Author: Marcia Young

Categories
Cookbook Pasta Salads

Emily’s Graduation Pasta Salad

6 C. vegetable pasta or tortini, cooked
1 cucumber, diced
2 C. celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tsp. salt
2 dashes black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 T. basil
2 T. parsley flakes
1 T. dill weed
2 C. vegetable oil
1 1/2 C. cider vinegar
1 1/2 C. sugar
Cherry tomatoes

Mix oil, vinegar and sugar. Pour over the remaining ingredients that have been combined. Mix well. This can marinate in refrigerator 2 or 3 days before serving. To serve, add cherry tomatoes for color.

NOTE: This makes a lot of dressing. Only put on half the amount and let sit for a day to see if you need more dressing. The remaining dressing can be used on a tossed salad.

Categories
Cookbook Salads

Romaine Lettuce Salad

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into pieces
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1/2 C. slivered almonds

DRESSING:
2/3 C. olive oil
3 T. tarragon or red wine vinegar
3 T. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt

Mix dressing ingredients and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Toss salad ingredients together and pour on the dressing just before serving.

Categories
Cookbook Salads

Poppy Seed Salad

1 head romaine lettuce
1 head iceberg lettuce
1 red onion, sliced
1 – 4 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
1 pomegranate, sliced

DRESSING:
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 C. sugar
1/2 C. white vinegar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. salad oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds

In blender, combine dressing ingredients, except salad oil and poppy seeds. Mix at low speed until all sugar dissolves. Drizzle salad oil into blender and mix at medium speed until dressing is thick and glossy. Stir in poppy seeds. The secret to this salad is to have salad ingredients very cold in a clear glass serving bowl with romaine lettuce leaves. In center, place broken iceberg lettuce leaves, broken remaining romaine lettuce, purple onion, mandarin oranges and pomegranate. Add dressing and serve.

Categories
Cakes Cookbook Desserts

Peachy-Keen Upside-Down Cake

1 – 2 layer pkg. yellow cake mix
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1 C. brown sugar, packed
2 C. fresh peaches, peeled and sliced, or frozen unsweetened peach slices
1/2 C. pecan halves, optional
1/4 C. maraschino cherries, halved, optional

Prepare cake batter according to package directions. Place butter or margarine in 9×13″ cake pan. Place pan in 350º oven for about 5 minutes, or until butter is melted. Remove pan from oven. Stir brown sugar into the butter and spread evenly over the bottom of cake pan. If you like, arrange pecan halves and/or maraschino cherry halves (cut-side up) in spaces between peach slices. Spoon cake batter over fruit. Bake in 350º oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Immediately invert cakes onto plate.

NOTE: Can also bake in 2 square or round layer cake pans.

Categories
Cakes Cookbook Desserts

Éclair Cake

1 – 1 lb. box graham crackers
2 small pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 C. milk
1 – 8 oz. container Cool Whip

FROSTING:
2 packets Choco-Bake, unsweetened
2 T. white Karo syrup
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 C. powdered sugar
3 T. milk
3 T. margarine

Spray a 9×13″ pan with Pam. Line entire bottom of pan with crackers. Mix pudding and milk and stir in Cool Whip. Pour half of the pudding mixture over the crackers. Add another layer of crackers and pudding mixture. Top pudding with third layer of crackers. Refrigerate 2 hours. Mix the frosting ingredients. Frost the third layer of crackers. Refrigerate.

Categories
Cakes Cookbook Miscellaneous

Aunt Nonnie’s Wedding Cake Frosting

1 heaping C. Crisco
Dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. cornstarch
Approx. 1 tsp. white corn syrup
1 – 2 lb. bag C &H powdered sugar
1/2 C. boiling water

Put the first 5 ingredients in large bowl of mixture; beat. Add half of the powdered sugar; beat well. Gradually add boiling water and rest of powdered sugar. Beat several minutes, until smooth, scraping bowl often. If too thick to spread, may be thinned with a little milk or cream.

Categories
Cakes Cookbook Desserts

Aunt Nonnie’s Wedding Cake

1 Betty Crocker white cake mix, prepared as directed using only 2 T. oil

Bake at 300º for 10 minutes. Increase temperature to 325º and bake 10 minutes. Increase temperature to 350º to finish baking. Cook in pan 10 minutes.

Categories
Chicken Cookbook Salads

Chicken Almond Salad

4 C. cooked chicken, diced
1 1/2 C. celery, diced
3 T. lemon juice portions only
1 1/2 C. seedless white grapes
1 – 3 oz. pkg. almonds, toasted
2 small green onions, white
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

DRESSING:
1 tsp. celery seeds
3/4 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
3/4 C. salad dressing
3/4 C. mayonnaise
1/4 C. half and half cream

GARNISH:
8 to 10 pineapple rings, or 2 cantaloupes
Lettuce

Combine chicken, celery and lemon juice: chill for 1 hour. Add grapes, almonds, onions and eggs. Combine dressing ingredients. Add to chicken mixture. Salad may be served on lettuce leaf and garnished with pineapple ring, or served in a ring of cantaloupes, or in cantaloupe halves.

Categories
Cookbook Salads

Rita’s Pink Artic Freeze

1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
2 T. mayonnaise
2 T. sugar
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 – 9 oz. can crushed pineapple,drained
1/2 C. walnuts, chopped
1 C. whipping cream, whipped, or 2 C. Cool Whip, thawed

Soften cream cheese; blend in mayonnaise and sugar. Add fruit and nuts. Fold in whipped cream and freeze in an 8x4x2″ loaf pan. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes, or in refrigerator for an hour before slicing. Serve on lettuce leaf.

Categories
Cookbook Salads

Pretzel Salad

FIRST LAYER:
2 C. pretzels, crushed
3/4 C. margarine, melted
3 T. sugar

SECOND LAYER:
1 – 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 C. sugar
2 C. Cool Whip

THIRD LAYER:
1 – 6 oz. pkg. strawberry gelatin
2 C. water
2 – 10 oz. pkgs. frozen strawberries

FIRST LAYER: Mix ingredients together and press into a 9×13″ pan. Bake at 400º for 8 minutes. Cool.

SECOND LAYER: Mix together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in Cool Whip an spread over the cooled crust.

THIRD LAYER: Dissolve gelatin in 2 cups boiling water and add strawberries. Chill until syrupy. Pour over second layer and refrigerate.