Mango Curry Chicken Salad

2 lbs. Chicken breast, boiled, cooled, and diced
1 mango, diced
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 cup golden raisins

Dressing:
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. curry powder

Candied Almonds:
1/2 cup sliced almonds
sugar

Mix chicken, mango, red onion, and raisins with dressing. Just before serving, stir in candied almonds.

Options:
Substitute raisins for halved green grapes
Add a diced green apple
Substitute roasted cashews for candied almond slices

I thought it sounded pretty interesting (maybe not so good) when I first heard it, but it really is pretty good.

Oriental Pasta Salad

16 oz. pasta, cooked
2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

Dressing:
1 cup oil
2/3 cup rice vinegar
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2/3 cups Yoshida's Marinade
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper

Blend together. Toss in a big Ziplock bag with cooked pasta and shredded chicken. Let sit for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Before serving add:
1 bag fresh spinach
2 cans mandarin oranges
1 bunch green onions, chopped
¼ cup sesame seeds
1 cup Craisins
2 cans water chestnuts, slice
1 cup honey roasted peanuts

Broccoli Chicken Salad

2 cans chicken
1 head of broccoli, finely chopped
1 ½ cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
1 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Ranch dressing

Mix all ingredients together and serve on crackers, baguettes, or whatever sounds good to you.

Oriental Chicken Salad

½ c. sugar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
¼ c. water
¼ c. vegetable oil
¼ c. ketchup
3 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 medium head iceberg lettuce, torn
2 c. cubed cooked chicken
1 c. salted cashews
1 can (8 oz.) sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 pkg. (6 oz.) frozen snow peas, thawed (I use fresh snow peas instead)
1 can (3 oz.) chow mein noodles
1/4 c. chopped green onions

In a small saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Cool. In a large salad bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; add dressing and toss to coat. Serve immediately. Makes 8 – 10 servings

Chinese Chicken Salad

• 4-6 chicken breasts
• ¾ Cup slivered almonds
• 2 head lettuce, shredded
• ¾ pkg. Won Ton skins
• ½ head red cabbage, shredded
Dressing:
• ½ Cup white vinegar
• 1 Cup oil
• 2 tsp salt & pepper
• ¾ Cup green onion

Cut chicken & brown until cooked. Lightly cook Won Ton Skins in oil until crispy. Then cook slivered almonds. Mix together. Add dressing just before serving

Share and share alike!

I know there are many of you out there who have great recipes, and we need more than 5 or so a month. So do share, please. Even if you have a good receipe that doesn't fit in with the month's theme, still share it. If you view the recipe blog and would like to contribute but have not received an invitation to do so, please just leave a comment with your email here (or if you aren't comfortable doing that, email me at trepscher@yahoo.com) and I will send you an invite. I totally don't care if I know you or not. The more the merrier! I'm glad people want to read it, that's why I did it. I have really enjoyed the new recipes that have been posted. Thank you everyone!

Scalloped Potatoes with Ham

I realize I am a couple days behind with most things that I do, so I figure it is okay to post my crock pot recipe in the month of June. Thanks Tara for the recipe, it is one of our favorites so I hope you don't mind if I use it.

6 cups raw potatoes cut into small cubes
1 med. onion, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. cooked ham, cubed
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
4 Tbsp. butter
4 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups milk

Layer potatoes, onion, 1 tsp. salt and ham into slow cooker. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir flour and 1 tsp. salt. Cook until bubble. Gradually add milk. Cook until smooth and thickened. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour over potato-ham mixture, stirring lightly. Cover. Cook on low 6-7 hours or high 3-4 hours.

Teriyaki Roast

I got this recipe from a friend in Utah and I make it all the time. It is a great roast and really you can't go wrong with this recipe. You wouldn't think you could mess up a crock pot meal but
I can. Hope you enjoy and thanks Melissa for recipe.

3 lbs. chuck or rump roast
1 sliced onion
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 Cup cider vinergar
2 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. ground ginger

Trim roast & poke it all over with a large fork. Slice onion and place in bottom of crock pot. Put meat on top of onions.

Stir remaining ingredients together in bowl and pour over meat. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Gravy:
Strain drippings into a sauce pan and thicken with approx. 1/4 cup water and 1 Tbsp. cornstarch. ( I have never made the gravy because I am not so good with that, I just pour
some of the juices over the meat from the crock pot).

Cafe Rio pulled pork salad/burrito

IF you love Cafe Rio, this is a pretty dang close recipe. Living on the east coast, I've felt very deprived of my lovely Cafe Rio. This is a great alternative! If you don't know what Cafe Rio is, check out caferio.com

4-6 pound pork roast with enough water to cover and cook in a crockpot for about 5 hours on low. Drain water and shred meat. Add a 16 oz jar of salsa, 1 can of coke and 2 cups brown sugar. Cook for another 2-3 hours on low.

Cilantro Rice
1/2 diced onion
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
cilantro--to taste--we like at least a bunch. finely chopped
juice of 2 limes
White rice 2-3 cups precooked and as much water as it calls for and cook as directed

Cilantro ranch dressing--this makes more than enough,(a full blender full) so you may want to half it.
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk
1 can diced chiles
1/2 avacado
1/2 can tomatillos or 3-4 fresh ones
1/4 tsp cayanne pepper--I don't like anything spicy, so I make it 1/8 tsp
1 pkg dry ranch dressing
lime juice to taste
Combine everything in a blender and chill for at least 2 hours

Making your Salad:
Browned tortilla
black or pinto beans
cilantro rice
pulled pork roast
Romaine salad greens
cheese
tomatoes
dressing
Serve with a scoop of guac and sour cream on the side
Making your burrito:
Just omit the salad greens and dressing
Yummers! Makes me want to make some for tonight! A lot of prep, but well worth it and lots of leftovers!

Crock Pot Chicken and Pasta

I got this recipe at my bridal shower-it is soo good!


4 chicken breasts
1 pkg. dry zesty Italian salad dressing mix
1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
Pasta Penne, cut mini lasagna, etc.

*Put chicken in crock pot. Sprinkle with Zesty Italian Salad dressing mix pkg. Cook chicken 4-6 hours. When Chicken is cooked, cut into cubes. Mix cream cheese and soup in pan over medium heat. Add chicken, serve over pasta.

Magic Cookie Bars

Ok, so you don't make this in the crock pot, but I promised Traci I would post this recipe last month. . . oops. These are so good!

1 cube butter
1 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 can sweetened condenced milk

Melt butter. Add to a greased 13x9 pan. Add graham cracker crumbs. Mash with a spoon, spread evenly on bottom. Add chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts, spread evenly over. Drizzle sweetened condenced milk all over top. Bake 30 minutes at 350'. Let cool completely before you cut.

Crockpot Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken or 1 pkg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 green pepper, chopped in large chunks
1 red pepper, chopped in large chunks
1 red onion, chopped in large chunks
1 pkg. fresh mushrooms, whole
2-3 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped

Marinade:
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
1-2 tsp. dried thyme
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
Salt & pepper to taste

Prepare vegetables and chicken and combine in crockpot. Prepare the marinade by combining all ingredients and whisking together. Then pour the marinade over the vegetables and chicken. Cook on low for 4-8 hours. Serve with hard, crusty bread.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cook a 3 to 3 ½ pound pork roast all day in the crock-pot on high. Once roast is cooked, shred the meat and add sauce and simmer. The recipe will fill 16 or more buns.

Sauce:
• 18 oz bottle Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce, hickory flavor
• 2 ½ Tbsp butter
• ½ Cup ketchup
• 1 Tbsp minced onion
• ½ tsp mustard
• ½ tsp oregano
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp curry powder

Mix together and pour over shredded pork.

Homemade Oreo Cookies!

Okay, what a bad blog hostess I am. I really do have the best of intentions! I have changed the theme for the month of May, but I first have to catch up and post my recipes for April, so my May recipes will be coming. I am posting the two cookie recipes that are pretty much staple at our house, and the most requested recipes whenever I take these somewhere. Both are very basic, but good nonetheless.

Oreo Cookies:
2 Devils Food cake mixes
4 eggs
3/4 cup oil

*Mix together (use a spoon at first and then you may need to use your hands) and roll into same size balls. Bake on a greased cookie sheet at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
2 t. vanilla

*Mix frosting together and sandwich between 2 cookies. Store in air tight container.

Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

So these are my standard cookie recipe. They really are such a basic good cookie recipe and I think the pudding in them makes them so soft. One of our favorites!

2 1/4 flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 pkg. (3.4 oz) instant French Vanilla Pudding
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 pkg chocolate chips (Ghirardelli are the best!)

Combine butter, sugars, pudding and vanilla. Cream together. Add eggs. Gradually add flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips. Roll into small balls and drop on to cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-9 minutes. Cookies will appear underdone.
Can also add 1 cup of oatmeal and/or 1 cup of coconut.