Recipes

[ChiliPepper]

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@RespectLife wrote:

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@ChiliPepper wrote:

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@RespectLife wrote:

I must say, I never make my mac salads the same way twice!

I lean twds oil/vinegar base....but DH wants Miracle Whip and GOBS of it!  LOL

Lately, I have been adding black beans to my pasta salads....regardless of the base.

I will add the kitchen sink if I have it....cukes, chick peas, artichokes are some of my favorites.

Weg carries a jar of grilled artichokes that are SO good....but have now priced themselves outta my pantry. 

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@RespectLife 

Ya, that's how I make my regular pasta salad; any & everything in it.

It's really more of a veggie-pasta salad than a pasta salad.

Maybe I'll make that this weekend when the mac salad is gone.

I finally grabbad a bottle of that 3 cheese salad dressing from Aldi's that you said you sometimes used in yours.

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You found that @ChiliPepper  ????

The 3 cheese Vinaigratte? 

Now I need to go look and see if we got it, I am gonna buy 20 bottles if they do!

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@RespectLife 

YES!!!

I've looked 20 times & FINALLY found it!

[ChiliPepper]

[ChiliPepper]

RECIPE COURTESY OF KARDEA BROWN

Charleston Chewies

• Level: Easy

• Total: 1 hr 40 min (includes cooling time)
• Active: 15 min

• Yield: 16 squares

Ingredients

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus additional softened butter for the baking dish

1 cup packed light brown sugar 

1/2 teaspoon almond extract 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 large egg, lightly beaten 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1/4 cup chopped pecans 

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly, then add the brown sugar, almond and vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Stir in the egg.
3. Whisk together the flour and baking powder in a small bowl, then fold the mixture into the brown sugar mixture. Fold in the pecans. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake until set around the edges but still loose in the center, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely, then sift confectioners' sugar on top. Cut into 16 squares.

[ChiliPepper]

The Charleston Chewies by Kardea technically aren't pralines probably but they are sooooooooooooo good & easy to make.

Too good & easy as a matter of fact, I have to resist making them because then I eat them LOL!!!

I did mine with all vanilla; not vanilla & almond. Just a personal preference.

I also did not use the powdered sugar on top. I didn't feel it was needed.

[novamc1]

@ChiliPepper 

I have a new fave to add to any pasta salad...........Chipotle Ranch Dressing mixed with a few other things.

One idea I read years ago for pasta salads is to toss warm pasta noodles with just a little vinaigrette, and then refrigerate for a while.  This makes it easier to mix noodles later with a  creamy dressing, which otherwise will tend to absorb into the noodles and lose its flavor punch.  A small amount of Italian-seasoned oil/vinegar adds additional flavor to the noodles, too.

Marie's makes a  refrigerated one, too, sold in the produce dept.  Marie's is my most loved brand in any flavor.

Just this morning, I put together a bowl of cole slaw for tonight's dinner using...

--Bag of precut cabbage-and-carrrot slaw mix from the produce department

--Some extra carrots chopped in the little pull chopper that QVC sells.

--Chopped onion

Mixed the dressing using  mayo, some sour cream, and bottled Hidden Valley Ranch Chipotle, plus a spoonful of sweet pickle relish and celery seeds.

Should taste pretty good  by the time it's served this evening.

[ChiliPepper]

@novamc1 

Oh YUM!!! Chipotle Ranch sounds great!

I don't have any but maybe I can make my own by simply adding some seasonings to regular Ranch.

I'm gonna try it this weekend.

Great tip about the vinaigrette, it makes so much sense. Usually you make a salad & when you go back, it's all bare because the dressing has absobed in.

Thanks for the tip!

[RespectLife]

@novamc1 

@ChiliPepper 

I'll take 2 doz of the Pralines and 2 bottle of the Chipotle Ranch, Please!!

[ChiliPepper]

I actually had a fish fry last night - I haven't had that in a long time. SO GOOD!!! One of our local grocery stores does them. I used to get them years ago. They are good & reasonable plus there is not the wait there is at the local to-go restaurants. 

I put in my order, grabbed a couple of groceries I wanted & by that time, dinner to-go was ready.

It's going to be super hot and humid the next two days especially so - so far - it's going to be a nice, cool chicken Caesar salad for dinner tomorrow night.

So, what are your go-to lunches/dinners when it's super hot???

[ChiliPepper]

Super hot and humid here today. Working on laundry, will try to do some work outside later if it cools off a bit.

Chicken Ceaser salad later, maybe make a small pasta salad now that the macaroni salad is gone.

I have a couple pork chops in the freezer, I will take those out for this week. Any suggestions for pork chops? I'm thinking of doing them in some pineapple salsa that I got the other day.

What's cooking today???

[mustang66lady]

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@ChiliPepper wrote:

Cherry pie was always my fav as a kid!

My Mom made them from cherries we picked - YUM!!!

What's your favorite pie???

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@ChiliPepper 

Just now trying to catch up but I am a definite pie person vs. cake.  My all time favorite is blackberry pie.   Fruit pies always win out over custard pies for me and blackberry is the king.  It is my fav. "birthday cake."   Give me a warm piece of blackberry pie with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and it is Happy Birthday Me!