Snickers Apple Salad

Simply Sweet Sunday! 

Apple season is here! Now is the best time to enjoy crunchy sweet apples.  Snickers Apple Salad is just the treat to make your family while apples are at their best.  It's simple, and the chocolate, nuts and caramel are the perfect surprise for your taste buds.

This recipe is best made with a mix of sweet apples,  Fuji and Gala are my favorites.  Serves 4.

3 apples                                                                     
1 Snickers candy bar (2.07 oz)
3/4 cup whipping cream
sugar to sweeten whipped cream

Core and cut up the apples, I like to use my apple corer/slicer, then cut the slices into pieces.  Chop the candy bar into small pieces.  Whip cream and sweeten to taste.  Combine chopped apples, candy bar and whipped cream.  Enjoy. 

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Frog Eye Salad

TRADITION! TRADITION!  My mother-in-law serves this salad at most of our family dinners.  It's a tradition we hope never ends.  The recipe use to be on the box of Ronzoni, Acini Di Pepe.  (Now there is a recipe for Spinach Soup on the box, does that make any sense?)  Acini Di Pepe is a tiny round pasta, you can find it with the other pastas at your store.  The name, Frog Eye Salad makes it fun to serve to kid's.   

1 1/3 cups Ronzoni, Acini De Pepe, uncooked
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 20 oz can pineapple tidbits or chunks, undrained
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 egg
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups non-dairy whipped topping
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup coconut
2 11 oz cans Mandarin oranges, drained

In medium saucepan, stir together sugar, flour and salt.  Drain pineapple reserving 1 cup of juice.  Whisk juice and egg into sugar mixture.  Cook over medium heat, stir frequently until mixture comes to a boil.  Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice.  Let mixture cool.  Meanwhile, cook Acini Di Pepe according to package directions, drain.  (I follow the directions for 1/2 a box using 1 teaspoon salt, boiling till tender.)  Rinse with cold water to cool, drain well.  In a large bowl (preferably with a lid), stir together pineapple juice mixture and Acini Di Pepe.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.  Add pineapple, whipped topping, marshmallows, and coconut.  Mix thoroughly.  Gently fold in oranges.  Cover, refridgerate until cold.  Makes about 12 cups.
I hope this salad becomes a tradition for your family.

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Fun Fruit Salad

This tangy fruit salad is quick to make.   The fruits are almost always in season, so you can make this salad anytime of year.   

1 or 2 bananas depending on size
1 can pineapple tidbits
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 6 ounce container of vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup coconut
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained

It is best if you chill the pineapple and Mandarin oranges in the fridge before making the salad.
Slice the bananas in a strainer.  Pour the can of pineapple over the bananas to drain the pineapple. (The citric acid in the pineapple juice will help prevent the bananas from going brown as fast.)  Save the juice and add to orange juice or a smoothie.  When the pineapple is well drained, move to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.  Stir gently to mix.

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Winter Green Salad

I know, it's spring.  I just planted my tomatoes, that's what made me think I should share this recipe.  This is the green salad I make any time I can't get tomatoes out of my garden.  The dressing is the same one I use for my Turkey and Craisens Pasta Salad except less garlic salt.  The good thing about this salad is, canned Mandarin oranges and Craisens are always in season.  This tangy sweet dressing makes the flavors of this salad pop!

You can mix the dressing in small a bowl with a whisk, but I like to use either of these mixers for salad dressings.  Then you can store the extra dressing in the mixer in the fridge.

Dressing:
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup cranberry sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 mint leaves chopped fine (opt) I grow mint so I try to find recipes to use it in

Salad:
torn greens (enough to feed your family, I usually use iceberg lettuce and baby spinach)
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced thin using a slicer,or grated
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 cup Craisens
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish opt.
any thing else you like in your green salad, but not tomatoes

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Perfect Potato Salad

Just a little mustard, just a little tang, makes perfect potato salad.  Everybody loves potato salad, enough said. 

5-6 cups red potatoes, cooked, peeled and cubed
4 boiled eggs, chopped
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoons prepared mustard
3 tablespoons liquid from dill pickle jar
1/8 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 cup celery, sliced thin
1 green onion, chopped fine
1/4 cup dill pickle, chopped fine

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, pickle liquid, celery seed, salt and pepper; mix well.  Add potatoes, eggs, onion, celery, and pickle; mix lightly.  Chill.

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Other yummy mix ins are sliced black olives and sprouts.
Lunch to die for, a big scoop of potato salad served on a big slice of a home grown tomato.

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Turkey and Craisins Pasta Salad

This tangy sweet salad dressing reminds me of the house dressing served at the Hug-Hes Cafe on their Chicken Pasta Salad.

This is a great recipe to make after Thanksgiving using leftover turkey and cranberry sauce.  But we love this recipe all year round, using chicken sometimes instead of turkey.   

4 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1 cup cooked turkey cut into bite size pieces or chicken
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 cup broccoli, cut into small pieces
1 carrot, grated
1/2 cup Craisins

Dressing:
1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup cranberry sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon garlic salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 mint leaves chopped fine (opt)

Cook pasta following the instructions on package.  While pasta is cooking mix dressing, and prepare vegetables.  When the pasta is done, quick rinse with cold water and drain really well.  Add turkey or chicken, vegetables, Craisins and dressing.  Chill.  Stir before serving.
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Turkey and Craisins Pasta Salad tastes great with sprouts.

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