Jello Pudding Salad

From Sariah Remington

1 large box jello, strawberry, peach or orange

1 large box non-instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 cups water

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

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Mix pudding, jello and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cook until transparent (no sugar crystals). Pour into a 9 x 13-inch dish and let set up in fridge. When ready, scrape out into bowl and whip with beaters. Add Cool Whip and beat until smooth. Add fruit of choice. 

Interior Decorating Notes

Decorating 101

Basic Accessorizing Tips

• Use odd numbers when decorating
• Keep a balance of different heights
• Have a few key pieces you use every season
• Use a variety of texture and color

Best Ways to Make a Change in Your Home

• Paint
• Switch up your pillows
• Freshen up your accessories
• Purchase a rug
• Repaint an old piece of furniture you currently have
• Move around your furniture into a new layout
• Add or change an accent color
• Redo your window treatments
• Add fresh flowers/live plants
• Take away clutter

The Life of Pie

Pie Crust

From Alison Randall

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening, (1/2 cup butter can be substituted for 1/2 cup of the shortening)

1/2-3/4 cup water

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Yield: 2 pie crusts

Measure flour and salt into a large bowl; stir to combine. Using a pastry blender, cut in the shortening (and butter, if using), until the lumps are pea-sized or slightly larger. With a fork, toss the flour/shortening mixture while slowly adding the water. Continue until the flour is evenly moistened and starts to cling together. You may need to add additional water to any dry patches. Gather the dough together and press into two balls. The dough should hold together but not be sticky. Generously flour a pastry mat or counter. Flatten one of the balls onto the floured board and then roll out with a rolling pin, using a light touch. Use the rolling pin to transfer the pastry to a 9-inch pie dish. Ease the pastry loosely into position but do not press it into the pie plate. Add desired filling. 

For a one-crust pie, trim the pastry, tuck ends under and crimp the edges. For a two-crust pie, roll out the second ball in the same manner as the first. Trim to fit. Fold in half to cut slits and transfer to top of pie. Unfold it, tuck the edges under and crimp, For a lattice crust, cut the rolled-out pastry into 1/2 strips and weave across the filling. A lattice crust is especially good for a juicy filling that needs lots of venting as it bubbles. (Berry pies, for example.) 

To beautify the top of the crust you can either brush it with one beaten egg plus one tablespoon of milk or water. Or brush it with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. 

I usually bake my two-crust pies at 350 degrees, no matter what the recipe says, to prevent over-browning. Adjust the baking time a few minutes longer to compensate for a lower temperature, if necessary. 

For a baked single crust (for cream pies, etc), prick crust all over with a fork and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. 

Trouble shooting: if your dough falls apart as you're rolling it out, it's too dry and needs more water. If the finished crust is tough, you may have over-mixed it (remember to toss, not stir), or the shortening lumps weren't left large enough. (Pastry gets its flakiness when the lumps of shortening melt and create little pockets of air.)  

(Note: I didn't have enough strawberries so I added some blackberries to this pie to make two cups berries.  Feel free to use any combination of berries that you like.)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 pint strawberries, sliced

4 tablespoons instant tapioca, rounded

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

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Mix fruit, sugar and tapioca and let sit for 1/2 hour to allow strawberries and rhubarb to produce juice enough to soften the tapioca. Place filling in an unbaked pie shell and dot with butter. Top with lattice crush. Bake at 350° for one hour. Cover edges with foil during last 15 minutes of baking, if needed to prevent over browning. 

Sour Cherry Pie 

Prep Time: Prep 10 m Cook 40 m Ready In 2 h 50 m
Cook Time: 40 m

Total Time: 2 h 50 m

1 (15-ounce) package double crust ready-to-use pie crust

3 (15-ounce) cans pitted sour cherries, drained (Can also use 5 cups frozen tart cherries)

3 rounded tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca (Minute)

1 1/2 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1 tablespoon butter

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Mix the ingredients together and let sit for 3-5 minutes to let the tapioca soften. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust and dot with butter. Top with a lattice crust. If desired, brush with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake in the preheated oven for 50-55 minutes. If needed, cover edges with tinfoil during the last 15 minutes to prevent over browning. Serve warm or cold, topped with ice cream. 

Tomato Basil Cucumber Salad

From Jessie Eyre

Fresh, chopped tomato

Fresh, chopped cucumber

Freshly shredded basil

1 lemon, squeezed over the top

3 tablespoons olive oil

1/2-1 teaspoon salt and pepper

1/2 - 1 teaspoon turmeric

Strawberry Spinach Salad

spinach

strawberries, sliced

red onion, chopped

Candied almonds

raspberry or strawberry vinaigraitte

Moon Fluff

From Ashley Lloyd

1 (16-ounce) container cottage cheese

1 (8-ounce) container Cool Whip

1 (3-ounce) package raspberry jello

1 (20-ounce) can pineapple tidbit, drained

1 (11-ounce) can mandarin orange, drained

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Mix together cottage cheese, Cool Whip, and jello mix. Fold in pineapple and mandarin oranges.
Note: This really is the easiest jello salad on the planet. One little tip: pat the fruit dry with a paper towel after draining to remove as much excess moisture as possible. Other than that, it's fail-proof. 

(apologies for the blurry photo)

Spinach, Strawberry, Mandarin Salad

Servings 6-8

From Maurie Pyle

1 bunch fresh spinach

2 pints sliced, fresh strawberries

1 (4-ounce) can mandarin orange segment, drained, reserving 2 teaspoons of juice for the dressing

1 fresh kiwi fruit, sliced into quarters

Dressing

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup light oil

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

3 tablespoons poppy seeds

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon minced onion

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Combine all dressing ingredients, mix well and refrigerate. Make well ahead to allow flavors to blend. Taste dressing and adjust sugar/vinegar for your sweet/tart taste preferences. Tear fresh spinach into bite-sized pieces, wash and pat dry. Wash strawberries, drain, pat dry and cut into thirds. Shake dressing container well and toss with spinach, strawberries, kiwi and mandarin orange segments just before serving, otherwise the spinach will wilt. Blackberries or blueberries can also be added. 

Watermelon Mint Salad

From Brenda Durrant

7 pounds watermelon (approximately)

1 cup mint leaves

1 cup honey

2 teaspoons salt

3 limes, juiced

3/4 cup feta cheese

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Cube watermelon. Mix honey and lime juice together. Pour over melon. Add mint and feta. Salt as desired.

Three Bean Salad

From Sarah Moylan

1 can kidney beans, drained

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

1 can green beans, drained

1 teaspoon (heaping) mustard

1/2 cup white vinegar

2/3 cup olive oil

sugar, to taste

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Mix beans in bowl. Blend remaining ingredients in blender and pour over beans. Mix and salt and pepper, to taste. 

Taco Salad

From Mary Millward

1 pound ground beef

1 package taco seasoning mix

1 can chili con carne with beans

1 head lettuce (or 1 1/2 bags salad)

3 green onions

5 tomatoes, chopped

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1 can olives

1/3 cup Catalina salad dressing

Dorritos Chips

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Brown ground beef. Add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup water. Add chili with beans, simmer 10 minutes. Let cool.
Tear up one head lettuce or use 1 1/2 bags salad. To that add green onion, tomatoes, shredded cheese and olives. Mix with beef and chili and Dorritos chips, to taste. Add 1/3 cup Catalina dressing. Toss and serve. 

Spinach Pasta Salad

From Kim Bingham

1/2 pound rotini, cooked al dente, drained, rinsed in cold water

1 1/2 cup cooked chicken, chopped

4 cups fresh spinach, shredded/torn

3-4 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut up (can also do shredded)

1 1/2 cup tomato, diced

Dressing

1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

4 teaspoons olive oil

5 tablespoons vinegar

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, minced

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Blend dressing ingredients. Pour over mixed salad. Refrigerate 20-30 minutes before serving. Salt to taste at table.
If the dressing is too tart, add another tablespoon of olive oil. 

Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad

Dressing

2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1-2 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce (more or less depending on heat preference)

1 clove garlic, finely pressed

1 tablespoon honey

salt and pepper, to taste

Salad

3-4 cups shredded cabbage (or coleslaw mix)

3-4 cups Romaine lettuce, chopped

2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, drained

3 cups chicken, chopped

3 green onions, chopped

1-2 cup chow mein noodles

toasted almonds

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For dressing: mix together ingredients. Chill until read to use.
For salad: toss together ingredients. When ready to serve, toss with chow mein noodes and dressing. 

Chinese Chicken Salad

Laura Burton

1 package salad

2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 cup diced green onion

2 (11-ounce) cans mandarin oranges, draned

1 cup honey roasted, sliced almonds

Girard's Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing

Fried wonton wrappers

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Toss salad ingredients together and dress with salad dressing. Top with fried wontons. 

Caprese Salad

From Laura Anderson

Garden tomato, any variety, sliced

fresh mozarella balls, cut into slices or cubes

Fresh basil, cut into thin strips

salt and pepper, to taste

olive oil

balsamic vinegar, if desired

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Combine tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, if desired. Salt and pepper, to taste. 

Thai Cucumber Salad

From Ashley Buhman

3 cucumbers, sliced

3 jalapeño peppers, minced (or less, if you don't like it as spicy)

1/2 bunch cilantro

1 small onion, chopped

Dressing

1/2 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ancho pepper, ground

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For dressing, boil ingredients together to dissolve sugar, stir. Combine salad ingredients. Pour dressing over, toss and serve. 

Pizza Pasta Salad

Pizza Pasta Salad

From Alison Randall

1 (16-ounce) package bow tie pasta

1 (16-ounce) package rotini

1/3 cup pepperoni, diced (or more, to taste)

1/3 cup Canadian bacon, diced (or more, to taste)

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1 small can sliced olives, drained

1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded or diced

1 bottle Italian salad dressing 1/2 teaspoon oregano

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Cook pasta according to direction on package. Drain pasta and pour 3/4 bottle of dressing over top. Toss and refrigerate at least an hour before continuing. Just before serving, toss with the rest of the ingredients and add the remaining salad dressing. If you like a saucier salad, add more dressing, up to another 1/2 bottle.
Note: these amounts can be adjusted up or down according to your taste. You could also add other pizza toppings that you like, i.e., mushrooms, peppers, onions, etc.