Irresistible Orange and Sugared Almond Salad

This salad is SO good! My parents were visiting and we had another guest over for dinner. My dad couldn't stop telling me how good it was, my husband ate a MOUNTAIN of it, and our guest literally cleaned out the salad bowl once she had finished everything else on her plate. The sugared almonds and oranges are definitely winners in this salad, and topped with the homemade dressing...to die for! What are you waiting for?! Go make it! :)

Irresistible Salad
Adapted from Real Mom Kitchen's "Cran-Orange Almond Salad"

Salad:

1/2 head iceburg lettuce

1/2 bunch green leaf lettuce

1 orange

Bacon bits

4 oz. almonds

3 tbsp. sugar

Chop iceburg and green leaf lettuce. Peel orange and cut into chunks. Place almonds in a small skillet. Sprinkle with sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring very often, until sugar coats almonds. This will take 5-10 minutes. You will notice that the sugar starts to melt. Stir constantly until almonds are browned slightly and sugar is sticking to them. Let cool. When ready to serve, place lettuce in a bowl and top with oranges, sugared almonds, and bacon bits. (Real Mom Kitchen didn't use bacon and added onions, cranberries, and jicama. Top it with whatever you like!) Then top individual servings with orange vinaigrette.

Orange Vinaigrette:

1 tsp. grated orange peel

1/3 c. fresh orange juice

2 tbsp. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. sugar

1 tbsp. Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix

Mix well and pour onto individual servings of salad.

"Mocktail" (Nonalcoholic) Appletini

It was my turn to plan our date night and I made a couple fun "mocktails"! I made these appletinis before dinner and strawberry daiquiris after dinner. (That recipe coming soon.) I'll post the instructions to make simple syrup first. You'll need it for this recipe and lots of other drink recipes.

Simple Syrup

1 part sugar

1 part water

Bring water to a boil. Dissolve sugar in. Once sugar is completely dissolved, remove pan from heat. Allow to cool enough to place in a resealable container and refrigerate until completely cool before making drinks.

Nonalcoholic Appletini

Recipe from cocktails.about.com

1 oz. lemon juice

8 oz. apple juice

2 oz. simple syrup

Fill cocktail shaker with ice. Add all ingredients. Shake well. Strain into a martini glass. Garnish with an apple slice. If you don't have a cocktail shaker, stir everything in a bowl of ice, and pull the ice out before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie

(Is there anyway to make chicken pot pie look appetizing?!?!) Everyone has their own chicken pot pie recipe. This one is my mother-in-law's recipe and it is the best I've ever eaten! Not just amazing, but eyes-roll-in-the-back-of-your-head-while-you-sigh-in-pure-bliss amazing! :) And it's EASY! The secret ingredient is THYME and it's what makes this recipe so fabulous.

Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe from my mother-in-law :)

2 cans cream of potato soup

1 can mixed vegetables, drained

1/2 c. milk

1/2 tsp. thyme (I use ALOT more)

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 c. chicken, cooked and cubed

2 ready made pie crusts (each with top and bottom crust)

Mix together and put in pie crusts. Place top crusts on top and pinch to seal together. Bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool 10 minutes before serving. Makes 2 pot pies.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This bread is so yummy! It's deeeelish toasted with a little bit of butter! I got the recipe from a cookbook that my husband's aunt gave me for my bridal shower. Ward cookbooks are heavenly!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

Dough:

2 c. warm water

2 tbsp. powdered milk

2 tbsp. honey

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. salt

2 1/2 tsp. yeast

5 1/2 c. flour

Filling:

3/4 c. brown sugar

7 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 c. ground flaxseed (optional but see note in recipe)

1 beaten egg

2 tbsp. butter

1 c. baking raisins (optional)

Combine 1/4 hot water, 1 tbsp. honey, and yeast in a small bowl. Set in a warm place to proof. Combine the rest of the dough ingredients (except flour) in a large bowl. Stir in the yeast mixture. Slowly stir in flour. On floured surface, knead the dough until elastic (about ten minutes). I used my Bosch for this. If you use a Bosch or Kitchenaid, knead as usual in your machine. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about one hour.)

Meanwhile, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and flaxseed for the filling. I didn't have any flaxseed and mine turned out just fine. However, if you don't have flaxseed, I'd probably cut the cinnamon down to about 5-6 tsp. Punch down the dough and seperate into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a 10" x 12" rectangle. Brush the top of each with half the egg and then sprinkle with half of the filling mixture. Drizzle with butter and rub the surface with a spoon to moisten the filling. Roll the dough tightly and pinch together at the ends and the seam. Place in greased bread pans and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour (or in the fridge overnight). Bake for 15 minutes at 425 degrees, lower heat to 400 degrees and bake 15-20 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand at least 30 minutes before slicing. Enjoy! (Your family is going to think you're the greatest baker ever!) :)

BEST EVER Ham Glaze

1 c. packed brown sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
¼ tsp. salt
1 can (8 ½ oz) crushed pineapple in syrup (not juice, it’s more flavorful with syrup)
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. mustard
Ground nutmeg

Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan. Stir in rest of ingredients. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until it boils. Poke holes in the ham with a knife. Sprinkle the ham generously with ground nutmeg and pour the glaze over. Crock pot on low for about 4-6 hours.

*This makes enough for a 2 pound ham. Double, triple, etc for however big your ham is.

Taco Salad with Crisp Tortilla Bowls

4 flour tortillas

1 lb. hamburger

1 env. taco seasoning

Garlic powder

Onions, diced small (or dried minced onions)

Lettuce

Tomatoes

Black Beans

Green peppers, diced small

Shredded cheese

Salad dressing and/or salsa, whichever you prefer

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Make four 3-inch balls of aluminun foil. PLace ona cookie sheet. Spray both sides of each tortilla with Pam and place each over a foil ball. Bake for 6-8 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, season hamburger with dry taco seasoning, garlic powder, and onions. Brown and drain. Place lettuce in tortilla bowls and add with your favorite toppings.