Wild Rice Salad

I just got this one in an email today. I think it sounds yummy, maybe even for Thanksgiving! I'll let you know if I try it.

Wild Rice Salad with Apples and Walnuts OR Wild Rice Pilaf (use a boxed mix WITH wild rice in it) with Apples and Walnuts

For the salad

1 cup wild rice OR 1 box rice pilaf mix with wild rice (for the nutty taste and crunch)

2 cups water (to cook the wild rice) OR cook the pilaf according to directions on the box

1 tablespoon vegetable oil (olive oil is fine)

¼ teaspoon salt OR no salt, especially if you use any of the seasoning mix from the pilaf mix

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 rib of celery, sliced (not too think)

4 scallions (green onions) – optional – about 1 tablespoon red onion works well

1 cup raisins

1 medium apple (your favorite flavor), cored and diced

Grated rind from one lemon (or an orange)



For the dressing

3 tablespoons lemon juice (fresh or bottled or from the plastic lemon)

1 or 2 pressed garlic cloves, to taste

½ teaspoon salt (or none, if you use the seasoning mix from the pilaf)

Black pepper, to taste

1/3 cup olive oil (or canola oil)



Rinse the wild rice in cold water. Put it in a pan with the water, vegetable oil and salt; bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the rice is tender (about 45-50 minutes). All the water will have been absorbed and the rice will be tender, but still chewy.



If you use a pilaf mix, cook it according to package directions.



Combine the walnuts, celery, scallions, raisins, apple and lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix the dressing ingredients until blended; or combine in a jar and shake until blended.

Pour half of the dressing over the walnut-celery-raisins-apple mixture and mix well. When the rice or pilaf mix has cooled to ‘just warm,’ combine it with the walnut-apple-etc. mixture. Add the rest of the dressing, to taste. Let the salad sit for at least 1 hour. Toss again. Serve on a bed of lettuce, if desired, but not necessary.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Serves 12
1 1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (crush about 20 cookies in aplastic bag with a rolling pin)1/4 cup unsalted butter -- melted
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese -- softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)
4 eggs
3/4 cup chilled whipping cream (need to whip it with 2 teaspoons sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, mix the cookie crumbs and butter. Press evenly on the bottom of a 9" spring form pan.
Bake 10 minutes, then let cool.Reduce oven temp. to 300 degrees. In another large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, the cinnamon and ginger on medium speed until smooth. Add pumpkin puree. Now add in the eggs, one at a time on low speed. Pour into the cookie crumb pie shell. Bake your cheesecake until center is firm, about 1 1/4 hours. Cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. (but in yourcase, you did it two days prior at least) To loosen cheesecake from the sides of the pan, unbuckle the side andcarefully remove. Serve a dollop of whip cream on the cheesecake. This recipe is to die for!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Onions
Serves 12
8 medium peeled sweet potatoes -- cut into 2-inch pieces
4 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in 2, 13 x 9 inch baking dishes, evenly
dividing up the ingredients. Toss to coat and bake for 35 minutes or
so, until the taters are fork tender and nicely browned.

Dirt Dessert

I'm sure this recipe is not new but here it is anyway:

Dirt Dessert:
1. Scoop 2 tablespoons instant chocolate pudding mix into a clear plastic cup.
2. Add 3 tablespoons milk, and stir.
3. Place an Oreo in a plastic bag and smash with cookie with your fist.
4. Pour the cookie crumbs on top of the pudding. Add a gummy worm.

Yummy and so fun!

This is a salad that I bought at Costco in a big bag and it was fabulous so i had to write it down. Here it is:

1 bag of chopped lettuce
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup - 1 cup white balsamic vinaigrette

Broccoli Salad

half a pound of bacon
2 Cups of small broccoli florets
1 Cup of Mayonnaise
1 Table spoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 Cup chopped onions
1/4 Cup sugar
3/4 Cup raisins
1/2 Cup sunflower seeds
Cook the bacon and then crumble it up.

In a large bowl mix the Mayo, cider, onions, sugar, raisins and sunflower seeds until well mixed and then add the broccoli and bacon.

If you want it even more colorful, you can blanch the broccoli for about 3 min before you add it to the mixture.

Strawberry Poke Cake

This one is super easy! Oh, it makes my mouth water just looking at the recipe.

Make a yellow cake
After it's cooled off a bit, start poking holes in it with the end of a spoon or something similar.
Grab a large bag of thawed, but once frozen strawberries and start mashing them.
Add about a 1/2 cup of sugar and mix it all up.
Let that sit off to the side. Taste it to make sure its sweet enough for your liking.
Then make some vanilla pudding. The kind that's in the small box.
And stick it in the fridge till you need it in a few minutes.
Here's the fun part.....Dump the strawberries onto the cake.Next add the pudding and try to spread it around on the top of the strawberries. (Yea, its gonna look messy)
Then top the whole thing off with a container of whip cream!

Chicken Marbella

First of all..... this is by far the most requested recipe I've ever made. I've heard from "someone" that it looks complicated, but its sooooo easy I promise! And well worth the effort!

2 1/2 pounds of bone in, chicken (my favorite is breast)
1 Head of garlic, peeled and finely pureed
1/4 Cup dried oregano
course salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 Cup olive oil
1/2 cup of capers with the juice
6 bay leaves
1 Cup of Brown sugar
1/4 C. parsley
Mix it all in a big bowl and let it marinate over night in the refrigerator ( you don't have to let it sit, but it more flavor full if you do)
.Pre heat the oven to 350Arrange the chicken and marinade in a baking dish
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes
Don't forget to bast it every once in a while

Sweet N' Sour Chicken

1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces
3 Cups assorted cut-up vegetables (bell pepper, carrots, celery etc.)
1 Can (8oz. ) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1/2 Cup sweet and sour sauce
Cooked rice
Heat the skillet over high heat.
Add oil
Add chicken and stir fry about 3 minutes or until no longer pink in the center.
Add vegetables and stir fry about 2 min. or until crisp-ish tender. Stir in pineapple and sweet and sour sauce; cook and stir 1 min. Serve over rice and sprinkle some chow mein noodles on top for a little extra crunch!

Spoon Tacos

I love this recipe for spoon tacos. I got it from my friend who cooks for large crowds often. The sauce freezes well so if you're not going to use it all, freeze it for another time.

Make a Smilebox postcard

Corn Bread Confetti Salad

I just made this salad for our ward pot luck last Saturday and was asked 3 times for the recipe. It's different but yummy!


8 x 8 pan of cornbread (homemade or mix)
2 cans (15 1/2 oz each) whole kernel corn, drained
2 cans (15 oz each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
3 small tomatoes, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions
10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Dressing:
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix

Prepare corn bread, bake. Cool completely; crumble. In a large bowl, combine the corn, beancs, tomatoes, peppers, onions, bacon, cheese and crumbled cornbread. in a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients until well blended. Just before serving, pour dressing over salad and toss. Yield: 20 - 22 servings.

Strawberry Lemonade Salad

2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 C. cold water,
1 C. boiling water
1 1/3 C. frozen lemonade concentrate
2 (10 oz. pkg.) frozen strawberries partially thawed
2 C. whipping cream
Soften gelatin in cold water, then dissolve in the boiling water. Stir in lemonade concentrate and strawberries with juice. Chill until partially set, add whip cream and fold into gelatin mixture. Put in 9x13 pan and chill several hours until firm. Garnish with fresh strawberries and serve!