Chicken Pasta Salad

I made this for the going away potluck for the Gunns and Andersons this week. This is another one from Recipe Shoebox.

Ingredients
1 lb. cooked, shredded chicken (I usually use can of Costco chicken)
1 lb. cooked rotini noodles (or bow tie)
2 heads broccoli, finely chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1/3 onion, chopped
1 can sliced olives
1 cup shredded cheese (optional)
1/3 - 1/2 cup ranch dressing (don't skip this--it's what holds it all together)

Dressing:
2 envelopes dry Italian dressing mix
6 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
4-1/2 Tbs. water
3/4 cup oil (you can reduce this some)

Combine cooled chicken, chopped vegetables, and olives. Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over vegetables and chicken. Mix together. Add ranch dressing and cheese. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Serves 8 - 10.

Whole Wheat Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

In my family we call these the "Butterfly" muffins because my Mom would always make them when we were going to an early morning piano competition and we had butterflies in our stomach from being nervous!
They are very delicious, and healthy. Jane just finished her 2nd one this morning!












1/4 cup Margarine
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
Cream together then add:
1 Egg
3/4 cup Applesauce
1 cup Rolled Oats
Mix
Add:
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 cup nuts(optional)
Raisins (optional)
Mix all together and spoon into a greased muffin tin or lined with muffin papers.
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until browned.

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach

This is quick and delicious!


From the Recipe Shoebox.

The ingredients:
6 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (1-lb) penne pasta
5-oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil (or 1/2 cup fresh)
6 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in a small glass bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute to blend flavors. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the flavored oil in a skillet. Salt and pepper chicken and cook in the oil over medium high heat until chicken is browned and juices run clear. Add the chopped and spinach and saute with the cooked chicken for 1 minute (or until just barely wilted) and remove from heat. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package; drain well. Add cooked chicken/spinach to pasta, along with basil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese. Then stir in the remainder of the flavored olive oil. Toss lightly until all ingredients are well-combined. Serve immediately. Makes about 6 servings. Enjoy!

Monday Menu Planning

Monday: Upsidedown meatloaf (even if you hate meatloaf, you'll love this one!) Roasted Red Potatoes, Broccoli

Tuesday: Ebelskivers, (These are a Danish dish, basically little round pancakes. You can put filling in them or just eat them topped with powdered sugar.) Eggs, Bacon, yogurt & strawberries

Wednesday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOSH!! His favorite: Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo, Grilled Salmon, Grilled veggies, and Oatmeal Cake for dessert.

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Taquitos, refried beans, rice

Saturday: Pizza

Sunday: Easter dinner: Ham, Grandma G.G.'s potatoes, salad, rolls

Last Year's Recipe Goals

This is a post from my blog a few months ago. I just wanted to share some of the recipes I learned.

Last year, a friend had a goal to learn 50 new recipes. They had to be new and her family had to like them enough to want to repeat them. I was inspired by her and decided to make a goal of 30 new recipes. I started in May and have slowly been working my way there. I've had a couple requests to list them, so here they are:

1. Chicken Enchilada Skillet
2. Herbed Chicken Breast
3. Chicken Primavera
4. Fresh Herb Penne with Chicken and Tomatoes
5. Baked Beef Ziti
6. Garden Pasta Salad
7. Penne With Mushrooms
8. Creamy Penne Pasta aka Penne Alfredo
9. Grilled Chicken With Rosemary and Lemon
10. Tomato Bisque
11. Potato and Sausage Bake
12. Ham and Great Northern Bean Soup for the Crock Pot
13. Roasted Garlic Potatoes
14. Parmesan Crusted Roasted Potatoes
15. Old Fashioned Onion Rings
16. Velvety Beef Stroganoff
17. Easy Deviled Eggs
18. Olive Garden Fettuccine Alfredo
19. Better Than Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce
20. Festive Fusilli
21. Maria's Italian Meatballs
22. Pesto Cheese Blossoms
23. Simply Sensational Truffles
24. Chocolate Covered Cherry Bon-Bons
25. Next Best Thing to .... cake
26. Chocolate Covered Caramel Apples
27. Heavenly Fruit Dip


The recipes without links are ones that I got from friends or random cookbooks as I was browsing bookstores. I didn't make it to 30, and the last few recipes are desserts and treats I made for the holidays this last year, but oh, well! They're all pretty good :)

Weekly Menu

Monday: Baked Salmon, Brown rice pilaf, broccoli (I guess it's b-day dinner. =)

Tuesday: Crockpot BBQ pork ribs, baked potato's and green beans

Wednesday: White bean & chicken chili, homemade bread

Thursday: Lemon Shrimp and Cous Cous (thanks Karla!!)

Friday: Tacos, homemade refried beans, spanish rice

Saturday: Potluck!!

Sunday: Daddy cooks =)

Cafe Rio copycat recipes

Pork Barbacoa
Place 1 boneless pork rast in a crockpot. (I've used chicken before)
Mix together and pour over the roast:
1 McCormick Grill Mate southwest marinade packet
1 can Dr. Pepper
1/2 cup vinegar
2 T oil
1/4-1 1/2 cups brown sugar -depends on your sweet tooth. (I do 1 1/2!)

Cook on low for 5-7 hours till done in the middle. Shred the prok with a fork, then put back in the marinade and keep crockpot on low unitl serving.

Tomatillo Dressing
In a blender combine:
2 cups mayo
1 clove garlic
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only
2 T water
1-2 T vinegar
1 jalapeno, no seeds
1 tomatillo, quartered
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Cafe Rio Chicken
1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian dressing
1 T chili powder
1 T cumin
3 cloves garlic-minced
5 lbs chicken breast
Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hrs, shred meat and cook an additional hour.
(I've never made this but I had the recipe so I thought I'd share!)