Spinach Salad

In my opinion, spinach totally deserves the bad wrap it's gotten. I know I've had a few recipes with it, but they are exceptions to an otherwise sound rule. So is this one. In fact, I am surprised at how much we LOVE this salad. It's our go-to when we are in charge of salad for get-togethers. But it is mandatory to serve with Poppyseed dressing. The tart cranberries, sharp mozzarella, bitter leaves and salty bacon are an incredible mix of flavors and textures. Plus, other than the bacon, it's SUUUPPPPERRR healthy!

1 bag/container baby spring mix salad
1 bag/container Spinach salad{or you can sometimes find a 50/50 mix which is the two already combined}
1 pkg bacon, cooked and crumbled {I usually use turkey bacon- cheaper, healthier and I actually prefer the taste}
4-6 pieces of string cheese, chopped or mozzarella, cubed
1- 1 1/2 C cranberries
1- 1 1/2 C almonds {not pictured...}

Place half the salad in a bowl, sprinkle with half of each of the toppings. Repeat. Serve with poppy seed dressing {my fav is Brianna's Home style with the picture of a peach on it...}.

Snicker's Salad

Molly Heaton brought this to her first Exchange. It is reminiscent of the Malad Salad that Brooke Haskett brought before, but the small changes make a big difference! Have you ever had one of those massive caramel apples that are rolled in peanuts and drizzled with chocolate? This is that, as a salad! Salty and sweet snickers with tart green apples all covered in a creamy pudding and Cool Whip goo.... Thumbs up!

1 pkg mini snickers, chopped
3-4 granny smith apples, chopped
1 sm pkg vanilla pudding
1 C milk
1 tub cool whip

Mix milk and pudding mix. Set in the fridge while chopping snickers and apples. Mix pudding with Cool whip; add apples and snickers. Refrigerate leftovers. If there are any.

Summer Salsa

I got this from a friend of mine when we lived in Utah, but she didn't have a name for it. We started calling it Summer Salsa, then found a similar recipe called Cowboy Caviar. Potato, potaaaato... This is the most excellent chip dip salsa goodness. Matt will literally crave it. It takes a bit of chopping, but it is sooo worth it! In fact, this 2 1/2 qt bowl was pretty much gone by the end of the night- mostly thanks to Hubby and me snuggling up with a movie and a big bag of chips! At least we far surpassed our recommended vegetable servings for the day.... It makes a lot, so it's great to take to barbecues.

2-3 avocados

3 Roma tomatoes

1 red onion {If you aren't as crazy about onions as me, you might want to just do 3/4 an onion}

1 can black eyed peas, drained, but not rinsed

1 can white shoepeg corn{we didn't have this, so I just used a can of regular corn}, with juice

1 packet Italian dressing, prepared

Chop avocados, tomatoes, and onion. Stir together with remaining ingredients. Chill several hours{I think it's actually best the next day, so we'll make it the night before}. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pasta Salad, v. 2.0

Ok, so I've posted my pasta salad recipe before, but I made this for dinner for my family the night before the exchange, so I shared the leftovers... is that weird? Oh, well. Also, I have another pasta salad recipe that is at least equally good, if not even a degree or two better... So, here's what I'm doing. The various ingredients used to make the salad are interchangeable- tasty with either dressing, so I'll list all my favorites. Then if you want the dressing I actually made that night, go here. If you want the one I would have made if I had a bottle of cole slaw dressing, then keep reading! Another great one for hot summer nights, picnics, dinner by the pool, barbecues, etc... Plus I love that I can throw it together while my kids are napping earlier in the day and have it ready whenever we want to eat- and it contains every food group in one bowl. Ease.

Possible salad ingredients{Just add what you know your family likes!}:

12 oz bow tie, elbow macaroni, or other pasta

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut (about 2 cups)

1 C celery, chopped

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

1 can mandarin oranges, drained

1 C red grapes, halved

1 C Craisins

3-4 green onions, chopped

1/2 C slivered almonds

1 C chopped or grated carrots

4 hard boiled eggs

5-8 pieces of bacon, cooked and chopped

1 C frozen green peas

1 C grated cheddar cheese

I can sliced olives

2 sticks string cheese, chopped

cucumbers, diced

The list is ongoing! Gently toss together your favorites from the list in a LARGE bowl.

Dressing:

1 C Miracle whip or mayonnaise {grew up on Miracle Whip, so that's my lard of choice}

12 oz cole slaw dressing

Mix the Miracle Whip and dressing, toss with salad ingredients. Chill several hours.

Raspberry Crunch Salad

When the sign up sheet went around for the dinner, I put my name down for a dessert. Then I thought about this. It's called a salad, but it's so good it's really more like a dessert. Plus, I was totally craving it! Voila! Don't worry, I made up for the fact it's a salad. This is a given at about every Mormon potluck. But really, if it wasn't there, I'd be pretty disappointed. The crust is salty pretzels over a sweet cream cheese layer topped with a tangy raspberry jello topping. The sweet, salty, tangy combo is just perfect!

2 C crushed pretzels {I put them in a sealed ziploc bag and crushed with a rolling pin}
1/2 C butter
1 C sugar + 3 tbsp
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can (16 oz) pineapples, crushed or tidbit
12 oz Cool whip
3 C boiling water
6 oz raspberry jello
10 oz raspberries, frozen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix pretzels with 3 tbsp sugar and butter. Press into 9x13" pan. Bake 5 minutes and cool. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and 1 C sugar until fluffy. Mix in cool whip. Fold in drained pineapple. Spread over pretzel mixture and put in fridge to firm.

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Mix raspberries into jello carefully. Place jello into fridge for 15-20 minutes or until syrupy. Pour over cream cheese layer and chill until set. Garnish with whipped cream if desired.

Pasta Salad

After the eggs are boiled, dyed, hidden, and found, we are faced with what to do with all that protein! Here's a solution- put it in this! Pasta salads are great because you can start with the base recipe and add or subtract ingredients to your taste bud's delight! I also like this because I can make it in the morning and let it chill all day, so come dinner time I may not even have any dishes left to do! Great cool meal or side dish on those hot summer nights.

2 Cups cooked elbow or shell macaroni
1 carrot, peeled and grated {I used diced baby carrots}
1 C frozen green peas {my frozen green peas were frostbitten, so I used a vegetable blend that worked out nice}
1 C grated cheddar cheese
4 hard boiled eggs {plus at least 2 for garnish}
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 can tuna, shrimp, or chicken {cubed ham or bacon would also be good}
2 C miracle whip
1/2 C milk
2 tsp dry onions
1/4 C sweet pickle relish
salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl, lightly stir the first 7 ingredients. In small bowl, stir together miracle whip, milk, onions, and pickle relish. Pour sauce over ingredients in large bowl and toss to coat. Garnish with egg slices and paprika. Chill at least 2 hours before serving.

I really like onion, so I decrease the dry onion a teeny tiny bit and added one green onion to the mix. I think next time I'll do it with chicken and bacon. Maybe even Craisins or grapes...

Malad Salad Dessert

Again, sorry for the totally unacceptable picture! This tastes much better than it lookes, I PROMISE!! This is from Brooke Haskett. I'm not sure where this recipe gets off calling itself a salad, as it is primarily pudding, cool whip and cookies, but we'll take it anyway!

1 large pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 C buttermilk
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 8 oz carton Cool Whip
1 pkg Fudge Striped cookies, crushed

Mix together the pudding and buttermilk. Add remaining ingredients, saving 6 cookies. Spread into the bottom of a 8-9" baking pan. Top with remaining crushed cookies.