Blues Scales – The Major and Minor Blues Scale

 

The blues scale is one of the first guitar scales we explore on the guitar when learning how to solo. The scale is used in many different styles of music, such as rock, blues, and jazz. There are 2 kinds of blues scales: the minor blues scale and the major blues scale.

The blues scale can be heard in legendary solos from players such as Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell, George Benson, and many more.

Because of this, this scale is essential learning for anyone studying jazz guitar and jazz guitar improvisation.

Both the minor and major blues scale are hexatonic, which means they contain 6 notes.

 

Licks List

1. The Minor Blues Scale
   • Minor Blues Scale Construction
   • How to Use the Minor Blues Scale?
   • Minor Blues Scale Diagrams
   • Minor Blues Scale Licks
   • Minor Blues Scale Solo
2. The Major Blues Scale
   • Major Blues Scale Construction
   • How to Use the Major Blues Scale?
   • Major Blues Scale vs Minor Blues Scale
   • Major Blues Scale Diagrams
   • Major Blues Scale Licks
   • Major Blues Scale Solo
3. More Guitar Scale Lessons

 

The Minor Blues Scale

The minor blues scale is one of the most versatile scales that you can use in your guitar solos. It is fairly easy to finger on the guitar, fun to solo with and a great way to begin playing in a jazz guitar setting.

In this section you will learn how to build, play, practice, and solo with the minor blues scale in a jazz setting, as well as check out a sample solo to help you bring this scale from the page and onto the fretboard in your practice routine.

 

Minor Blues Scale Construction

To begin, let’s look at the interval structure of the minor blues scale.

The minor blues scale is related to the natural minor scale and the minor pentatonic scale.

The natural minor scale (aka Aeolian scale) has 7 notes. The minor pentatonic scale consists of 5 of these notes (1, b3, 4, 5 and b7).

You can also think of the minor blues scale as a minor pentatonic scale with an added b5 note. This added note is often referred to as the blue note. This blue note characterizes the minor blues scale and sounds very bluesy when applied to your jazz guitar soloing lines.

 

 

Minor blues scale = minor pentatonic scale + blue note b5

 

F Minor Blues Scale	F	Ab	Bb	B	C	Eb
	1	b3	4	b5	5	b7

 

 

Here is how the F minor blues scale looks in tabs:

 

How to Use the Minor Blues Scale?

Since the minor blues scale is built by adding one note to the minor pentatonic scale, you can use this scale to solo over similar harmonies as the minor pentatonic scale.

Here is a list of chords that you can apply the minor blues scale to:

• Major triads
• Major 7th chords
• Dominant 7th chords
• Minor triads
• Minor 7th chords

As you can see, the minor blues scale is a very versatile scale.

You can also use it to outline entire keys such as playing an F minor blues scale over a blues in F chord progression, as well as a number of individual chords as listed above.

 

Minor Blues Scale Diagrams

Here are the 5 common fingerings for this scale on the fretboard of the guitar, presented here in the key of F.

Work on each shape slowly with a metronome in multiple keys across the neck as you memorize each shape and get the sound of this scale into your ears, as well as each shape under your fingers.

 

After you have worked out one of these patterns, try putting on an F7 backing track and solo over that chord using one of these minor blues scale fingerings as the basis for your lines.

When you have worked two fingerings on their own, combine these two patterns in your soloing exercise and continue to work each scale fingering in this manner until you’ve worked out all 5.

You can then take this exercise to other 7th chords in your practice routine in order to ensure that you learn these fingerings from a technical standpoint, but in an improvisational context as well.

 

Minor Blues Scale Jazz Licks

To help you take this scale from the technical side of your practice routine to the improvisational, here are 8 classic sounding blues scale licks that you can work on in 12 keys.

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 1

This first lick is in the key of A minor and uses the first shape of the A minor blues scale.

 

 

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 2

The next lick is in the key of B minor and uses the 5th shape of the B minor blues scale.

 

 

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 3

The third lick is in the key of E minor and uses the 4th shape of the E minor blues scale.

 

 

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 4

The following 5 licks all use the F minor blues scale over an F dominant chord.

 

Listen & Play Along

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 5

Listen & Play Along

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 6

Listen & Play Along

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 7

Listen & Play Along

 

Minor Blues Scale Lick 8

Listen & Play Along

 

Minor Blues Scale Solo

To finish our intro to the minor blues scale, here is a sample solo over an F blues. You can use the F minor blues scale over the entire blues chord changes.

 

Listen & Play Along

 

Learn jazz blues guitar step-by-step, download our ebook Introduction to Jazz Blues Guitar

The Major Blues Scale

Just as its minor sibling, the major blues scale is an important melodic device that you can use to solo in many different musical situations and genres.

 

Major Blues Scale Construction

Let’s look at how to build this scale and how it is related to the major scale and the major pentatonic scale.

As you can see below, the major scale has 7 notes. The major pentatonic scale is made up of five of those notes (1, 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the major scale).

To produce a major blues scale, you simply take the major pentatonic scale and add in a blue note, the b3 of the key. This added note gives the major blues scale its bluesy vibe and separates it melodically from the major pentatonic scale.

 

 

Major blues scale = major pentatonic scale + blue note b3

 

G Major Blues Scale	G	A	Bb	B	D	E
	1	2	b3	3	5	6

 

Here is a sample two-octave fingering for the G major blues scale. Get it under your fingers so that you can begin to visualize this scale on the fretboard, and hear how it sounds on your guitar.

 

 

How to Use the Major Blues Scale?

There are two ways you can use the major blues scale in your solos:

• To outline maj7 chords (+ maj9 and maj6).
• To outline 7th chords (+ 9th and 13th chords).

The major blues scale works over both major 7 and dominant 7 based chords. This is because there is a major triad in the scale, but no 7th.

The 6th note of the scale can act to produce:

• Maj6 sounds over a major-type chord.
• 13 sounds over a dominant-type chord.

 

Major Blues Scale vs Minor Blues Scale

The main difference between the use of major and minor blues scales is that as the chords change in a blues or other standard form, you have to change scales along with them.

In a I-IV-V blues in the key of G (see in the last example of this lesson), you can play:

• a G minor blues scale throughout the entire form, or
• a G, C and D major blues scale for each of the three chords in the tune (G7-C7-D7).

This is the hardest part about learning to use the major blues scale.

The fingerings of the major blues scale resemble fingerings that you may already know for the minor blues scale but starting on different notes. This is the main issue players usually find when working on this scale, that it looks like the minor blues scale but isn’t played from the same root notes.

 

C major blues scale = A minor blues scale

 

The notes of the C major blues scale (C  D  Eb  E  G  A) are the same as the notes from the A minor blues scale (A  C  D  Eb  E  G), but they start on a different note and are used in another way.

So, make sure that you differentiate the major from the minor blues scales in your practicing so that they are distinct and easy to move between when you apply them to your jazz guitar solos.

 

Major Blues Scale Diagrams

There are 5 main fingerings for the major blues scale. Here are the scale diagrams for a G major blues scale.

 

 

Major Blues Scale Licks

To help you get started with the major blues scale, and learn how to apply it to soloing situations, here are a few sample licks that you can learn, work in 12 keys, and use as the basis for your own lines.

 

Major Blues Scale Lick 1

This first lick is one of the most commonly used licks built from this scale.

To really get this lick into the swing style, try and accent the first and last note (play them louder) of the lick. This will bring an emphasis to the outer notes of the lick, and add an extra layer of rhythmic interest to the line itself.

 

Listen & Play

 

Major Blues Scale Lick 2

The next major blues scale lick is based on a three-note repeated pattern (the b3-3-5 of the chord), that is reminiscent of the jazz guitar solos of Pat Martino.

Because the pattern is 3 notes long but played in an 8th-note rhythm, you are syncopating the lick so that it starts on a different part of the bar each time. This allows you to build energy in your solo, as well as use a repeated lick without it sounding boring.

 

Listen & Play

 

Major Blues Scale Lick 3

This last lick is over C7 and uses the C major blues scale.

 

 

 

Major Blues Scale Sample Solo

Here is a sample solo over a G blues chord progression. Start by playing the solo as written.

Then, play the first 8 bars as written and improvise the last 4 bars. From there, play the first 4 bars as written, and improvise the last 8 bars, before moving on to a fully improvised solo after that. This kind of transitional exercise is a great way to learn vocabulary, and integrate it into your playing at the same time.

 

Listen & Play

How do you use the blues scale in your jazz solos? Let us know in the comments below…

 

More Guitar Scale Lessons

1. 7 Essential Jazz Guitar Scales for Beginners
2. The Bebop Scale
3. The Harmonic Minor Scale
4. The Melodic Minor Scale
5. The Altered Scale
6. The Diminished Scale
7. The Whole Tone Scale
8. Exotic Guitar Scales

 

The post Blues Scales – The Major and Minor Blues Scale appeared first on Jazz Guitar Online | Free Jazz Guitar Lessons, Licks, Tips & Tricks..

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Do You Ever Feel Guilty Choosing One Stylist Over Another?

By Veronica Wells

The lore of Black men feeling unhealthy and irrational attachments to their barbers is not reserved only for them. Black women have our own struggles separating from beauticians and stylists who have been doing our hair for some time. I’ve seen women tolerate bad attitudes, ugly styling, stagnant hair growth and even damage for the sake of loyalty…or fear.

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There are millions of Black women who leave the salon unhappy with what they see in the mirror. But they don’t say anything because they don’t want to offend the stylist. I don’t know if you’ve noticed but Black hair stylists are artists and they’re sensitive about their sh*t. And they don’t generally do a good job of hiding this sensitivity.

So we stay. I’m convinced this conditioning comes from sitting through painful braiding and combing sessions, enduring burnt ears and overly bumped ends. The thought that you would question your mother’s hair choices, practices or end result was out of the question. After all, you weren’t paying her. At the end of the day, she was doing you a favor.

Sadly, when we start paying for these same services as adults, the attitude that prevented us from getting popped in the head as children, is the same thing that keeps us silent in the beauty shop.

Through seemingly incessant food breaks, loud-talking in our ear and unexplained price hikes or hidden charges, we stay.

Still, there might come a time when you have to distance yourself to the woman who’s tended to your head. Whether you found someone who’s closer to you, charges less for the same service, or just has a better demeanor, you’re confident about your decision to bounce...until you get a phone call asking when you’re going to schedule your next appointment, or you happen to run into her on the street. Then all of a sudden, the decision you’ve made for your hair, your wallet, your time and general well-being makes you feel guilty or disloyal.

And just like we can feel our stylists’ sensitivity about their work, I’m sure they can feel our guilt. Some of them even attempt to prey on it...even when they haven’t done anything to deserve your loyalty.

Earlier this week, my sister reached out to several stylists to see if they could braid her hair for an upcoming trip. She was comparing prices, location, skillsets. Finally, she narrowed it down to two women. After some more comparisons, she chose one over the other. She’d been in communication with both women, asking questions, getting quotes etc. After she made her decision, she let the other one know that she decided to go another route. In fact, she even explained, via DM, that she made the decision to choose the other young lady because she was closer to her. But she told her that she would be getting braids sometime in the fall and she would reach out to her during that time.

Sadly, the woman responded saying, “But I am local though… In the future, please don’t waste my time.”

My sister replied, “How was your time wasted?”

According to Instagram, the woman saw the message and decided to ignore it. It could have been because she was petty or it could have been because she realized there was no way to answer that question. When you provide services to others, you have to be in the business of answering questions about your services. My sister and I are both entrepreneurs, answering questions for people who ultimately don’t buy, is a part of the game. But if you take the time to speak to people politely, you’ll be surprised at the folk who come back around. What’s truly sad is that my sister was willing to work with her in the future--maybe because she felt some guilt around choosing someone else. I’m sure it was also because she really liked her work. But with that attitude, there’s no question that she’ll never work with her in the future.

Do you feel disloyal or guilty choosing one stylist over another?

Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days” and the creator of the website NoSugarNoCreamMag. You can follow her on Facebook and on Instagram and Twitter @VDubShrug.

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It Felt Like a Rebirth Into Living

It’s Friday, everyone! And that means another Primal Blueprint Real Life Story from a Mark’s Daily Apple reader. If you have your own success story and would like to share it with me and the Mark’s Daily Apple community please contact me here. I’ll continue to publish these each Friday as long as they keep coming in. Thank you for reading!

It all began back in March of 2011 when I stepped on the scale for my semi-annual military weigh-in. The scale menacingly peaked at 195 pounds, which seemed outrageous to me. Over the next few days I couldn’t shake a feeling of self-diminishment. I mean, here I was, fresh off of completing the Miami Marathon which had been preceded by 18 weeks of focused training and I had GAINED weight?! I was incredulous! I tried to rationalize it away by telling myself that the scale was likely off, or that my running shorts and socks probably added a couple of pounds. But honestly, when I looked in the mirror, I couldn’t see the guy who ran cross country and weighed 165 pounds back in high school and college. Heck, I couldn’t even see the “healthy” guy I thought I was 10 pounds ago. I was burdened by the feeling that my 30-pound weight gain was the start of an inevitable decent into outright obesity.

Days later, some of my office mates began talking about how their Crossfit gym was doing a Paleo diet challenge. As a self identified runner I was cynical on Crossfit, and as a Crossfit cynic I was even more contemptuous about what I viewed as a Crossfit diet. On and on they went, over the course of the next few weeks talking about the food they were eating, the weight they were losing, and how good they felt. Like a religious skeptic I finally decided to research what they were doing with food, if only to prove it wrong. So I bought The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain.

I’m an impatient person though, and so while waiting for the book to arrive I started Google searching “paleo” and stumbled across Mark’s Daily Apple. I think the first post I read was The Definitive Guide to Grains, and I was hooked. I began to consume the past blog posts like a ravenous animal, reading every Definitive Guide, checking all the hyperlinked references, and taking notes. The blog posts, especially the ones about sugar, carbs, vegetable oils, and grains were describing symptoms that I didn’t even realize I had. I assumed that weight gain, joint inflammation, constipation, frequent sickness, lack of energy, and trouble focusing were a normal part of the human condition for someone close to entering their 30s. I mean, after all, that’s what my doctor had told me at my previous annual physical.

So I went for it, and just jumped into the proverbial pool head first from the 10-meter platform. I followed Mark’s weekly health challenge to clean out the pantry from a post I found from way back on 12 February 2007, yes I still remember that simple blog post. I emptied out all the soda (my normal post marathon training workout recovery drink), ditched the bagels (daily breakfast), threw away the loaves of bread (lunch time sandwiches), trashed the chips and cookies (lunch sides and pre workout snack), deep-sixed the instant pasta sides and frozen garlic bread (normal dinner side dish), disposed of all the…oh wait, did I mention my wife was 8 months pregnant for the first time? Yeah so I ended up going back out to the store and buying sodas, bagels, bread, chips, cookies, pasta, and some ice cream to feed the standard American diet pregnancy cravings. Suffice it to say that she had no interest in starting some “fad diet” in the home stretch of bearing our first child. So we had an honest discussion about it and agreed that I would eat 100% Primal for 4 weeks but she would stay conventional for breakfast and lunch. She would join me in a Primal meal at dinner time provided I cooked it.

Those 4 weeks felt like a rebirth into LIVING.

I shed 15 pounds effortlessly while cooking meals from The Paleo Diet book and from recipes on Mark’s Daily Apple. Many of the previously mentioned symptoms improved quickly and some went away completely in those 4 short weeks. I also started to embrace Mark’s emphasis on intuitively understanding my body and observed, for example, that eliminating salt (as advised in The Paleo Diet book) gives me bad charley horses at night. That intuition of the positive and negative effects on my body has been huge over the years as I continue to experiment with slight alterations to my eating and lifestyle.

After those 4 weeks I never looked back. I ditched the chronic cardio and turned my new found diet into a lifestyle. While I was the Primal fanatic, I like to jokingly refer to my wife as a slow adopter. My gateway to a Primal lifestyle was a desire to lose some weight, something she has never struggled with. She started to come around, however, after seeing the myriad additional benefits. Among other things, her chronic digestive issues have been largely corrected through experimentation with eliminating dairy and supplementing probiotics.

Fast forwarding the story to a year ago, my wife’s mom was diagnosed with advanced bile duct cancer. Her body rapidly withered away and she passed in only a few weeks’ time. Part of our cathartic release involved reading every book we could find on the interrelated topics of cancer, metabolism, and lifestyle. We decided to take our Primal lifestyle to the next level by eliminating toxins in our home, improving our sleep, experimenting with Ketosis, eating the highest quality nutrient dense foods we can find, and getting more serious about fitness (I even do Crossfit now – from skeptic to convert!). Each of these has had lasting and noticeable positive impacts on our lives.

Our family of five is now fully Primal and loving it. We both feel like this lifestyle provides its own feedback mechanism. Whenever we partake in the standard American diet, whether at a dinner party or visiting friends and family, our bodies remind us of why we rejected it in favor of a Primal lifestyle!

Lastly I want to talk briefly about kids and encourage other Primal parents out there. Our three kids (7, 5, and 1) very rarely eat sandwiches, have had cereal maybe three or four times, and have never tasted soda. They love eating unwashed carrots straight out of the garden and liverwurst fried up in grass-fed butter. I say this not to brag, but to embolden parents who are worried about enforcing this lifestyle on their children as some of my peers have lamented. My personal observation is that kids raised on the tastes of real foods crave the genuine and unadulterated flavor of things like eggs, purple sweet potato, and dry roasted nuts. Yes, they still desire processed junk, but out of its novelty not out of sugar addiction, and they will readily eat whatever Primal offering is put before them.

For anyone struggling to transition kids from a standard American diet to Primal there is hope as well. Our family has seen the benefits with the foster children that we care for. On the first morning with our first foster child, a 4-year-old boy, I asked him what he wanted for breakfast. Without skipping a beat, he un-ironically demanded “Coke and a snickers.” We compromised on a smoothie with lots of ripe banana. Over time, with steady work and gentleness, we transitioned him from his normal candy and pizza to steak and buttered broccoli. His health improved DRAMATICALLY. We’ve since repeated that amazing reversal with another little 3-year-old boy who arrived in our home overweight, suffering from sleep apnea, full of cavities, and chronically sick. As we slowly reduced their sugar intake, we saw remarkable improvements in the physical and emotional health of these precious children. In the end, the difficulty of transitioning them off the garbage was absolutely worth the benefits.

Thanks to Mark, WorkerBees, and all leaders in the Paleo/Primal community who have mentored me from afar, I’m forever grateful!

The post It Felt Like a Rebirth Into Living appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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The Bobby Brown Story Will Make You Believe in Second Chances

Bobby Brown with wife Alicia Etheredge-Brown (Source: Essence Magazine)

By Brenda Alexander

If you haven’t watched the second part of the Bobby Brown Story on BET, get your tissues ready, because 80% of the film was nothing but sadness.

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Somebody died literally every 10 minutes. In between the deaths of close loved ones, he struggled hard to kick his addictions, even suffering a stroke and apparent overdose. Bobby had 9 damn lives okay. But, God had a plan for his life and after all he’s endured, he’s still standing, stronger and wiser with another chance to “get it right.”

For most, it was easy to go along with the negative portrayal of him. Not that the media created that narrative of him based upon nothing - his choices and actions aided heavily. But, being in the public eye, there’s little room for redemption and the world watches and picks apart your every move as you journey through life’s ups and downs, making it more complex to stay on track. With as much money and access as he had, that helped none. Reading his memoir, Every Little Step, a few years back, and watching his life on film, I’m amazed at how he’s been able to transform for the better.

I’ve grown to love and appreciate Brown’s ability to be honest and unafraid despite people’s judgments. Throughout his trails, he could have easily averted blame elsewhere: his upbringing, witnessing horrific deaths, being taken advantage of by record labels and management, the drug and alcohol use. But, he didn’t. He made it known that his life would be lived on his accord and in due time, he’d progress into the man intended.

The greatest hit he took, was Whitney’s downfall. Little-to-no-one saw it fit for them to be together, especially spectators, and Whitney’s family and friendship circle. They unfairly blame him for all things bad that occurred in her life, even after Whitney (and her brother) revealed that she took drugs on her own merit. But, it’s been easier for them to place fault elsewhere than to accept the truth and that they also could have enabled her during tough times. During their marriage, Bobby stayed loyal in the sense that he never spoke out against Whitney’s circle despite the troubling treatment he received. It wasn’t until years after their divorce, that he slowly began to tell his side. Even then, people felt the audacity of him sharing HIS story. But it didn’t stop there.

Whitney & Bobby

There’s something purely disheartening about the supposed lengths they went to in showing their disgust for him. The film shared how they treated him like a stranger off the street at Whitney’s funeral, having security ask him and his “entourage” (his children), to move from the family pews several times. They’ve disrespected him dozens of times in the media despite him never uttering one bad word about them. And to add insult to injury, they tried to keep him out of Bobbi Kristina’s medical decision planning when she was left in a coma after her accidental drowning in 2015. I love Nippy like the rest of the world (actually more), but we can’t continue on with the “Bobby did this” shenanigans.

Still, Bobby has taken everything in stride and the fact that he’s been able to overcome such unimaginable hurdles is one to be celebrated. While watching the second half of the movie, my mom said something to the effect of, “It’s a shame he had to go through all of that to get to this point of peace.” I view things a little differently. On one hand, it is sad. Losing 6 close relatives within 6 years of one another, two being a woman you loved and your child, and in similar fashion, is devastating. Years of destruction to your body with substances and witnessing two close friends murdered in front of you is traumatizing too. But, there’s something to be said about what going through that type of pain and making it onto the other side does to you. At this point, I’m sure that there’s nothing that can happen now that he’s ill-prepared for. He had an innate will to get and stay clean, and thankfully, had people in his life, including his new wife and children, to help him through.

Bobby and new wife Alicia with their children (Source: IG)

The Bobby Brown Story is not one of pure happiness. But the ending segways into new beginnings. Everyone’s past plays a part into the essence of who they become, and I like the “new” Bobby. He’s able to appreciate his life and blessings now due to the amount of mistakes and losses he’s come in contact with. We watched his wife Alicia help him rebuild his career, sober, and maintain stability independently of NE and outside of Whitney (whom we saw were codependent together). He turned tragedy into triumph by building a safe house for domestic violence victims after the loss of his daughter, and God has blessed him with two additional baby girls. Plus, his culinary business is booming!

Bobby Brown Foods

People can be mad all they want. Everybody deserves a second chance. I’m happy and proud that he is taking his in stride and using his life as a cautionary tale but also showing what the possibilities are when used correctly. Go Bobby!

Do you believe everyone deserves a second chance?

Brenda is a Philadelphia native with a love for Marketing, Creative writing, wine and Jesus. Her work has been featured on Mayvenn’s Real Beautiful blog and she is the co-author of the book Christmas 364: Be Merry and Bright Beyond Christmas Night (available for purchase on amazon). Follow her on IG @trulybrenda_ and trulybrenda.wordpress.com

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Tyler Perry the Activist? Why He's Offering $200,000 in the Case of 2 Missing Florida Men

Tyler Perry on  goodmorningamerica.com

Tyler Perry is a well-known writer, director, filmmaker, and actor. However, we're just getting to know Tyler Perry the activist. Find out why he's seeking justice in this cold case of two Florida men who disappeared a decade ago.

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Everyone Wants to Know Their Roots: 4 Afro Latinos Get DNA Tested

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With the popularity of DNA testing everyone wants to know more about where they come from, even Afro Latinos who are known to have a pretty varied relationship to their African roots. Many are just discovering what it means to be African in a culture where it's not widely celebrated. Here 4 Afro Latinos get tested with varied results and reactions. 

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10 Delicious DIY Salad Dressings

(This post is an update to an earlier post version.)

A Big-Ass Salad, as you know, is a perfect main meal of the day. However, with a little creativity there’s no limit to how (or when) you can enjoy your favorite combination of vegetables, greens and more. While Primal Kitchen® now offers a literal rainbow of 11 ready-made dressings and marinades that are all natural, whole-food, and fully Primal choices (including vegan and Whole30®-approved options), there’s always room for DIY creativity to fit your favorite salad varieties. Check out these 10 Primal-worthy ideas—and share your own in the comment section. Enjoy!

1. Raspberry Vinaigrette

This salad dressing is a summer classic. It’s tasty and refreshing—especially when paired with a salad of mixed baby greens, feta cheese and toasted walnuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh or frozen (defrosted) raspberries
• 1/3 cup of Primal Kitchen® Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp white wine
• 1/2 packet of stevia or monkfruit (or equivalent of other natural, low-carb sweetener)
• 1 Tbsp fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
• Black pepper, to taste

Method:

Finely chop mint leaves or shred in food processor. Set aside.

Puree fresh or defrosted raspberries in food processor until smooth. Pour into a mason jar or other container with a tight lid.

Mix raspberry puree with extra virgin avocado oil and white wine. Add sea salt, black pepper, sweetener and shredded mint leaves. Close the jar or container tightly, and shake to combine.

Serve immediately over salad and enjoy!

2. Citrus Vinaigrette

Liven up a regular salad with this crisp and refreshing summer-inspired salad dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp chopped walnuts
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Again, in a large mason jar or container with a tight lid, combine the orange juice, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and lemon juice. Drizzle in the avocado oil while whisking vigorously with fork. Once mixed, add the walnuts and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Dill Vinaigrette

This salad dressing is so tasty, you’ll want to double the recipe so that you can have it again when dinner time rolls around!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1tsp dried dill weed
• 1/8 tsp onion powder
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp dry mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a blender or food processor (low setting), combine the oil, vinegar, dill weed, onion powder, garlic powder, and dry mustard. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

4. Balsamic Vinaigrette

Although this makes a great, simple salad dressing, it’s equally delicious as a marinade for meat or drizzle on steamed vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp Primal Kitchen Organic Brown Spicy Mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a mason jar or other container with a tight lid, combine all the ingredients. Shake until all ingredients are combined. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

5. Basil Vinaigrette

Delicious year round, this salad is especially tasty when paired with an Italian-themed salad laden with fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 1 Tbsp white wine or white wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (It’s very important here to use fresh.)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, wine or vinegar, basil, and garlic. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

6. Parsley Dressing

Try this flavorful dressing on a salad of mixed greens or other mild-flavored salad combination.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1 1/2 Tbsp chopped parsley

Method:
In a bowl, combine the avocado oil, lemon juice and onion powder. Once combined, add in the chopped parsley, mix thoroughly with a whisk and serve.

7. Lemon Caesar Dressing

Try this citrus-infused spin on the popular salad dressing option.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 1 tsp lemon peel (finely grated)
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp Primal Kitchen Organic Brown Spicy Mustard
• 1 tsp anchovy paste
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp sour cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method:
In a bowl, whisk all ingredients except oil and sour cream. Once combined, slowly add oil, whisking constantly until smooth (if you stop, the dressing could break). Once combined, whisk in sour cream until smooth and creamy. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

8. Asian Dressing

Add a taste of the orient (without the added sugar) with this tangy Asian-inspired dressing.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 3 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 1 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 tsp Asian mustard (should be easily found in the ethnic food aisle of your local grocery store)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1 medium garlic cloves, minced

Method:
In a bowl, whisk together orange juice, vinegar, sesame seeds, mustard, sugar, salt, and garlic. Once combined, slowly whisk in sesame oil.

9. Ginger-Asian Dressing

A second spin on the Asian dressing theme, this dressing is delicious on salads as well as steamed or grilled veggies.

Ingredients:

• 1 carrot, fresh, peeled and finely shredded
• 1/2 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp coconut aminos
• 2 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp minced onion
• 1 tsp hot mustard
• 1/2 tsp fresh ginger root, grated

Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

10. French Style Dressing

Looking for a way to get the kids to eat their greens? This tasty recipe is sure to wow them.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup Primal Kitchen Extra Virgin Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp red or white wine vinegar
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp unsalted tomato paste
• 2 tsp water
• 1/2 tsp fresh minced onion
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground white pepper

Method:
In a large mason jar or other container with a tight lid, combine all ingredients, shake it up and serve.

Thanks for stopping in today, everyone. Which dressing looks like something you’d try? Any DIY recipes you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you on the comment board. Have a great end to the week.

The post 10 Delicious DIY Salad Dressings appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple.

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