Pasta Salad

This salad is full of veggies. With a little pepperoni and ham kick mixed in. And when you are in the mood for savory...this hits the spot, with little guilt thanks to all our garden friends. Just don't think about the dressing. Wink.

Pasta Salad
1-2 boxes of corkscrew pasta (Sometimes I will mix different shapes for fun)
1 bottle of Kraft Tuscan House Italian, or your fav Italian dressing
1 package thinly sliced ham cut into small strips
handful of pepperoni cut into small strips
1 cucumber cubed
carrots
head of broccoli
1/2 head of cauliflower
red pepper
can of medium black olives
1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Cook and cool pasta, add a small tidge of olive oil to prevent from sticking while cooling.
Cut all veggies into uniform bite size pieces and add to pasta. Add olives, parmesan cheese,ham, pepperoni and the bottle of dressing.
Salt and pepper and mix and chill.
You can add whatever else you'd like, i.e. cherry tomatoes, red onion, pine nuts and so on.

Bowtie Chicken Caesar Salad

This is my go to salad when I'm feeling salady. Its a combo of my favorite salads and dressings. You can make it your own and add what you want. But don't skimp on the dressings. I'm telling you, home made is best.

Bow tie Chicken Caesar Salad
2 head romaine lettuce chopped
2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced
1 box of bow tie pasta cooked and cooled
sliced carrots
cucumber cubed
cherry tomatoes
sliced avocado
1 can drained and sliced hearts of palm, (can be found in specialty aisle and so delicious)
yellow peppers
Parmesan cheese

**anything else that sounds good**

Toss all together and serve with creamy Caesar and balsamic vinaigrette. And of course fresh bread. Tonight's case was buttermilk biscuits and strawberry jam.

Balsamic Dressing
1 c. olive oil
1/2 c. balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
tad of oregano or basil
Blend at full speed in blender or food processor

Creamy Caesar
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 pressed or minced garlic cloves
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1-2 tsp sugar
1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
Blend at full speed in blender or food processor

Strawberry-Spinach Salad

1 bag Spinach leaves
1/2 c of sliced Almonds (amount to preference)
1 pkg of fresh sliced strawberries
2 fresh lemon
1/2 c sugar
olive oil

Almonds: The morning of, mix 1/4 c. sugar with a little water. Heat a few seconds and coat your almonds in it. After coating spread on a sheet of wax paper and let dry.

Dressing: 1/4 c sugar, 4-5 T of FRESH lemon juice and 1 T Olive Oil. (I really don't measure the lemon juice. I just squeeze the lemon over the sugar and mix until it is a good consistency for dressing.

Layer (bottom to top):
Spinach Leaves
Sliced Strawberries
Glazed Almonds

Pour dressing over the top and serve!

Good, healthy veggie salad

My friend had us over for dinner the other night and served this salad. I loved it! Mainly because I'm always looking for ways to get more vegetables in my diet and this salad is full of veggies!

1 bag spinach
1 large orange pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 avocado, diced
1 large tomato, diced ( I add another half to it.)
1 large cucumber, peeled and diced
1/2 bag shredded carrots
1/2 container blue cheese (optional)
lemon pepper to taste
vinegrate dressing ( I like organic raspberry vinegrate. Balsamic is good too)
I also add chicken for some protein.

Toss in a big bowl and serve.

Not Another Hotdish Please.

Everyone I know is having a baby right about... now.
Thus the reason for this post.
I can't drop off another hotdish of sorts to a new Mom, knowing that she has a freezer full from the rest of the good women in our ward who bring by a dish in the attempt to get the first look of the new bundle of joy.

I'd love it if I were creative & could come up with some amazing dishes for such occasions, but I've faced the music & it ain't pretty.

So here is my desperate plead, for everyone to post what they take to family with a new baby. All those tried & true recipes... you know the ones.

In return for yours, I'll share mine.

Chicken Salad
2-3 cups of small shells pasta
4 cups cooked diced chicken
2-3 stalks of diced celery
1-2 cucumbers diced
1/2 cup of mayonnaise
2 cups of grapes, cut in half
1 cup of salted almonds or cashews
salt & pepper

After the chicken & pasta shells have cooked & cooled, mix everything together with the mayonnaise. Salt & Pepper to taste & enjoy.

You really can't go wrong with this one, that is why it's a favorite of mine.

Yu-um.

Pink Salad

We have always called it Pink Salad, but it is basically a Strawberry or Strawberry Banana or whatever flavor you want it to be salad.  Nadine asked if I would post this!  Enjoy!

Large Cottage Cheese

1 small Jello (whatever flavor you want)

Fruit

1/2 bag of Marshmallows

1 small Cool Whip

In a large mixing bowl combine the small Jello and cottage cheese and mix.  Then add the 1/2 bag of marshmallows a fresh fruit.  Mix.  Last add the cool whip.  I don't always use the whole small cool whip.  Just add until the right consistency.  

Note:  If I get a strawberry banana Jello mix then for the fruit I add strawberries and bananas.  If I use a strawberry Jello mix then I just add strawberries.  Get it?!?  

Super yummy and a classic at my moms Sunday dinners.  KIDS LOVE IT and it is super easy.  Enjoy!