucumber salad with that “yummy” dressing on it!

They are also diabetic-friendly.

http://www.gorgeouslygreen.com

Melissa Marks is a Los Angeles entrepreneur who started her salad dressing company, SisMeliss Family Recipes, with the goal of helping consumers eat great tasting salads.

“You can make the most beautiful salad in the world but turn it into junk food with all the preservatives,” she told me. “I’m trying to make healthy food that people want and won’t take the time to make it.”

Melissa, a bubbly, former classic rock deejay from Portland, Oregon, claims that using extra virgin olive oil is her competitive advantage. A family friend tried to change her mind. She refused since she wanted to stay true to the family recipe she and her mom originally created.

“I was told, ‘you know you have to take the extra virgin oil out of it’ in order to make it more affordable and generate a larger markup. Yes, the extra virgin olive oil is expensive and I won’t make a 50% markup or even a 25% markup.”

Her target customers: people who are “foodies” and want to eat healthy foods.

She discovered that people who are diabetic also benefit from SisMeliss Salad Dressings.

“I was aiming for ‘food snobs’ but someone who’s diabetic can use this as well since it flavors the food.”

SisMeliss launched in 2005 and is available in select Whole Foods grocery stores around Los Angeles and online via the company Website, sismeliss.com.

Continue reading on Examiner.com Why a Los Angeles entrepreneur started a salad dressing company – Los Angeles business news | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/business-news-in-los-angeles/why-a-los-angeles-entrepreneur-started-a-salad-dressing-company#ixzz1Rkb7n3sk