Pinterest makes me better!

I’m not kidding…Pinterest makes me better…especially when it comes to cooking! I have found SO many amazing new recipes that have become staples at our house! And this Avocado Chicken Salad is one of them…

It is SERIOUSLY amazing! And, I feel that it’s better for me that the normal mayo/ranch filled goodness! Hope you love it as much as we do!…

Avocado Chicken Salad
chicken, cooked and shredded (or canned)
avocado
green onion, sliced
cilantro
lime juice to taste
salt/pepper to taste

There are no measurements. Just use each to your liking.

More Balsamic, Please!

When I wanted a fresh and different salad alternative to go with some homemade Minestrone Soup, I looked to Pinterest (of course) for some inspiration. And, I quickly found one that inspired this YUMMY dish.

And, the funniest part was how much my sweet 15 month old LOVED fresh mozzarella dipped in balsamic! He wanted more and more! ThePoeFam’s Caprese Salad
Semi-ripe avocados
Cherry Tomato
Cucumber 
Fresh Mozzarella
Chives
Dill
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Chop up all ingredients to desired size. Add considerable amount of dill and stir in Balsamic Vinegar to taste. Salt and Pepper if desired.

Avocado, Lime & Pasta? Count me IN!!!

Here’s another great and light go-to salad for parties! It was good for days and days! And, it will be made again and again!

Creamed Avocado and Lime Chilled Pasta

1 1/2cup dry shell pasta or short pasta of your choice
1 ripe avocado
handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
1 1/2Tbsp lime juice
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp garlic paste
salt & pepper
chopped cilantro and/or jalapeno for garnish

1. Cook pasta according to the package instructions. Drain well, set aside to cool.
2. Peel avocado and remove the pit. Put it in a food processor together with chopped cilantro, lime juice, mayonnaise and garlic paste. Blend it until it’s creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Cover it with plastic wrap and keep it in a refrigerator if you have time.)
3. Transfer the avocado sauce to a medium sized bowl. Add cooked pasta and toss them well. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and/or jalapeno on top.

Thank you, Brianna!

Meet our new favorite salad. You may see it at EVERY meal. Why?  Because MY SON ATE IT! Spinach. Lettuce. HE ATE IT! And, not just one bite. A LOT! I was BEYOND SHOCKED! And, beyond happy! Thank you Brianna whoever you are…for making a dressing that makes my son eat salad! And, thank you Carrie for this priceless recipe. Carrie’s Strawberry Almond Salad

Baby spinach
Mixed greens
Sliced Strawberries
Croutons
Crushed caramelized almonds*
Brianna's’ Homestyle Blush Wine Vinaigrette dressing

*Crushed Caramelized Almonds:
1/2 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
1 cup slivered almonds

Stir together sugar, butter and almonds constantly in skillet until they are a light caramel color. Spread on greased cookie sheet to crisp and cool.

Crush caramelized almonds when crisp by placing in a large freezer bag and rolling over with a rolling pin.

Layer salad ingredients and toss with dressing.

Scrumptious Stackers

I am a HUGE fan of this appetizer in restaurants. And, after tonight, I have no idea why I’ve never thought to do it on my own! This was EASY and YUMMMMMMYYYY! I think I could have eaten the whole plate. But, I kindly saved some for our guests. And, you can bet that we’ll be making this again and again! Caprese Stackers

2 vine ripened tomatoes (washed + patted dry)
15 to 20 leaves of basil (washed + patted dry)
1 lb fresh mozzarella
balsamic vinegar for drizzling
olive oil for drizzling
pepper
salt

Slice tomatoes and mozzarella into 1/4 inch slices. Stack tomato, mozzarella and basil on each plate in an alternating pattern.  Be sure to finish off with a small basil leaf on top.  Drizzle each stack first with balsamic vinegar then with olive oil. Pepper each stack and salt to taste. 

Dressing...with a KICK...

We recently went to some new church friend's house for dinner. Not only did we fall in love with their family, but we fell IN LOVE with their homemade dressing recipe! I seriously COULD NOT stop thinking about it after that evening. And, sweet Irline even made me some and brought it to church! :) Since it's something that she just makes according to her taste, she doesn't have a recipe, but she gave me a pretty good idea of how to make it. I haven't done it on my own yet...but I can't wait to try!

Here are the ingredients:
buttermilk ranch
fresh cilantro
jalapeno
honey
lime

And, she said...
Try 1 cup ranch, 1 cup of cilantro leaves (do not include the stem), half of jalapeno with some seeds (it's the seeds that gives the spice so it's up to you how spicy you want it) and about 2 tbs of honey. I use a magic bullet to blend all together. You can use a food processor, however a blender may be too big. And don't forget the lime!

And, even though I think it would be good on ANYTHING (especially a great chicken nugget dip), she served it over salad with cheese, tomato, beans and corn! It was GOOOOOODDD!

Hot? Cold? You choose!

This recipe called for chicken, but when my chicken went past its due date, I opted to make it without. And, it was such a good accident! I LOVED this the day of and ate it cold for the next few days! Honestly, I think I liked it better cold...especially when I chopped up grapes and put them inside! It tasted like that yummy salad from Cafe Max! :) Enjoy! Creamy Pasta Primavera
3 cups penne pasta, uncooked
2 Tbsp. Zesty Italian Dressing
2 zucchini, cut into chunks
1 red pepper, chopped
1 cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta as directed on package. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and vegetables; cook 10 to 12 min. or until chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently. Add broth and cream cheese; cook 1 min. or until cheese is melted, stirring constantly. Add Parmesan cheese; mix well.
Drain pasta; return to pot. Add chicken and vegetable mixture; toss lightly. Cook 1 min. or until heated through. (Sauce will thicken upon standing.)

Who doesn't love a good taco salad?

Tangy Taco Salad

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen corn, thawed
1 pkg. (1-1/4 oz.) Taco Seasoning Mix
torn romaine lettuce
1 can black beans
tomatoes, chopped
Mexican Style Shredded Cheese (I forgot to use this!)
Thousand Island Dressing
Salsa
Tortilla Chips

Brown meat in large skillet with seasoning mix; drain, if necessary. Stir in corn and black beans. (or prepare separately and serve buffet style.) Place chips on bottom of plate. Add lettuce, meat, beans, corn, salsa, and Thousand Island Dressing. Top with cheese.

Homemade?

This is my own chicken salad recipe...but, I totally cheat. It's not completely homemade. I use canned chicken and think it is SO yummy! Also, I am not a fan of mayo, so I use other things! It's one of Matt's favorites. Here's what to do...

Easy Chicken Salad

1 can of white chicken breast
Dill pickle relish
Sweet pickle relish
Chopped celery
Finely chopped pecans
Sliced grapes
aprox. 1/4 cup Ranch dressing
aprox. 1 T. Spicy mustard
Salt
Pepper

Drain chicken and shred. Place in bowl and add celery, relishes, grapes and pecans. Add dressing and mustard. (don't add too much, you don't want it to be runny!) Season with salt and pepper. Stir well. Serve on a sandwich, on crackers or with pretzel chips.

Coleslaw with a Kick

I love coleslaw. I can remember my friends making fun of me because I would get the coleslaw at Chick-fil-a. I still love it. When I saw this recipe, I was so excited to try it...and it did not disappoint! YUMMMY! And, not anything like the Chick-fil-a kind! :)

Crunchy Asian Broccoli Coleslaw
3/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) ramen noodle soup mix
2 pkg. (12 oz. each) broccoli slaw
1/2 cup Dry Roasted Sunflower Kernels
1/2 cup Sliced Almonds

Mix dressing with Seasoning Packet from one of the soup mix packages. Discard remaining seasoning packet or reserve for another use. Break apart Noodles; place in large bowl. Add slaw, sunflower kernels and almonds; mix lightly. Add dressing mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.