Wild Rice Salad

Thank Rita . . . One of my favorite

Wild Rice Salad
2 boxes long grain wild rice, prepared
1 lemon, juiced
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut-up
4 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 ounces pea pods and/or asparagus, blanched for a minute
2 med. Avocados, cut-up
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
¼-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Dressing:
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 Tbls Dijon mustard
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp sugar
¼ tsp pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup rice vinegar
Mix together salad ingredients, except avocado and pecans. Mix together dressing ingredients. Add to rice mixture. Chill 2-4 hours. Just before serving add avocado and pecans. Garnish with lettuce if desired.

Cool Whip Jello Salad

Another Jana favorite
Cool whip Jell-o Salad

1 can raspberry pie filling
sm pkg cool whip
21 oz can sweet and condensed milk
marshmallows (colored kind)
sm can mandarin oranges
bananas
pineapple tidbits

Combine

Chocolate Pudding Dessert

Jana makes the BEST desserts. Just another one I had to steal from her.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING DESSERT

LAYER 1
1 pkg graham cracker
melt 1/3 c butter
3 TBS sugar in with graham cracker
put in bottom of 9x13 pan

LAYER 2
1 8oz cream cheese
1 c powder sugar
12 oz cool whip (leave some for the top)
put over graham cracker

LAYER 3
1 sm pkg instant vanilla pudding
1 sm pkg instant choc pudding
mix 2 1/2 c milk beat 2 minutes
spread over cream cheese

Refrigerate for awhile. Put cool whip on top when serve. Grated choc. on top.

Blueberry Salad

24 oz mixed berry yogurt
24 oz container cool whip (can use light)
2 - 3 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 cup sugar

Mix together gently. Chill in frig for 2 - 3 hours. Add food coloring to liven up color as desired.
Can freeze for an ice cream treat kind of thing. Could half the recipe if needed. Kind of a lot.

Rolo Cookies

Michelle Y brought me these one night. It was a "delightful" late night snack that I managed to eat all by myself.

ROLO COOKIES
1 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pkg. rolo candies
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp water
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs

Cream butter and sugars. Add eggs, vanilla and water. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix flour with baking soda and salt and add to creamed mixture. Shape cookies into small balls. Press rolo into center of ball and cover. Bake on a ungreased cookie sheet at 350 for 8 - 10 minutes.

Relish Appetizer

1 package of cream cheese (never use fat free, nasty. Reduced fat tastes great)
1 jar of Harry and David Pepper and Onion Relish
1 can of corn
1/4 cup diced red peppers
2 tsp. dried chili peppers

Place cream cheese on platter. Combine all the other ingredients and pour over cream cheese. Serve with your favorite crackers (wheat thins, costco rice crackers, ritz, what- eva you want).

*from the gathering of friends cookbook

Creme Brulee French Toast

My mom made this for us on Easter. It is now a family favorite.

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. corn syrup
bread, sliced, to cover butter mixture
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cup half and half (they have fat free half and half)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt

In a saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish. Arrange bread pieces on top. Beat together eggs, half and half, vanilla and salt. Pour egg mixture over the top of the bread. Cover and chill overnight in the refrigerator. The next morning, bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 35 - 40 minutes.