November - Holiday Favorites

Oreo Truffles

(Stephanie Partridge)

1 pkg. Oreos (my favorite are the mint flavored)
1 block cream cheese
melting chocolate squares

Soften the cream cheese in a large bowl in the microwave for about 15 seconds and then dump all of the oreos in the bowl and mash them all up/mix it all together really well. I use a potato masher. Then stick the mixture in the fridge for about an hour. Once it’s cooled and mold-able then form into balls with a spoon and rolling them in your hand. Put them back in the fridge for about an hour (if you’re busy you can keep it in the fridge for a day or two at this point). Then dip the balls in melted chocolate to coat (white or dark) and set on parchment paper to harden; which will only take a minute or two. Optional: pour sprinkles on while still wet, or drizzle with a different color of chocolate. Enjoy!

Mulled Cider

(Wendy Loveland)

1/2 gallon on apple cider

1 cinnamon stick

1 orange sliced

6 whole clovers

Simmer for 20 minutes and serve warm

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(Courtney Zaugg)

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels

1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

PAN COOKIE VARIATION: Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan. Prepare dough as above. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on wire rack. Makes 4 dozen bars.

SLICE AND BAKE COOKIE VARIATION:
PREPARE dough as above. Divide in half; wrap in waxed paper. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm. Shape each half into 15-inch log; wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.* Preheat oven to 375° F. Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Makes about 5 dozen cookies. 

Jello Pie

(Jasmine Sagum)

1 container cool whip (the smaller size)

1 personal size container yogurt, plain or vanilla flavor (I usually use vanilla because it’s easier to find)

1 small package jello, any flavor (my favorite for this is lime, because it’s delicious and it’s bright green, which kids love!)

1 pre-made graham cracker crust

1. In a bowl, mix the cool whip, yogurt, and jello packet together. (don’t add any water or anything for the jello)
2. Scoop into the pie crust.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve (at least a few hours to let it firm up).
4. ENJOY! (kids love this recipe)

Chocolate Covered Pomegranate Seeds

(Jasmine Sagum)

2 large pomegranates

1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips (the original recipe calls for semi-sweet. I've made this recipe with both kinds, and I prefer the milk chocolate. But most of the women at recipe club liked the semi-sweet. I bet this would even be yummy and pretty with white chocolate. So just use whichever kind of chocolate you like best.)

wax paper

1. Refrigerate the pomegranates (not required, but it helps).
2. Remove all the seeds and place them in a colander.
3. Gently rinse the seeds, then lay them out on paper towels to let them dry.
4. Lay out a large sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet which will fit inside your refrigerator.
5. Melting the chocolate the easy way: put the chocolate chips in a glass container (I'd use my big 4-cup Pyrex measuring thingy) and microwave them until they're melted, stirring occasionally; don't overdo it, though- you don't want the chocolate to burn or get tough.
6. Melting the chocolate another way: in a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips (if you don't have a double boiler a metal or oven-safe glass dish over boiling water works too); stir constantly while melting so you don't scorch the chocolate.
7. Add the pomegranate seeds to the melted chocolate (making sure the seeds are not wet on the surface, or else the chocolate can seize) and fold gently with rubber spatula until the seeds are thoroughly covered, then spoon out globs of the mixture, whatever size you like, onto the wax paper.
8. Place the wax papered cookie sheet in the refrigerator and let the chocolate-covered seeds cool overnight (or for as long as you can stand before tasting them).
9. Keep refrigerated- they should keep for 3-4 days, at least, although I doubt they'll last that long once you taste them.
10. Enjoy!

August- Snack Time!

Split Pea Soup

(Courtney Zaugg)

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/8 cup good olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4-5 medium carrots diced

1 small sweet potato, diced very small!

2 bay leaves

1 T. old bay seasoning

1 pound dried split green peas

10 cups chicken stock or water

In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, sweet potatoes, bay leaves, old bay, 8 cups of the chicken stock/water, and 1/2 pound of split peas. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Add the remaining split peas. Add 1-2 cups of water if the soup is starting to look low and continue to simmer for another 45-55 minutes covered, or until all the peas are soft. Stir occasionally to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. In the last 5-10 minutes add another cup of water if the soup is looking low and heat through. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.

Back to School Power Bars 

Stephanie Partridge

2 cups flour

1 cup oat bran

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 cups oats

1+ cup cooked quinoa

2 cups dried fruit ( I used a tropical fruit mix)

1 cup honey

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/2 cup applesauce

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tsp almond extract (I love the almond flavor, so use less if you want)

1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium/large bowl stir together the flour, oat bran, brown sugar, oats, quinoa, and dried fruit.  Make a little bowl within the flour mixture and put the remaining ingredients inside it.  Stir it a little bit and then incorporate the wet into the dry.  I make the flour bowl to save dishes, but you can mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl if you want and then just combine them.  The dough will be the consistency of a sticky cookie dough.  Spray 1-2 rimmed baking sheets with cooking spray and then scoop big blobs of the dough onto the baking sheets and spread out with the back of a large spoon or spatula.  You want it to be about 1/2-3/4 inches thick.  It doesn’t spread or rise much so don’t worry about it cooking strange if one of your baking sheets isn’t completely full of dough.  Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Note: This recipe is very forgiving so add, take away, do what you want and as long as you keep the amount of wet ingredients and dry ingredients equal to what I have, it will most likely turn out fine.  

July-Healthy

Jasmine's Quinoa Salad

This is less of a recipe, and more of an idea-starter.  :) I make this recipe whenever I don't really know what else to make for dinner or lunch! Quinoa is super healthy and packed with protein.

• Quinoa (amount depends on how many people you're trying to feed) (I usually plan on about 1/4 c. uncooked, or 1/2 c. cooked, quinoa per person...so if you're wanting to feed 4 people you'll want 1 cup uncooked (or 2 cups cooked) quinoa
• Raw veggies (you can use anything you like in your salads!) I usually use tomatoes, shredded carrots, cucumber, red pepper, and avocado (this is a must, yum!). Radishes, 
• I usually add either green or red onion, sliced thin
• Canned beans (for 2 c. cooked quinoa I add 1 can of beans), rinsed and drained. Again, whatever kind you like! Black, kidney, chick peas, pinto, I've even used black eyed peas!
• Herbs. Fresh herbs give this a really fresh taste! I usually use parsley and/or cilantro.
• Dressing. I usually make a balsamic vinaigrette and pour it over top. I don't really have a recipe for this, I just whisk together balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, a couple minced garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Sometimes I add dijon mustard, agave/honey, and/or nutritional yeast. Here is a link to a good basic balsamic vinaigrette: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/balsamic-vinaigrette/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=balsamic%20vinaigrette&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Recipe.  If you're in a rush, you can also top this salad with your favorite bottled salad dressing (Italian is really good).

In case you don't know how to cook quinoa, you cook it just like rice. 1 part quinoa to 2 parts water (or broth) I just cook it in my rice cooker. When I'm making this salad, I'll usually cook the quinoa in vegetable broth to give it extra flavor, but water is just fine.

If anyone has any questions on quinoa, or you want more ideas on ways to cook it, let me know!  :)

June- Ethnic Foods

Gazpacho
(Courtney Zaugg)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 c. Tomato juice
• 1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 1 small jalapeno, seeded and minced
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted, ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chiffonade

Directions

Place the tomatoes and juice into a large mixing bowl. Add the cucumber, bell pepper, red onion, jalapeno, garlic clove, olive oil, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire, cumin, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the mixture to a blender and puree for 15 to 20 seconds on high speed. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 hours and up to overnight. Serve with chiffonade of basil. Optional: top with sour cream and avocados. 

Rommegrøt (Norwegian dessert-like Flan)

(Stephanie Partridge)

1 qt. thick cream
1-1/4 cups flour
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
1 T. ground cinnamon

Pour cream into a heavy saucepan and heat until it starts to boil. Sift in 3/4 cup of the flour and whip with a wire whisk. Keep beating after the 3/4 cup of flour is all in, until the butter starts to come out of the cream. Then remove from the heat. Take a ladle and take off the butter, and put it in another bowl. Keep stirring until all the butter comes out.  (I didn't have enough cream, so I used half butter, half milk for the cup I was shy.  I never had any butter float to the top, but I kept stirring it until it was creamy and thick like pudding.) 

Put the milk in another kettle and heat to boiling.  Sift 1/2 cup flour into the milk while beating. Continue beating until mixture is thick like pudding. Remove it from the heat, add it to the cream mixture, and beat with a wire whisk until smooth and well blended. 

Pour into a 2-quart baking dish. Smooth out the top and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar on top. Pour the butter you saved over the top. Serve warm. (I thought it was weird to pour all the sugar and cinnamon on top and leave it like that, so I preheated my oven to 350 and then turned it off and put the pan in the oven for about 5-10 minutes.  It hardened the cinnamon and sugar so it was a little crispy.)

May- Casseroles

Poppy Seed Chicken

Courtney Zaugg

2 c. chicken, cooked and diced ( I cook mine with a little lemon juice and seasonings so that it is nice and tender, and very flavorful!)

1 can Heart Healthy cream of chicken soup

1 ½ c. fat free sour cream

8 oz. crushed Ritz crackers (whole wheat or reduced fat)

1 stick butter

 1 T. poppy seeds

Combine chicken, soup and sour cream. Combine crackers, melted butter, and poppy seeds. Mix half the cracker mixture with the chicken; reserve the rest for garnish. Spread chicken in greased 2 qt. casserole. Top with crumbs, parsley, and paprika. Bake 350ᵒ oven for 30 minutes. Serve over noodles or rice. 

To mix it up a bit I added about 3/4 cup of sliced crimini mushrooms to the chicken/cracker mixture. You can add less or more depending on how much you like mushrooms. :)

Black Bean and Tortilla Bake

Jasmine Sagum

• 2 garlic clove, minced

• 1 cup chopped onion

• 2 cup chopped tomato

• 1 cup chopped green onion

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 4 teaspoons cumin powder

• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce

• 2 (16 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 can corn, drained (or frozen)
• 1 can tomatoes, drained

• 2 tablespoon chopped cilantro

• salt and pepper

• 12 soft corn tortillas
• olives?

• 8 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded (OPTIONAL)**

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spray a large skillet with cooking spray.
3. Add garlic, onions, tomato, green onion, cumin, and chili powder.
4. Cook on medium heat until onion is tender.
5. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes more.
6. Stir in beans, cilantro, salt and pepper.
7. Spray a 9 inch square baking dish with cooking spray.
8. Layer 4 tortillas, 1/3 cheese (if using), and 1/3 of the bean mixture; repeat 2 more times (reserve 2 Tbsp of the cheese for the top).
9. Top with 2 tablespoons of cheese.
10. Bake 20 minutes, covered, then 10 minutes uncovered or until bubbly.
11. **NOTE ON THE CHEESE: I made this without the cheese. The corn tortillas get very creamy when you bake them like this, so I didn't think it needed the cheese! Even Chase, who loooves cheese, thought it tasted great without the cheese. So, if you're making this for company or something, you can use the cheese, but if you want to save on the calories :) feel free to make it without the cheese, or put just a little bit on top.

April - (BREADS)

Laura Duvalois:

Zucchini-Apple Bread

Mix in Bowl #1
3 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 T. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Mix in Bowl #2
3 eggs
1 cup oil
1 T. vanilla
3 cups sugar

Combine bowls 1 and 2 with: 2 cups grated (with peels) zucchini and 1 cup peeled and grated granny smith apples Grease pans. Bake at 350 degrees 40-60 minutes. This makes 2 regular size loafs.

Linda Atwood:


Caramel Rolls

18 frozen rhodes rolls
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup butter

In bundt pan, arrange rolls evenly on bottom. In saucepan, heat brown sugar, marshmallows and butter. Pour over frozen rolls and let rise 6-8 hours. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

March (Soups and Salads)

Courtney Zaugg:

Cheesy Broccoli Chowder

2 Tablespoons butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped carrot

1 stalk celery, finely chopped (feel free to add more celery if you like celery; I don't, so I don't add much)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

4 cups chicken broth (I usually use a mixture of low-sodium chicken broth and broth made with chicken soup base because it gives it such nice flavor)

2 large baking potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Tablespoon flour

1/2 cup water

2/3 cup milk

2 cups chopped broccoli

2 heaping cups shredded cheddar cheese

Melt the butter in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery and saute over medium heat until tender. Add garlic and cook 1 or 2 additional minutes. Add chicken broth and potatoes, bring to a boil, and cook until potatoes are tender. Mix flour with water, add, and simmer until soup is slightly thickened. Add milk and broccoli and cook until broccoli is just tender and soup is heated through. Stir in cheese, allow to melt, and serve.

(Courtney said to pass along that this isn't her favorite soup, but Sander loves it!)

Jasmine Sagum:

Mushroom, Potato Leek Soup

4 TBS olive oil

3 leeks, white parts only, CLEANED WELL, thinly sliced

2 large carrots, peeled & sliced

6 cups of broth (vegetable or chicken)

1 lb mushrooms, sliced (cremini and/or button)

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup milk (I use unsweetened rice milk, but you can use whatever milk

you have on hand (cow, soy, etc))

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup heavy cream (to keep this dairy free, and to save on uneeded

calories and fat, I use CASHEW CREAM instead (recipe follows))

2 tsp salt

2 tsp dried dill

3 bay leaves

pepper

Clean your leeks well. If you don't know how, here's a quick video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpGgm-dqYnI Make sure to clean them well, or you will be left with sand in your soup.

1. In a large pot on medium-high heat, saute the leeks and carrots in half the oil for about 5 minutes.
2. Pour in the broth and seasonings.
3. Add potatoes and cook for about 20-30 minutes on medium heat, or until the potatoes are soft (the time will depend on how large you cut the potatoes).
4. Meanwhile, in a separate saute pan, heat the remaining olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, and saute them until they are cooked (about 10 minutes). Add these to the soup.
5. Once the potatoes are done:
6. In a small bowl add the flour to the milk and cream. Mix thoroughly and add the the soup. Stir well.
7. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes or until the soup thickens. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately.

Cashew Cream
(I use this recipe in place of heavy cream in all of my soup and pasta recipes!)

Place 1/2 cup cashews in your blender. Add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until very smooth. If you don't have a high-powered blender, like a blendtec vitamix, this can take up to 5 minutes.

Katie Naylor:

Spinach Salad

Spinach

3 Gala Apples

¼ c. thinly sliced purple onion

2 avocados, diced

1-2 cups candied pecans (broken into small pieces)

1 c. dried cranberries

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, toss with Poppy Seed Dressing just before serving.

Poppy Seed Dressing

½ c. mayonnaise

½ c. sugar

2 T. apple cider vinegar

2 T. poppy seeds

¼ c. milk

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until needed. (You will not need

all of the dressing for the salad…use only enough to lightly coat spinach.)

Candied Pecans

Preheat oven to 300°.

Butter a large cookie/baking sheet.

1 egg white

1 tsp. water

1 c. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

4 c. Pecans

In a large bowl, beat until frothy, egg white and 1 tsp. water. In a separate bowl, mix sugar, salt and

cinnamon until well combined.

Add 4 cups Pecans to egg white mixture and toss until all pecans are coated.

Add cinnamon/sugar mixture to the pecans and toss to coat.

Spread the sugar coated pecans evenly over the buttered baking sheet.

Bake at 300° for 40-50 minutes (depending on your oven) turning the pecans every 15 min.

*Once the pecans are dry when you turn them, they should be done. (Mine usually take 40-45 min)

Remove from baking sheet and let cool on a sheet of foil.

Trish Atkinson

Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

2-3 large cooked, cut-up or shredded chicken breasts (I boil my chicken) Noodles (I use 1/2 a bag of "Country Pasta" - homemade style egg pasta (don't use egg noodles, they fall apart))

1-2 cups of carrots

1-2 cups of celery

1/2 of a large onion

4 bouillon cubes

3 cans of chicken broth

1 can evaporated milk

1 can cream of chicken soup

In a large pot combine chicken broth and bouillon cubes on med heat until cubes are dissolved. Then add chicken, noodles, carrots, celery, and onion. Bring to a simmer and simmer until vegetables are tender. Then add evaporated milk and cream of chicken soup and mix well. Eat and enjoy!! Total prep cook time is about 1 hour.

Abbey Morris:

Potato & Ham Soup

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced potatoes

1/3 cup diced celery

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup diced cooked ham

3 1/4 cups water

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

1 teaspoon ground white or black pepper, or to taste

5 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

1. Combine the potatoes, celery, onion, ham and water in a stockpot. Bring to a boil, then cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes (check potatoes with a knife that it goes through easily- they are soft). I usually get a potato masher and mash a little bit, but it is up to you if you want full pieces of potatoes. Stir in the chicken bouillon, salt and pepper.
2. In a separate saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour with a fork, and cook, stirring constantly until thick, about 1 minute. Slowly stir in milk as not to allow lumps to form until all of the milk has been added. Continue stirring over medium-low heat until thick, 4 to 5 minutes.
3. Stir the milk mixture into the stockpot, and cook soup until heated through. Serve immediately.

I have also added cheddar cheese and some cream which made it pretty rich. But it was AWESOME!

I serve this with banana bread and it is always amazing.

Costa Vida Sweet Pork Salad

Ingredients:

Pork Roast (4-5 lbs), thawed if frozen
3 cups Coke
1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. (heaping) brown sugar
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. powdered garlic
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, peeled and grated
1 (smallish) jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on high for 6-7 hours. Once done, remove roast and put on cutting board.

Add another 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar and a cup of coke to crock pot and stir. Shred roast (it should easily come apart). Add shredded pork back in crock pot.

Cook on low another 3 hours (I did it for two and it was fine.)

SALAD:

Add cilantro, avocado, rice, black beans, tomatoes and any type of salsa on a bed of lettuce (I use romaine or mixed greens to get an added value) with the pork.

Deanna Williams

Zucchini Soup

3 large zucchinis finely grated
1/4 onion finely grated
Butter
4 oz cream cheese
6 cups water
Chicken bouillon: amount equal to 6 cups of water
About 10 drops of worcestershire sauce (adjust to preference)

Sautee zucchini and onion in butter. Add cream cheese and melt. Add water. Boil, then add bouillon and worcestershire sauce. Simmer for about an hr. Enjoy!

April Felix

Easy Thai Coconut Soup
Recipe by Ourbestbites.com
Ingredients
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoon minced jalapeno pepper
1 1/2 tablespoon fresh minced ginger, or 1 ½ teaspoons ground dry ginger
2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth
1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk or light coconut milk (about 1 3/4 cups)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 packages ramen noodes (discard seasoning packet)
optional: ¾ cup sliced mushrooms
1 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 cup diced or shredded cooked chicken
toppings: additional chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, and lime wedges
Instructions
Heat medium sized pot to medium-high heat on stove top. Add olive oil, jalapeno, and ginger (if using fresh.) Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until jalapeno and ginger are softened and fragrant. If using ground ginger, add now and stir. Add chicken broth, coconut milk, and salt and increase heat to bring mixture to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add noodles (note you will discard seasoning packet that comes with noodles.) Simmer 3-5 minutes, until noodles are softened. If using mushrooms, add them in the final 2-3 minutes of cooking the noodles. Add chicken and simmer for about 30 seconds to heat through. Remove pot from heat and stir in lime juice, chicken, and cilantro. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with additional chopped cilantro, green onions, and lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately. Serves 4-6.
Note: This type of noodle absorbs liquid exceptionally fast, so you should serve the soup immediately. If you know you need to keep the soup warm for a while before serving, wait to add the noodles until a few minutes before you’re ready to serve.

Linda Atwood:

Spinach Mandarin Poppy Seed Salad

8 oz. (1/2 bag) of baby spinach

1/2-1 head Romaine lettuce, chopped

1/2 thinly sliced medium red onion

1 large avocado, cubed

8 oz. mozzarella or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 12-oz. package bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 large can Mandarin oranges, drained

Poppy seed dressing, to taste

Combine all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. When ready to serve, toss with desired amount of salad dressing and serve immediately. If you anticipate leftovers, just let your eaters dress their own salads because the dressing will make the greens wilt.

Poppyseed Dressing

1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
A few turns of freshly ground black pepper
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. mustard
1 green onion, ends removed
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 tsp. poppy seeds

In a blender, combine vinegar, salt, pepper, sugar, and mustard. While the blender is running, add the green onion. Continue running the blender and add the oil in a steady stream and is fully incorporated into the dressing.

Pour the dressing into a serving or storage container and whisk in poppy seeds.

Laura Duvalois:

Apple Spinach Salad with Red Onion Dressing

1 bunch of spinach, torn
5 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1 granny smith apple, diced and added right before serving
1/2 cup toasted, sugared slivered almonds
(I melt 1/4 c. + 1 T. sugar over med. high heat then mix almonds in and let dry on foil. Then break apart.)

Dressing:
1/8 red onion
1/3 c. oil
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Mix dressing in blender and pour over salad just before serving.

Caitlin Peterson:

Sweet Vinegar Dressing

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. apple cider

1/4 tsp. dry mustard

1/8 tsp. coarse black pepper

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dry parsley plakes

1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Combine all ingredients together and blend well. Chill before serving.

Sweet Salad:

Slivered Almonds

Fresh parmesan cheese shaved

Strawberries, Grapes, Apples (or any kind of fruit you want)

Lettuce (or any kind you want)