Yummy Jello Salad!

this is one of those easy crowd pleasers! perfect for a party or bbq!

2 big containers of regular cool whip

1 (20oz) can of crushed pineapple drained 

Half a bag of mini marshmallows

1 big box of strawberry jello powder

 

Empty containers of cool whip into a large bowl and add jello powder, mix thru. Then add drained crushed pineapple and mix thru. Then add the mini marshamallows and mix thru. You can also add chopped up strawberries, really yummy that way! Put in fridge to chill for 2 hours before served

 

Jello

This was a great new JELL-O that the kids loved.

1 3 oz package Strawberry Jell-o
1 cup orange sherbet
Cool whip

Add 1 cup boiling water to jello. Stir 2 min. or until completely dissolved.
Stir in sherbet until melted. Pour into individual cups or bowls. The original recipe says 4 martini or wine cups.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Top each with 1 TBSP cool whip just before serving.

Makes 4 individual servings. I doubled the recipe to feed my family.

Next time I might try pineapple or lemon sherbet for fun.

Zucchini and Potato Bake

This isn't the healthiest recipe to make with zucchini, but its really good!  This one is courtesy of my grandmother who never seems to have actual measurements with her recipes...which scares me!  But this one was easy and great for my over flowing supply of zucchini!

• Spray 9x13 pan with cooking spray
• Slice potatoes (thinly) and layer on bottom of pan
• Chop onion and sprinkle over
• sprinkle with salt and pepper
• add a layer of grated cheese
• then a layer of thinly sliced zucchini
• sprinkle lightly with italian seasoning
• dot with margarine
• repeat layers
• bake at 375 covered for 45 min
• check potatoes and top with more cheese and put back in and allow to melt

cupid's cups

I made these for the kids and they loved them. They turned out cute and tasted really good.
prep time 15 min total time 4 hr 15 min makes 8 servings, 2/3 cup each

Ingredients
1 square BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted (i used chocolate chips)
2 cups boiling water, divided
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1-1/2 cups cold water, divided
ice cubes
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
Decorations: assorted Valentine sprinkles and candies

make it!
DRAW heart design or write Valentine's Day message in each of 8 (6-oz.) clear plastic cups by piping chocolate onto insides of cups. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm.

ADD 1 cup boiling water to 1 pkg. gelatin mix in medium bowl; stir 2 min. until completely
dissolved. Stir in 1 cup cold water; pour into cups. Refrigerate 1 hour or until gelatin is firm.

MEANWHILE, add remaining boiling water to remaining gelatin mix; stir 2 min. until completely dissolved. Add enough ice to remaining cold water to measure 1 cup. Add to gelatin; stir until thickened. Stir in COOL WHIP; spoon over gelatin layer in cups. Refrigerate 3 hours or until firm.

There are some good tips on how to put the chocolate on the inside of the cup if you read the reviews.
Here is the link:
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cupids-cups-104723.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-20100210-_-1011

Some tips:
Make sure the cups are smooth so the chocolate goes on easier
Make sure the cups aren't too tall or they will be hard to eat:

What I changed:
I added blueberries to the jello and put blueberries on top.
I also drizzled chocolate on the top.
For 8 servings I doubled the jello on the bottom so I used 3 boxes of jello total.

Lemon Jello Salad

This is my favorite Jello it's almost like a desert. I make it all the time

2 pkgs lemon jello
4 c water
1 can crushed pineapple
3 c bananas sliced
miniature marshmallows

Topping:
1 cup pineapple juice
1 egg
1/2 c sugar
2 TBS. flour
1/2 pint whipped cream

Prepare jello according to pkgs. Drain the pineapple and save the juice. Add pineapple and sliced bananas. Spread layer of marshmallows on top. Put in fridge until fully set.
Topping:
Make topping by mixing flour and sugar in pan and then add egg and pineapple juice. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thickened. Let cool completely. Whip the cream until set and then add to the topping mixture. Stir in carefully. Then put on top of jello and serve.

Creamy One-Pot Pasta

This is actually a recipe from one of my Pampered Chef cookbooks. It was very easy and really good and also lower in fat. Makes for a simple but yummy weeknight dinner. I forgot to buy the can of sun-dried tomatoes, so I used regular petite diced tomatoes and drained the can. I sauteed the garlic in a tsp of olive oil. I also didn't have fresh basil, so I sprinkled on some dry basil and it was good! I made it a meal by adding 3 sliced chicken breasts that I had grilled and seasoned. You can leave chicken out and have a meatless meal or a hearty side.

4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced or minced
1 jar (7oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil, undrained
3 cans (14 1/2 oz each) chicken broth (5 1/4 cups)
1 lb uncooked penne pasta
1 head broccoli (or 2 cups small florets)
2 medium carrots, peeled
4 oz. reduced fat cream cheese (neufchatel)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
grated fresh parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil (optional)

Place garlic and 1 TBSP oil from sun dried tomatoes into an 8qt stockpot. Cook garlic over medium heat 2-3 minutes or until garlic is golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; add broth. Return to burner, increase heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil. Stir in pasta; cover and simmer vigorously 8-10 minutes or until pasta is almost cooked but still firm. Stir occasionally. DO NOT DRAIN!

Meanwhile, cut broccoli into small florets and place into a bowl. Slice carrots and add to bowl. Drain sun-dried tomatoes; pat dry with a paper towel. Slice tomatoes into thin strips. Add to bowl with carrots and broccoli.

Cut cream cheese into cubes. Add vegis, cream cheese, salt and black pepper to stockpot. Stir until cream cheese is melted and fully incorporated. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook an additional 2-4 minutes or until vegis are tender. If desired, top with grated parmesan cheese and snipped fresh basil.

6 servings: each serving contains 410 calories, 11 grams total fat, 5 grams fiber.

Baked Beans....

My mom has been making these for years. The recipe makes a lot and is great for parties or potlucks. Super easy and great recipe. Enjoy!!!

1 pound bacon (cut up)
1 pound ground beef
2 onions chopped
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
4 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cans kidney beans
2 cans butter beans
2 cans pork and beans

Brown bacon, beef and onions together until cooked. Drain. Pour into crock pot. Add all other ingredients and mix. Cook until heated through (I prefer to cook on low for a couple of hours but you can put it on high until it is heated).

Butternut Squash

I have 2 ways of cooking this. It is one of our favorite vegetables.

Oven:
Cut squash in half length wise and scoop out seeds (like a pumpkin).
Place halves , cut side up, in baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dot with margarine or butter. (Especially get it into the depression where the seeds were. Pour water into dish until 1/4 in. deep. Cover and bake 400 deg oven 30-40 min. 350 deg oven 40 min. or 325 deg oven for 45 min.

Microwave:
Pierce squash several times with knife and microwave for 4-6 minutes. Cool slightly. Cut in half and remove seeds. Arrange halves cut side down on plate. Cover and microwave 5-8 minutes or until squash is tender.

After the squash is cooked scoop out insides from rind. Insides should be fork tender and mashable. Add salt pepper, and lots of butter. Mash. I sometimes use brown sugar instead of salt and pepper.

If squash is not tender enough stick back into microwave until tender.

Improving Salsa

I love and prefer homemade salsa as much as the next girl. But really, how often do we actually make homemade salsa? For me it's like two or three times a year. Not nearly as often as I like. But I've recently discovered a trick to improving the sorry excuse for salsa that comes from a jar. And it only takes about 5 minutes.

In a blender, blend

• one jar of salsa
• one can diced tomatoes
• 1/2 a purple onion
• 1/2 bunch of cilantro...I plop it in...stems and all
  
• juice from one lime
  
• about two tablespoons sugar
• dash of salt

Certainly not homemade salsa, but definitely enjoyable.

Fruit Kabobs

So this really isn't a recipe. Not much different than your average fruit salad. And even still, not very original. But last night, I put our fruit salad on sticks. It was a great trick for getting kids excited about fruit. Even Reid, my non-fruit eater, ate a whole fruit kabob of fruit he usually won't even try. There's something about putting it on a stick that made it fun.

So...

• chop your favorite fruit
• slide it on a stick
• sprinkle a little sugar on top
• convince your kids to eat it
  

Crispy Oven-Roasted Potatoes

Do you ever get those little sets of recipe cards in the mail asking for money and then they will send you more? I have too- of course I keep the cards and do not send money. This recipe is a variation from one of those cards. It is a very simple side dish that goes with many things.

6 medium red potatoes- scrubbed and dried.
2 TBSP olive oil
2 TBSP Dijon mustard
1 "cap full" Mrs Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning
OR- (the original recipe says 1 tsp dried rosemary, 1/2 tsp garlic salt, 1/2 tsp pepper)- I went
to make this one night but had not rosemary and thought to try the Mrs Dash- we like it better with it!

Preheat oven to 400 deg. Coat a large shallow baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Combine olive oil, mustard and seasonings in a large bowl and mix well

Cut potatoes into wedges- add to seasoning mixture and toss to coat. Spread wedges in a single layer, 1/4 in. apart, in baking dish. Bake, turning occasionally until evenly browned, tender and crisp- about 30 minutes (or longer depending on desired crispiness)- can be broiled the last few minutes if desired. Very good! Enjoy!

Onion Strings....

YUMMY!!! These are delicious!! I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman...Check them out on her website for step by step pictures!!

1 large onion
2 cups buttermilk (or 2 cups milk with 2 tablespoons white vinegar)
2 cups flour
1 scant tablespoon salt
Lots of black pepper
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
Canola Oil
Slice onion very thin. Place in a baking dish and cover with buttermilk for at least one hour.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside.
Heat oil to 375 degrees.
Grab a handful of onions, throw into the flour mixture, tap to shake off excess, and PLUNGE into hot oil. Fry for a few minutes and remove as soon as golden brown. Place on a paper towel to soak up extra grease.
Repeat until onions are gone.

spanish rice

3/4 c. rice
1 can tomato sauce
1 can water
onion
garlic
salt

Put oil in pan and sautee rice with onion, garlic and salt until rice is white. Add tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes.

**This is such an easy side to go along with any mexican meal. I love that this is a lot moister than the mexican rice you get when you eat out.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos...

I don't like Jalapenos. But, my hubby LOVES them. More than that..he loves these. He rates them a 9.5 out of 10! I made them for him the first time on Friday and he has asked for them every day since. They are great to take to a party as a side! And they are the easiest thing ever....THREE INGREDIENTS! Again, these are the Pioneer Womans recipe, take a look at her blog for step by step photos.

Bacon Wrapped Jalapenos
Bacon
Jalapenos
Cream Cheese

Cut a jalapeno in half. Remove all seeds and membranes. Fill each half generously with cream cheese. Cut a slice of bacon in half. Wrap one half around each jalapeno and put a tooth pick through to keep in tact. Place them on a pan with a rack so the grease can escape (I used a cookie rack with a baking sheet). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes!

***The pioneer woman uses 1/3 of a piece of bacon for each jalapeno half..I used 1/2.

BLT Pasta Salad

My sister Kati is an extremely picky person to please....especially when it comes to food. She came over for dinner one night and I had made this pasta salad with dinner. She loved it, we all did.

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 min

Cook Time: 19 min

Servings: 8

• 1 (16 ounce) box whole-wheat pasta, shells or macaroni
• 6 strips bacon
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 large leaves romaine lettuce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons prepared pesto
• 1 cup bacon-flavored ranch dressing

Bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil; add pasta and cook 9 minutes, until just tender. Drain and rinse under cold water until pasta reaches room temperature. Place into a large bowl. Cover and set aside.

Cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp, about 10 minutes; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon into pasta.

Add tomatoes to pasta. Cut lettuce leaves in half lengthwise, then roll into a tight cigar; slice into 1/2 inch shreds and add to pasta. Add mozzarella to pasta.

In a separate bowl, combine pesto and dressing. Pour over pasta and stir to coat. Refrigerate at least 1 hour, until chilled. Enjoy!

7 Layer Salad

This yummy recipe is from my step-mother-in-law. She is asked to make it at just about all family gatherings. I started making it for my family and they request it from me frequently, including for Easter dinner today. It makes a very large bowl, but can easily be scaled down. Also, the dressing makes quite a bit- which our families like it that way. If you prefer less dressing, simply scale down as desired.


Dressing:
1 cup Hellman's Mayo (regular or light)
1 cup sour cream (regular or light)
1 Tbsp. prepared yellow mustard

Mix together and put on bottom of a very large bowl. Add the following ingredients on top of the dressing as follows:

frozen peas (about 1/2 bag)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 bundles green onion, chopped
celery- a few stalks, chopped
2 heads lettuce (any type- I prefer romaine)-torn
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb. bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled

Right before serving, toss with salad tools to mix veggies and dressing together. It looks prettier before tossed, but tastes excellent after it is tossed! Enjoy!

"Just Like Cafe Rio Guacamole"

I am not sure if this is "just like Cafe Rio" , I don't remember what their guacamole tastes like! I got this recipe with the Cafe Rio chicken recipe and made it for the first time tonight with our tacos. It was really good, I am a sucker for avocados!!

• 3 large avocados
• 2 Tbl mayo
• 2 Tbl mild chunky salsa
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp seasoned salt

Peel and mash avocados, add remaining ingredients and mix well. Put avocado pit in quacamole to prevent browning!

Made from Scratch Ranch Dressing

If you are trying to diet, then this dressing is definitely not a good choice, unless of course you want to splurge.

3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Cup Mayo (full fat, real mayo...anything else Does NOT work)
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. pepper
3/4 tsp. garlic salt
3/4 tsp. Accent

Combine ingredients together in the above over and shake up.
Let it sit in the fridge for a least 30 minutes before serving.

**This recipes was give to me by my sister-in-law, thanks Kenna**

Cheesy Dijon Cauliflower

Even my friends who don't like cauliflower enjoy this recipe. Of course they say that to the cook, right? Actually, they even request it when they come visit. Having said that, I still think you can taste the cauliflower...sorry Jeanine. But it is delicious.

1 1/2 Cup Grated Cheddar
1 Cup Mayo
1 Tbs Dijon Mustard
1 Head of Cualiflower

Chop and cook cauliflower. (I cook it about 5 min, covered in the microwave.) Mix remaining ingredients. Cover cauliflower with cheese mixture. Cook in microwave about 2 more min, until cheese is melted.

DIVINE!