Watergate Salad!

I'm always looking for something easy for my readers and today I came across this recipe on the back of a pkg. of mini marshmallows.  Super Bowl Sunday isn't too far away so I made it today for some friends who will be stopping by after we have our usual Friday run for pizza. ****It would be a nice bring along for those who enjoy sweets and why not to a Super Bowl party?

It's sweet and loaded with pineapple (for you pineapple lovers).  I didn't have any pistachio pudding so I substituted vanilla pudding and adding 2 drops of green food coloring to my Cool Whip.  (you could add more color with a few more drops).

I added some shelled pistachios to this as well as some chopped pecans. 

Easy to make!  Enjoy!!

Watergate Salad

1 cup Jet- puffed miniature marshmallows

1 pkg. 4 oz serving size) Jello instant Pistachio flavor instant pudding

1 can (20 ox) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained

1/2 chopped pecans

1 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip topping

Mix marshmallows, dry pudding mix, pineapple and pecans in large bowl until well blended

Add whipped topping; stir gently until well blended. Cover

Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve.

Makes 8 to 10 servings depending on size.

1/13/13

Susan's Pick: Taco Salad

Taco Salad is one of my daughter's favorite salads.  She also loves Apple Bread Pudding.  If you're feeling like something Mexican this will  send you to the grocery store today to buy the ingredients.

To reduce some of the fat and calories we use very lean beef and low fat or fat free dressing.  I'll share the recipe for the Taco Salad below and post the Bread pudding recipe at another time. Enjoy!!

P. S.  The Apple Bread Pudding is definitely NOT low fat!

Hope your day is wonderful!

Happy Baking and Cooking from my kitchen to yours,

 

M.J.

Apple Bread Pudding

Taco Salad

1 lb. ground round 95% fat free
1/2 head iceberg lettuce, sliced fine or broken is small pieces
2 small plum tomatoes
1 taco seasoning packet
8 oz. light French salad dressing(you'll cut a lot of calories if you use light dressing)
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese shredded( you can cut calories by using low fat cheese)
3/4 cup cooked Rotini or small pasta

Cook ground meat until browned..add taco seasoning mix(do not add water)..Cool..Set aside.  Cook pasta, drain and rinse..Clean and cut lettuce, wash thoroughly and drain well..add tomato, pasta, cheese and ground meat mixture..Toss with French Dressing., regular or light. Refrigerate..Enjoy.




6/6/12
4/15/13

Rainbow Salad

We enjoyed this wonderful as well as healthy salad for our dinner last evening.  There wasn't any left in the bowl when we were finished.  Doesn't that tell you something? You may want to serve this salad with some light crackers!  Yummy!!

Happy Healthy and Tasty Meals from my kitchen to yours,

M.J.

 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce hearts
2 cups sliced red cabbage
2 Granny Smith Apples or Red Delicious, diced
1 large pear, diced
1 mango, peeled and diced
3/4 cup walnut halves, toasted
2 chopped shallots
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, feta or GOAT cheese!

In a large bowl, toss romaine, cabbage, apples, pear, mango and walnuts.

In a small bowl whisk shallots, vinegar, honey,oil, salt and pepper.  Pour over salad and toss.  Sprinkle with blue cheese or cheese of choice.

Another recipe courtesy of Dashboard via local newspaper.

Serves 8 according to the note in the recipe.

250 cal. 23g carbs, 5 g protein, 17 g fat, 5 mg chol, 270 sodium, 5 g fiber.

Mango Ginger Chicken

I'm trying another new creation.  Yes I get bored and my crockpot is so handy that just about any meal you can make in it with a little imagination.

Last night  took out of the freezer 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts knowing full well I didn't have any idea what I was going to do with them.  I had in back of my mind seasoning and grilling them but I was baking so much yesterday and today I wanted something that took little effort and that's how this recipe developed.

Basic ingredients:

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 bottle interesting sauce of your choice.  I chose Ginger, Mango Habanero.  A bit spicy but so wonderful my hubby went crazy and ate two of the three pieces.
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 to 2 T brown sugar

That's it folks.  Place chicken first in crockpot, add sauce, soy sauce and sprinkle of brown sugar.  Cover, Set to high and wow in 3 hours or less this is a done deal.

FYI:  The more chicken you use the more sauce and other ingredients listed above you should use and time will vary so gage yourself  and allow more time for longer cooking. 

I served it over a Basmatic rice. Some fresh fruit on the side.  Delicious and easy.  Two major pluses.  

Food, Fun, Family and Fireworks

Finally the weather co-operated and we were able to get most of our immediate family together for some a nice summer day.

  Our oldest grandson and granddaughter are off to college and the beach.  They are almost 19 and we knew this time would come. It's hard letting go but their adults and it's time.  We see them(I took both out individually for lunch); (A grammie only time) but with college and their friends I am sure it'll be holidays and a few in-between visits  NO DOUBT!!!

We are lucky to have a community pool so since we moved here over 8 years ago we have been fortunate to be able to enjoy it and have our children and grandchildren enjoy it too. They love to swim.



They are growing in leaps and bounds.  Andrew the baby of the group was 4 when we moved here and he'll be a teenager(13) soon.  Time goes by so quickly but memories last forever.

A wonderful peach and strawberries salad was qreat.  A tossed it with some balsamic and olive oil.  Sweet!

Susan and I.  She is our youngest!

In the front I made some easy pepperoni rolls using crescent rolls, sliced pepperoni and a little shredded cheddar. Follow the baking instructions on the package.  4 packages were used and not one left. 

I am a camera nut! Period!!  What better way to remember those days gone by with photos from years ago. So you can be sure a few photos were taken today.  At first they teased and said "stop with the photos" but now they have accepted it and I snap snap snap. The camera is usually with me most times.

Hubby helps quite a bit with set up and clean up!

I made it a point this year to not go way out with food preparation and start to enjoy more of the family time.  It is very hard because food and family go together and I truly love to bake and cook seriously...... That's the way it was when I was growing up and I can't get into just making do so having said that this year was much easier in the cooking area.

 No grills to deal with and we ate inside which saved outdoor clean up so we were able(me included) to get there early. 

  Desserts were made a day in advance and along with a wonderful nectarine strawberry salad, mini pepperoni rolls,  baked chicken fingers and pierogies ;we also had coconut macaroon cookies, strawberry pretzel salad, ciamballone for  dessert.  Of course sliced watermelon too!  That's a must!

mini pepperoni rolls

Layered with sharp cheese and a few spoonful of mashed potatoes and baked.

Strawberry pretzel salad.  Yummy

Relaxing

After we ate we ALL including me went up the pool and either sat on the ledge or went in all the way and swam.  I joinged the grandchildren and am so happy I did.

  I love the pool and don't use it as much as I should.  They offer swim aerobics which I really should join the ladies but I have to get myself up there more often for that as well as some socialization with the really nice people we have learned to call our friends.

It was a great day and just the right amount of time with family.  Now to relax!