Chinese Chicken Salad by Jennifer Mullins

1 head cabbage, shredded

3-4 green onions, sliced

3-4 cooked chicken breasts, chopped

2 pkg Top Ramen noodles

1 pkg sliced almonds (blanched and slivered almonds work best)

Dressing:

1 cup oil

1 T sesame oil (optional)

2 T sesame seed (optional)

6 T soy sauce

4 T sugar

2 T vinegar

2 pkg Top Ramen flavor packets

Directions:

Combine shredded cabbage, chicken, and onions

Toast noodles and almonds on a cookie sheet @ 350 till brown-watch, it will burn!

Combine dressing and microwave 3 minutes.  Chill.

Combine and toss all right before serving.

This is my mom’s recipe.  I leave out the sesame stuff-who has that around the house?  You can also throw in a small can of pineapple or mandarin oranges.  Only microwave the dressing-I tried it on the stove top once, and cooked it too long, and it turned out all gooey!  Also, I started using the packages of shredded cabbage-which works just as well. 

Spring Strawberry Spinach Salad by Jennifer Mullins

INGREDIENTS:

Salad:

1 bunch spinach, rinsed

10 large strawberries, sliced

Dressing:

½ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup white wine vinegar (I use balsamic or rice vinegar)

1 cup vegetable oil (I only use ½ cup)

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Almonds:

½ large bag of sliced almonds (or however many you want)

White sugar (I just dump some in – maybe 1/3 to ½ cup)

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix the spinach and strawberries.
2. In a blender, place the ½ cup sugar, salt, vinegar, and oil, and blend until smooth.  (you can also do this with a hand mixer)  Stir in the poppy seeds. 
3. Sauté the almonds and sugar over medium heat until the sugar melts, stirring constantly.  Cool.  Add the almonds to the salad just before serving.
4. Pour the dressing over the spinach and strawberries, and toss to coat. (just before serving)

Chrissy Evan's Lemonade Shortcake Cups

• 1 small (9oz) package white cake mix (if you can’t find a small package, then 1 and 2/3 cups of white cake mix from a regular package)
• ½ cup flour
• 2 oz cream cheese, softened
• 4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1 and ¼ cups thawed cool whip
• ¾ cup lemon curd, divided (1/2 and ¼)
• 6 strawberries
• 1 tbsp water
• Mini muffin pan

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray mini muffin pan with nonstick spray
3. In a bowl, combine cake mix, butter, cream cheese, and flour.  Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
4. Spoon about 1 tbsp of dough into each cup of pan.  Bake 11-13 minutes, or until cups are light golden brown.  Move pan to cooling rack, and use a tart shaper or deep measuring spoon to form indentations in cups.  Let cool 5 minutes.
5. In a bowl, make filling by mixing whipped topping and ½ cup lemon curd until well blended.  Put filling in large resealable plastic bag (cut one corner when ready to fill cups) or icing bag.
6. Slice strawberries into quarters
7. Grasp edges of each cup and gently twist to remove from pan.  Place on cooling rack or dish.
8. Mix remaining ¼ cup lemon curd and 1 tbsp water in a bowl.
9. Squeeze filling evenly into cups.  Spoon lemon curd over filling.  Top with strawberry.

Heather Payne's Chicken Salad Tea Sandwiches

Use cookie cutter to cut rounds from potato bread

Cook chicken. Shred in mixer (takes 5 seconds just use regular beater and mix cooked chicken on low.) 

Add:
Green onions diced
Celery finely diced
Garlic
Craisins
Toasted almond slivers
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayo to coat - I like the olive oil based one

Mix, chill, and spread on sandwiches. 

Sometimes I change nuts to diced cashews and craisins to sliced grapes. My family prefers it that way but I didn't have grapes.

Heather's Payne's Cucumber Appetizer's

Ingredients

1 (8oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon Dill Weed
1/2 teaspoon Thyme Leaves
1/4 teaspoon Oregano Leaves
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1/4 teaspoon Seasoned Salt 

Directions: Combine all ingredients in food processor or mixer.
Mix until well blended. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to one week.

White chocolate dipped pretzels from Carol Shepperd

Ingredients


Package white chocolate wafers
Package holiday pretzels


Melt white chocolate in microwave.  Dip pretzels in chocolate.  Place on wax paper sheet to harden.  Store in air tight container.  Best if eaten in a few days.

Winter Squash Soup by Courtney Baird

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 1 (15 - ounce) can pumpkin puree (make sure it’s just the canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling.)
• 1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled and cut in chunks
• 3 cups homemade chicken stock or canned broth
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup half - and – half  (I used heavy cream since I had some in the fridge)
• Creme fraiche, grated Gruyere, or croutons (see Note), for serving (optional) – I just use parmesan cheese  

Directions

Heat the butter and oil in a heavy - bottomed stockpot, add the onions, and cook over medium - low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the pumpkin puree, butternut squash, chicken stock, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium - low heat for about 20 minutes, until the butternut squash is very tender. Process the mixture through the medium blade of a food mill. (I don’t have a food mill.  I just used a potato masher.  You could throw it in a food processor or blender too.  I prefer mine to not be totally smooth).  Return to the pot, add the half - and - half, and heat slowly. If the soup needs more flavor, add another teaspoon of salt. Serve hot with garnishes, if desired.

Cook's Note: To serve with croutons, remove the crusts from 2 slices of white bread, cut them in 1/2-inch cubes, and saute them in 1 tablespoon of butter until browned. Season with salt and pepper.