Cornucopia Salad

This salad is from my friend Jaimee...it's the best!

Salad ingredients:
- ½ head green leaf lettuce (I like to use the spring mix plus romaine)
- ½ head romaine lettuce
- 4 green onions, chopped
- 1 11oz. can mandarin oranges
- 1 apple, diced
- ¼ cup dried currants or Crazins (dried cranberries)
- ½ cup crumbled bleu cheese (or feta)
- ½ cup candied pinenuts or sliced almonds (instructions below)

Candied nuts:
- ½ cup nuts
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
Put both into skillet. Low/med heat. Sugar will start to melt. Stir to coat the nuts. Stir often to avoid burning. Cook until nuts are lightly browned.Remove from heat and immediately pour nuts onto a plate or tin-foil to cool. Make sure nuts are spread out from each other, or they will stick together.

Dressing:
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
Mix together, set aside.

Just prior to serving, put all of the salad ingredients into a large bowl. Add the candied nuts and toss with the dressing just prior to serving. Serves 6.

The following additions are really tasty if you like meat, celery or avocados.
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 avocado cut into chunks
- 3 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded
- 1 cup diced peppers (red, orange, or yellow)

BRAN MUFFINS

I just made those yummy Bran Muffins that can keep in your fridge for a couple months. They never last that long...I can't imagine testing that out! I baked some with walnuts and raisins to take to Sarah, the temporary invalid. Here's the recipe:

Bran Muffins

Cream: 2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
Add: 4 eggs, beaten
In another bowl: 4 cups Kellogs All Bran Cereal
2 cups Nabisco All Bran (I couldn't find it so I used Fiber One All Bran)
Add: 2 cups boiling water to soften cereal, let sit for a few minutes
Add: 1 quart buttermilk
In yet another bowl, sift:
5 cups flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Mix all the ingredients together. Place cupcake papers in the muffin tin or spray well with PAM.
Fill about 2/3 full. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (I like them a little less done so I would cook them about 20 - 22 min.) Store the remainder in the fridge in an airtight container. You can add Raisins, Dates, crushed pineapple, walnuts, pecans. cranberry's or any combination of the above. I usually keep it plain until I am ready to bake, then I add whatever sounds good at the time. (I am going to add some orange zest, a bit of concentrated OJ and cranberries to some). Then I like to top them off with raw sugar crystals before I pop them in the oven.

ENJOY!

 

Whole Wheat Pizza Dough!

I know what you are thinking.... WHOLE WHEAT? You wouldn't believe how good it tastes! It is very simple and my girls love it, it makes great pizza!

1 pkg instant yeast
1 Tbs sugar
1 cup warm water
Put all 3 of these in a container until the yeast is active.
Then add
2 Tbs olive oil (I like the rich flavored one)
1 Tbs salt (I use a garlic salt mix from Costco called "Johnny's Garlic Spread and Seasoning")
2-2 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour

Use the kneader arm on your mixer or your own muscles to mix and knead the dough.
Let rise for about 1 hour, then punch down and knead for a minute and let rise again or just roll out and shape for pizza. It will be a bit on the heavy side, but bursting with flavor. My kids even like it over Papa Murphy's, funny I know.

Texas Caviar

1 lb frozen or canned black-eyed peas rinsed
1 c italian salad dressing
1 chopped green bell pepper
1 chopped red or white onion
1 c finely chopped green onions
1 finely diced jalapeno peper
2-3 finely chopped cloves of garlic
chill and serve with tortilla chips

Use low fat or fat free italian dressing for a healthier alternative

Cake Box Cookies

1 box yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or apple sauce
3/4 cup oats
3 tsp vanilla
1/2 c chocolate chips

Mix and bake on 375 for 8-10 minutes. Cookies will look like they are not done, but they wiill rise after baking.

So easy french dip sandwiches

Add ingredients to crock pot and cook for 8 hours. About 2 hours before done, shred beef and continue cooking. Use leftover juice to dip.

1 can beef broth
1 can french onion soup
1 can beef consume
1 beef chuck roast

Chicken and Artichokes

Add the following to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, serve over rice or pasta.

Chicken
can italian diced tomatoes
1 or 2 jars artichoke hearts, drained
4-8 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
black pepper to taste

So yummy!