Tortellini Salad

A bright, colorful, yummy salad! This recipe makes a LOT of food, so it's great for company.

2 bags frozen tortellini, cooked
3 bunches broccoli, cut and separated
12 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
12 oz. black olives, sliced
16 oz. each garbanzo beans/kidney beans/lima beans, drained and rinsed
2 red onions, chopped
1 bottle creamy Italian dressing

Just before serving add:
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, chopped
2 avocados, chopped
40 grape tomatoes, sliced
1/2 lb salami, chopped
2 cucumbers, chopped

Minestrone Soup

This recipe isn't super exact - just add to taste! Thanks Jami for the recipe!

5-6 cups tomatoes, pureed (I puree tomatoes from my summer garden and freeze in ziplocks)
2 cans chicken broth
1-2 cans beans (your choice!)
2 cans Italian seasoned tomatoes
celery, chopped
carrots, chopped
zucchini, chopped
1 T garlic
fresh basil

Simmer for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Add fresh spinach and simmer for additional 10-15 minutes.

BBQ Sauce

This sauce is excellent for barbecue sandwiches.

Saute:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T butter

Add:
1 cup ketchup
2 T vinegar
2 T brown sugar
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t chili powder
1 t dry mustard
1 t salt

Add to 2# shredded roast meat and serve on hamburger buns.

Apple Dip

My friend Jen gave me this recipe, and now I'm totally addicted. It's so easy and so delicious. Perfect for a quick snack!

8 oz. package of cream cheese (if you double it, you can use a regular cream cheese and a low fat, but if you are doing a single batch, make sure you use full fat cream cheese)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 T vanilla

Mix until smooth.

Ribbon Jello Salad

This is beautiful during the Christmas holidays.

3 oz. package lime jello
3 oz. package lemon jello
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained (RESERVE juice)
4 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
3 oz. cream cheese
1/2 cup mayonaisse
1 cup whipping cream
3 oz. package raspberry jello (or any other flavor red jello)

Dissolve lime jello in 2 cups boiling water. Pour into 9x13 pan. Put in fridge till set. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to make 2 cups liquid and heat to boiling. Remove from heat and stir in lemon jello and marshmallows. Stir till jello is dissolved. Place in fridge in bowl and allow to partially set. Mix cream cheese with mayo. Add crushed pineapple and fold into lemon jello mixture. Whip cream until stiff. Fold into mixture. Spread over SET lime jello. Seal to sieds of pan and put in fridge till firm. Dissolve raspberry jello in 2 cups boiling water and COOL! Pour over other layers. Allow to set in fridge till red is firm.

Crock Pot Chicken

So easy, and so delicious.

Melt and mix:
1 pkg. cream cheese
1/2 cube butter
1 can cream of chicken soup

Add: 1 pkg. Zesty Italian Salad Dressing mix (dry) to the above mixture.

Put above mixture into a crock pot with 6-8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (frozen works great!). Cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours. Serve over pasta.

Spinach Salad

I think this is a nice holiday salad... I love the green color of the spinach, and there's just the right amount of sweetness!

Spinach, torn into pieces
Mandarin oranges
Parmesan cheese
Roasted pecans (see instructions below)
Brianna brand poppyseed dressing

To Roast Pecans: Chop pecans. Put brown sugar in small fry pan. Add pecans. Cook over medium heat (careful, they can burn) for approximately 1-2 minutes. Spread pecans on wax paper to dry. Use approximately even amounts of pecans and brown sugar.