Summer Pasta Salad

1 lb. angel hair pasta
3 roma tomatoes cut up
1 peeled and cubed cucumber
1 sm bottle Wishbone italian dressing
2/3 bottle McCormick vegetable seasoning

Cook and drain pasta, rinse in cold water. Add Italian dressing and seasoning. Mix Well. Chill 3-4 hours or overnights.  Before serving, add tomatoes and cucumbers. Can refrigerate for 1-2 more hrs. Serves 10-15.

Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad

1 head lettuce
1/2 pkg. baby spinach
1 can artichokes
1 clock mozzarella grated (2 C)
1 lb. bacon- cooked and crumbled
1 lg. can man darin oranges
1 pkg mushrooms0- sliced
Croutons
1 cup penuts
1.5 C craisins



Dressing:
3/4 fat free ranch
3/4 Bernsteins cheese and garlic
2 T sugar


Kim Anderson

Chocolate Cream Cake

*** For the RS dinner, she 1.5 times-ed the recipe, so there would be 3 layers instead of 2***

2 cups cake flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda               

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate,  melted and cooled

¼ cup hot water

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Chopped Nuts

In large bowl of mixer, stir together flour, sugar, soda and salt.  Add sour cream, butter and eggs.  Beat at low speed just until blended.  Then beat at medium speed w minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  At low speed stir in chocolate.  Add water and beat at medium speed 2 minutes more, scraping bowl occasionally.  Stir in vanilla. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 in layer cake pans.  Bake in preheated 350° oven about 25 to 30 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on racks 10 minutes, then invert on racks, remove from pans. Turn layers top sides up and let cool.  Cut rounded tops of  cakes.  Fill with stabilized Whipping Cream between layers.  Frost with chocolate frosting.  Garnish with chopped nuts.

Stabilized Whipping Cream

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin

¼ cup cold water

3 cups heavy whipping cream

¾ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Combine gelatin with water in a small saucepan.  Let stand until thick.  Over low heat, stir constantly until just dissolved.  Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.  (It should still be liquid). Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla until slightly thick in a large mixing bowl.  Turn mixer on low and gradually add the gelatin, then beat on high until the cream is thick. 

Chocolate Frosting

4 tablespoons cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

4 tablespoons softened butter

2-3 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix cocoa and powdered sugar in missing bowl.  Add softened butter, milk and vanilla. Beat until smooth.

Chris Strong

Sour Cream Chocolate Layer Cake

*** For the RS dinner, she 1.5 times-ed the recipe, so there would be 3 layers instead of 2***

2 cups cake flour

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda               

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sour cream

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate,  melted and cooled

¼ cup hot water

1 ½ teaspoon vanilla

Chopped Nuts

In large bowl of mixer, stir together flour, sugar, soda and salt.  Add sour cream, butter and eggs.  Beat at low speed just until blended.  Then beat at medium speed w minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.  At low speed stir in chocolate.  Add water and beat at medium speed 2 minutes more, scraping bowl occasionally.  Stir in vanilla. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 in layer cake pans.  Bake in preheated 350° oven about 25 to 30 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool on racks 10 minutes, then invert on racks, remove from pans. Turn layers top sides up and let cool.  Cut rounded tops of  cakes.  Fill with Chocolate Cream Filling between layers.  Frost with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting.  Garnish with chopped nuts or chocolate sprinkes.

Chocolate Cream Filling

½ cup sugar

¼ cup flour

Dash of salt

1 cup milk

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 square (1 ounce) unsweetened chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla

In small saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt.  Gradually beat in milk with whisk.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and smooth.  Remove from heat and beat in egg.  Return to low heat for 30 seconds while beating.  Add chocolate and beat until melted.  Beat in vanilla.  Remove from heat and place plastic wrap directly over top on filling to keep skin from forming.  Chill.  Stir before using.

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

1 package (3 ounce) cream cheese, (softened)

2 tablespoons butter

2 squares (2 ounces) unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled.

2 ½ cups unsifted powdered sugar

2 tablespoons half and half

1 teaspoon vanilla

In small bowl of mixer, beat together cream cheese and butter until light and smooth.  Stir in chocolate and salt, add sugar alternately with half and half, beating thoroughly after each addition.  Stir in vanilla.

Chris Strong

Chicken Salad on Croissants

Chicken Salad

6 c. cooked, cubed chicken (about 3 lbs)
2 c. celery, chopped big or diced small
2 c. red apples, chopped big or diced small
2-3 c. red grapes
2/3 c. sliced or slivered almonds- optional

Combine with dressing

1- 2c. sour cream ( I use 1c.)
1 1/2 c. Miracle Whip
4 Tbsp. pineapple juice
4 Tbsp. orange juice
1/8- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder- or to taste
pepper to taste

Serve on a croissant,  lettuce bed, or cantaloupe ring

**note: I use fat free sour cream and light Miracle whip. I also like a bit more orange juice( i just throw in a spoonful of undiluted oj concentrate)
***note: feeds 30 1/2c. or 30 large Costco croissants ( 60 halved croissants- 1/4 c.)
****note: can mix up  the day before except grapes,  add grapes and mix just  before serving ( they go mushy)
*****apples won't brown, the citrus juices and the Miracle whip acids keep them from browning


Thanks to Kim Anderson!