Rainbow Fruit Salad

This is a refreshing fruit salad that can be tailored to whatever fruit you have, try it with kiwi, blueberries, raspberries, etc! The glaze is a fresh and tangy complement to the fruit.

Rainbow Fruit Salad

2 peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced
2 oranges peeled and sliced
2 cups of strawberries hulled and sliced
1 cup of seedless grapes (green or purple/red)
1 cup melon balls
Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a large bowl, combine fruit. Add dressing and GENTLY stir to coat. Serves 8.

Pineapple Lime Dressing

In a small bowl combine:
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 tsp finely grated lime peel
3 Tbsp. lime juice
3 Tbsp. honey
1/2 tsp ginger
Wisk until blended.

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

I don't have a pic for this yet, I had it at a bridal shower a year or so ago and had to contact the bride for the recipe! I've been craving it ever since, it's an excellent party dish. I'll be making it for my sister's baby shower at the end of this month.

Mandarin Chicken Pasta Salad

1 bag fusilli, rotini or bowtie pasta
4 small chicken breasts
2 cans mandarin oranges
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped celery
1 bottle of Brianna's Poppy Seed Dressing
1 cup sliced almonds or cashews
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. Steam chicken on stove top with 1-2 cups of water, covered for about 20 minutes. (Check water level at close to the end you don't want to burn the bottom of the chicken.) Check to make sure fully cooked. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, maybe a little garlic salt.

Drain the oranges. Blend in dressing, as well as the rest of the ingredients. Chill until served. Tastes excellent in croissants or dinner rolls.

Summer Potato Salad

I've had to rack my brain to get this recipe written down... it's hard you know. I can't exactly write "put 2 giant blobs of dijon and however many potatoes your biggest stockpot will hold..." well you get the point. So please excuse me for the short hand recipe. I love potato salad yet my husband loves it so much more. So it's quite the staple over summer while we are 90% BBQ'ing around here (probably why there has been a shortage of posts going on around here! Just staying cool and falling back on my usual recipes I guess!) I really prefer the taste of red potatoes in this salad then regular baking potatoes. They give it a more unique mild flavor.

3 lbs. new red potatoes (about 10?)
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise (got to be the full fat stuff!)
3 Tbsp. Grey Poupon dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1 Tbsp. white vinegar (or whatever kind ya got)
2 Tbsp. prepared sweet relish
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. garlic salt
4 hard cooked eggs, chopped
5 slices cooked bacon
1/2 c. green onion
3 Tbsp. very finely chopped vidalia (sweet) onion
1/2 c. chopped celery
Salt and pepper

Boil potatoes in a large pot with salt water until tender firm (about 20 min?) Cool and drain. Chop into 1 inch cubes. Place in a large bowl, set aside.

In a medium bowl combine mayo, mustard, dijon, vinegar, relish, sugar, garlic salt. Stir until incorporated. Add chopped onion, green onion, and celery, bacon and eggs. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add mayo mixture to the potato cubes and combine. Dust with paprika if desired and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Feta and Vegetable Rotini Salad

This is my favorite summer pasta salad...I made this for a changing shift party for my hubbers and it was gone before we even got up to the table. I sometimes also add chopped pepperoni to mine for an extra pop. Enjoy {Kim} lol :)


3 cups tri-color rotini pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
1 cup Athenos Traditional crumbled feta cheese
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1 cup chopped unpeeled cucumber
1/2 c. sliced black olives
1/2 cup Kraft Zesty italian dressing
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion


Toss all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour to blend the flavors. This makes about 8 1 cup servings.

Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

OK so I am totally going to brag about how great this salad is.

It's FanTaStiC!!


I first learned of this salad at a Christmas party a couple of weeks ago from a good friend of mine.
I bugged her for the recipe and now I can't get enough of the fruity nutty salady goodness!!
So no questions asked...just make the darn salad already! Your stomach will thank you, and if you are entertaining, so will your guests! Seriously guys - it's amazingly unbelievable!!

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (fresh...yes it DOES matter!)
  
• 3 tsp diced onion
• 3 teaspoon Dijon-style prepared mustard (Grey Poupon tastes best)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• 1 large pkg of baby spinach
  
• 4 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
• 1 cup blanched almonds or cashews
  
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 apple - peeled, cored and diced
• 1 pears - peeled, cored and diced

1. In a blender or food processor, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running add oil in a slow steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and process just a few seconds more to mix.
2. In a large serving bow combine the spinach, shredded Swiss cheese, nuts, dried cranberries, cubed apple and cubed pear. Toss to mix then pour dressing over salad just before serving and toss to coat.

Enjoy every last little bite and feel free to lick the plate clean :D

Mexican 7 Layer Dip

The 1/4 bean in me especially LOVES this dip.

Layer in a 8x8 pan:

1 can of pinto beans, smashed (you can use refried beans but for me they are to salty and FULL of fat)
Sprinkle 1/2 pkg. taco seasoning into the beans while mashing

Frozen sweet corn, cooked (again the canned stuff is too salty)

Diced tomatoes

Diced avocado

Sour cream

Mexican cheese blend (I sometimes use cheddar if thats all Ive got around)

Chopped green onions

1 small can halved olives, drained (optional)

Again with the no measurements thing...I just add the individual layers on until they cover the previous layer all of the way.

Serve cold with tortilla chips

Seven Layer Salad

I believe this is a family recipe given to my dad from my aunt, who is fantastically talented in the kitchen. It is a very good salad and the best part about it is that you can control the fat content by using fat free mayo...or you can be like me and say "but I promise to be better tomorrow!!"...and use the full fat stuff, which is wonderful!
Its also really pretty if you use a glass bowl so you can see all of the crunchy colorful layers.

So in a large salad bowl you will layer:

Chopped romaine leaves
Diced celery
Diced red bell pepper
Diced green onion
Frozen peas
Bacon Bits
Cheese (any kind but I usually use cheddar)
Diced red onion (optional)

Like always this is a recipe in my head, so things aren't measured out...but you know what you like and how much you like...so just throw it in until it looks about right

Don't dress the salad until you are about to serve.

1 c mayo
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp garlic salt

Combine 3 ingredients together in a bowl and chill until ready to toss and serve.