Sandy White's Salad

Here is recipe for salad dressing.
1 1/2 C oil
3/4 C  white vinegar
3/4 C sugar
1  1/2 tea. Salt
1 tea. dry mustard
2 T. Grated onions
Mix all together in quart jar.  Makes about 3/4 full. Keeps well in fridge. 
Shake well, make sure sugar dissolved. 
I usually use red and Romaine lettuce.  You can add feta cheese, candied nuts, I usually use slivered almonds, green onions.  We really like pears in it.  You can apples.  Strawberries and raspberries  are also good. 

Reesa's Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
2 lbs chicken breast, cooked and shredded* or rotisserie chicken 

Chicken broth to cook your chicken in (if using a slow cooker)
1 apple, diced of your choice; we usually choose Gala or Fuji)
1 cup grapes, halved or quartered
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup raw walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions, diced
1/2 cup Brianna's poppyseed dressing (more or less depending on preference)
Dash of white vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Feta cheese
Ciabatta/torta rolls or artisan bread

Directions:
1. Place chicken in slow cooker with enough water to cover about halfway. Cook on low 6-7 hours, high 3-4 hours.
2. Prepare ingredients that need to be chopped and diced, add to large bowl.
3. Add shredded chicken, poppyseed dressing, vinegar, salt and pepper to the rest of the ingredients and mix.
4. Let chill until ready to serve. Serve with feta cheese on sliced French/artisan bread, ciabatta/torta rolls or croissants.

*to make it a super easy and convenient meal, use a rotisserie chicken [shout out to Costco] instead of cooking your own.

Caramel Shortbread Squares

(I doubled this and put it in a 9 x 13 pan)

Ingredients
•    2/3 cup butter, softened
•    1/4 cup white sugar
•    1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
•    1/2 cup butter
•    1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
•    2 tablespoons light corn syrup
•    1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
•    1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
Directions
1.    Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 C).
2.    In a medium bowl, mix together 2/3 cup butter, white sugar, and flour until evenly crumbly. Press into a 9 inch square baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes.
3.    In a 2 quart saucepan, combine 1/2 cup butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for about 3 minutes. Pour over baked crust (warm or cool). Cool until it begins to firm.
4.    Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat for 1 minute, then stir and continue to heat and stir at 20 second intervals until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour chocolate over the caramel layer and spread evenly to cover completely. Chill. Cut into 1 inch squares.

Cutler's Brownie Marshmallow Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 2/3 cups white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 1/3 cups cake flour*

Marshmallow Creme

• 3 egg whites
• 2 cups light corn syrup
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla

Chocolate Frosting

• 1 cup butter
• 4-5 cups powdered sugar
• milk
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs
2. and vanilla and mix until blended well. Add dry ingredients and mix. Cookies can be rolled, formed into drop
3. cookies, or pressed into a 9 x 13 pan (double recipe and bake time). Roll and form cookies and bake at 350
4. for 10-12 minutes. Cookies are
5. done when top is slightly cracked and no longer looks wet.

For the Marshmallow Creme:

1. Combine egg whites, corn syrup,
2. and salt. Beat on high speed for
3. 10 minutes or until thick. Add
4. powdered sugar and beat on low speed until blended. Add vanilla and blend.
5. May be frozen for later use.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

1. Beat soft butter, cocoa, and
2. powdered sugar together until smooth. Add a splash of milk and vanilla, blend
3. well.

Assembly:

1. Spread cooled cookies with about 1 tablespoon of marshmallow creme. Top the creme with frosting.
2. Try not to eat the whole batch before your kids get home from school.

Baked Oatmeal

• 2 cups rolled oats
  
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ¹/₂ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¹/₂ teaspoon fine-grain salt
• 2 cups milk
• ¹/₃ cup maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 ¹/₂ cups blueberries or a mix of berries

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Butter the inside of a square 8-inch baking dish.
2. In a bowl, combine the oats, half of the walnuts, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, the milk, egg, half of the butter, and the vanilla.
4. Spread a single layer of bananas across the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle about two-thirds of the berries on top. Cover all that with the oat mixture and then drizzle the milk mixture over the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and walnuts over the top.
5. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the oats are set. Let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter and serve.  Recipe and photo by Heidi Swanson

Cheesy Potato Soup

4 medium potatoes, diced

1 large onion
1 quart water
3 stalks celery diced
1/4 Cup butter
3 TBS flour
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups grated yellow cheese
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp ground pepper
chopped chives
sour cream
cheese
bacon

Combine potatoes, onion, celery and water in heavy saucepan.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.  In heavy saucepan melt butter; add flour; cook and stir until mixture bubbles.  Remove from heat; stir in milk.  Return to heat; cook and stir until thickened.  Stir mixture slowly into potatoes - don't drain the water; cook and stir until thick.  Add cheese and seasonings.  Serve topped with chopped chives, sour cream, cheese and bacon.

Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie

For the Crust:

2 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
1/2 cup cold buttermilk
For the Filling:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
3/4  cup whole milk
2 ounces cream cheese
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cubed chicken meat (I cooked two chicken breasts)
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 cup thinly diced carrots
1 cup diced fresh green beans
3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
To make the crust, in a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt.  Add cold, cubed butter and, using your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture.  Quickly break the butter down into the flour mixture, some butter pieces will be the size of oat flakes, some will be the size of peas.  Create a well in the butter and flour mixture and pour in the cold buttermilk.  Use a fork to bring to dough together.  Try to moisten all of the flour bits.  On a lightly floured work surface, dump out the dough mixture.  It will be moist and shaggy.  That’s perfect.  Divide the dough in two and gently knead into two disks.  Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
To make the filling, start by dicing the onion, garlic, carrots, green beans, and thawing the frozen peas.  Set aside.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Whisk in the flour.  Mixture will be very thick.  Heat for 1 minute.  Turn flame to low and slowly add the chicken stock.  Whisk until no flour bits remain.  Whisk in the milk and add the cream cheese.  Heat over medium low heat, stirring often, until cream cheese has melted and the mixture is the consistency of warm, thick pudding.  Add salt and pepper to taste.   Remove mixture from heat and spoon into a medium bowl.  Set aside.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt butter (or olive oil, if using).  Add onions and saute until translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add minced garlic and saute for one minute more.  Add carrots, green beans, and peas.  Cook for  about 5 minutes.  The vegetables will not be entirely cooked through.  That’s ok!  Remove from heat and stir in cooked, cubed chicken.   Stir the mixture to the sauce.  Stir to combine.  Set aside and allow the filling to cool slightly.
To assemble the pie, remove one of the pie dough disks from the fridge.  On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into about a 13-inch round.  Roll the dough a few strokes, then use your fingers to move the emerging circle around the floured surface.  This ensures that the dough isn’t sticking to the work surface.  The circle won’t be perfect, that’s ok.  Try not to get any tears in the rolled out dough, but if you do, they can be patched together with extra dough.    When you roll the dough and you can see it start springing back, that means that the butter is warming and the crust shouldn’t be rolled out anymore.  Gently lift the 13-inch round from the floured surface and center in a deep 9-inch round pie dish.  Place in the fridge while you roll out the top crust.
Roll out the top crust just as you did the bottom crust, moving the dough across the floured surface every once in a while, and creating a roughly 13-inch circle.
Spoon the filling into the bottom pie crust.
Carefully remove the top crust from the work surface and drape over the filling in the pie dish.  With a small knife, trim the crust, leaving about 1-inch overhang.  With your fingers press the top and bottom crusts together and fold under.  Use a fork or your fingers to crimp the edges of the dough.  Cut five small slits in the top of the crust so the steam can vent.  Brush lightly with beaten egg and place in the fridge to chill while the oven preheats.
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Place pie in the oven bake for 10 minutes.  Reduce the oven heat to 375 and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 hours before serving.  Place covered in the fridge to store.  Pie lasts up to 3 or 4 days.

Recipe and picture from Joy The Baker!!!

Old-Fashioned Beef Stew

Ingredients

• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 pound beef stewing meat, trimmed and cut into inch cubes
• 5 teaspoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 cup red wine
• 3 ½ cups beef broth, homemade or low-sodium canned
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
• 2 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons salt

Preparation

1. Combine the flour and pepper in a bowl, add the beef and toss to coat well. Heat 3 teaspoons of the oil in a large pot. Add the beef a few pieces at a time; do not overcrowd. Cook, turning the pieces until beef is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch; add more oil as needed between batches.
2. Remove the beef from the pot and add the vinegar and wine. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the beef, beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.
3. Cover and cook, skimming broth from time to time, until the beef is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add the onions and carrots and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes more. Add broth or water if the stew is dry. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle among 4 bowls and serve.