Festive Tossed Salad

Festive Tossed Salad

From Taste of Home

With its unique medley of fruits and festive look, this salad is a holiday tradition at our house. Our three grown daughters have come to expect it. One forkful reminds us of all the things we can be thankful for. -Jauneen Hosking, Greenfield, Wisconsin

SERVINGS	8-10
CATEGORY	Salads
PREP	15 min.
TOTAL	15 min.

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 to 3 teaspoons poppy seeds
• 10 cups torn romaine
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 medium apple, chopped
• 1 medium pear, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped cashews

DIRECTIONS

In a blender or food processor, combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, onion and salt. Cover and process until blended. With blender running, gradually add oil. Add poppy seeds and blend. 
    In a salad bowl, combine the romaine, Swiss cheese, apple, pear and cranberries. Drizzle with desired amount of dressing. Add cashews; toss to coat. Serve immediately. Yield: 8-10 servings. 

Mom's birthay dinner

This is what Mom wanted for her birthday dinner. She'd never had it but thought it looked good (emailed to her from Kraft). It was a hit. We all liked it and the house smelled SO good. I'm not sure Dad loved it...but it was pasta so duh! Enjoy!!!!

Sausage with Peppers and Pasta

3 Cups rigatoni pasta uncooked
1lb Italian sausage, sliced
1 each: red, green and yellow pepper, coarsely chopped
1 can (14 1/2oz) Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
1 1/2 cups Kraft shredded italian mozzarella-parmesan cheese blend (dad couldn't find this so he bought the two cheeses seperate)
1/4 cup kraft shredded parmesan cheese


cook pasta as directed n package. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet on medium heat 10 minutes. Stir in peppers; cook 7 min or until sausage is cooked through and peppers are crisp-tender. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes or until heated through.
Drain pasta. Add to sausage mixture with shredded cheese; mix well.
Top with parmesan

*our sausage was more like ground sausage...not slices.

easy and yummy.

Some Great New Recipes

Here are some yummy Fall recipes I made for the missionaries. In the pumpkin bars I used Pillsbury Cream Cheese Frosting on cake that was still warm. It was still yummy.

Iowa Corn Chowder

4 to 6 side-dish servings

Ingredients

• 5 slices bacon
• 1 medium onion, sliced and separated into rings
• 2-1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups frozen corn (1 10-ounce package)
• 1 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup diced potato, cooked

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook bacon until crisp. Remove; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon. Reserve 2 to 3 tablespoons drippings in the saucepan.

2. Cook onion rings in reserved drippings until tender. Stir in the milk, corn, soup and potato.

3. Bring mixture to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Season to taste with salt. Top each bowl of chowder with some of the crumbled bacon. Makes 5-1/2 cups soup.

Sour Cream Pumpkin Bars

Bake: 25 minutes
Prep: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1-1/3 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup dairy sour cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• Browned Butter Frosting (recipe follows)
• Chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Grease a 15x10x1-inch baking pan; set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Beat in sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. Add eggs, pumpkin, sour cream, milk, and vanilla; beat until combined. Add all-purpose and whole wheat flours; beat until combined. Stir in 1 cup nuts.

3. Spread mixture evenly into prepared baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven about 25 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.

4. Prepare Browned Butter Frosting; spread over cooled bars. If you like, sprinkle with additional nuts. Cut into bars. Makes 48 bars.

Browned Butter Frosting: In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup butter over low heat until melted. Continue heating until the butter turns a light brown. Remove from heat and transfer butter to a medium mixing bowl. Add 3 cups powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. Beat in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, to make a spreadable frosting. Use immediately. Makes about 1 cup
.

pull apart orange rolls

okay so y'know how we all love those butterscotch pull apart things? well, I decided to try and make orange flavored ones! I've been craving orange rolls so much lately but it seems like the recipe makes a lot and is time consuming. so I tweeked the butterscotch recipe to this:

18 frozen rolls
1/2 cup melted butter
juice from 1 orange
rind from orange
1/2 cup brown sugar

put rolls in greased bundt pan. then pour all the other ingredients on top. let sit over night. cook at 350 for 25 minutes! enjoy!

Paula Deen

Yesterday while at the gym during lunch time, this lady decided she wanted to torture me and changed the TV channel to the FOOD NETWORK!!!! I couldn't believe it! Who watches the food network while working out? Anyway, as mad as I was...I'd have to admit I'm a little thankful now. I saw Paula Deen do some yummy looking recipe's.

The first was a drink - I can't find the recipe but you basically take a frozen bag of mixed berries. You thaw it. Then you pour it in a blender and mix. You can strain it if you want. Then you pour it over ice and add sparkling apple cider, apple juice, sparkling water, etc. On the show she used alcohol but she did mention you can use any of those other drinks. It looked yummy.

The second one was Chocolate Raspberry Cookies. She was making all these things for a baby shower. Anyway, they look delicious and I can't wait to try them!

Cook Time:14 minLevel: EasyYield: 4 dozen

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (6-ounce) package raspberry creme filled dark chocolatebaking pieces (recommended: Hershey's Premier Dark Chocolate Baking Pieces Filled With Raspberry Creme)
Raspberry Icing, recipe follows
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars together at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, and baking powder; gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Stir in baking pieces. Drop cookies by tablespoonfuls onto prepared baking sheets. Bake 12 to 14 minutes.

Remove to wire racks to cool. Once cool, drizzle with Raspberry Icing.

Raspberry Icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon seedless raspberry preserves
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients, stirring until smooth.