Pomegranate Pepper Salad

Pomegranate Pepper Salad

I have no exact measurements for this salad except for the dressing. A friend made it and just told me the ingredients. It is super yummy. I'm not the kind of person that would think of mixing these things all together, so I'm glad I know people who do. :) So just chop to your desire.

-Pomegranate Seeds
-Red Peppers
-Lettuce Mix
-Chinese Crispy Noodles
-Roasted Sunflower Seeds
-Roasted Sliced Almonds

Dressing:
1/4 Cup Vegatable Oil
3 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Mix all three together and coat the salad with it.

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

No-Bake Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

Ingredients

• 1 (13 oz.) package chocolate chip cookies (original crunchy, not soft & chewy) ~ I use Chips Ahoy!
• 1 (9 oz.) prepared graham cracker pie crust
• 1 c. milk
• 1 (8 oz.) container Cool Whip

Directions

1. Set aside 2 chocolate chip cookies to crumble on top of the pie.
2. Place milk in a measuring cup. Dunk 8 cookies, one at a time, in the milk and place in a single layer in the bottom of the graham cracker crust. (Dunk each cookie quickly or it will absorb too much milk and crumble apart on you.) Spread 1/3 of the Cool Whip evenly over the cookies.
3. Dip 10 or 11 cookies, one at a time, in the milk and place in a single layer over the Cool Whip layer. Spread 1/3 of the Cool Whip evenly over the cookies. Repeat to create one more layer of cookies and one more layer of Cool Whip.
4. Crumble the reserved 2 cookies and sprinkle on top of the pie. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours before serving.

Basil Garlic Butter for Bread

Basil Garlic Butter for Bread

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serving Size: 6

Ingredients

1. 2 ounces, weight Butter
2. 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3. 1 bunch Basil Leaves (generous Handful)
4. 1 bunch Parsley (use 1/3 Of The Amount Of Basil)
5. 2 cloves Garlic
6. 1 whole Green Onion
7. 2 pinches Salt To Taste
8. 1 pinch Pepper To Taste
9. 1 loaf Ciabatta Or French Bread
10. 1-½ cup Grated Parmesan Cheese (up To 2 Cups)

Instructions

1. Combine all the ingredients except the bread and cheese in a food processor, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cut open the loaf of bread and spread both halves with the basil butter. Put the halves together and wrap in aluminum foil. Bake for in a 400ºF oven for 10 minutes.
3. Remove the bread, separate the halves and load them up with Parmesan cheese. Return them to the oven and either crank up the heat to 500ºF or put them under the broiler.
4. Cook until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and starting to get brown. Serve!

One Hour Skillet Focaccia Bread

One Hour Skillet Focaccia

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 1 10" focaccia

This easy focaccia takes only 1 hour to make. Perfect side for your pasta dish or your favorite soup. 

Ingredients

for the dough:
1. 3/4 c warm water
2. 1/2 tsp granulated sugar
3. 1 1/2 tsp yeast 
4. 2 Tbsp olive or canola oil
5. 2 c all-purpose flour ( divided )
6. 1/2 tsp salt
for the parmesan butter brush:
7. 3 Tbsp unsalted or salted butter, melted
8. 1 Tbsp grated parmesan
9. 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

Instructions

1. Place water and sugar in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Stir until sugar dissolves.
2. Sprinkle yeast over the water and stir few times. Let sit until foamy ( about 5 minutes).
3. Turn the mixer on low speed and add 1 cup of flour and salt. Mix until combined.
4. Add oil and mix well.
5. Gradually add as much of the remaining cup of flour as you can ( it can be only 3/4 of it) and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
6. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 220 degrees F and when it's ready turn it off. Keep the door closed.
7. Grease the skillet.
8. Place dough onto a floured surface (use the remaining flour from the second cup) and fold the dough few times until you feel it's smooth and not sticky anymore. Shape into a ball.
9. Roll out the dough into a size of your skillet.
10. Place in skillet. Stretch up the sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in the oven for 20 minutes.
11. Take the skillet out of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make indentations in the dough with your fingers.
12. Mix melted butter, parmesan and seasoning in a small bowl. Brush the dough with half the butter.
13. Place skillet with dough in the preheated oven and bake 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with remaining butter. Let cool until safe to the touch and slice. Serve.

Snickerdoodles

3-3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Grease a cookie sheet. Stir together flour, soda, cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Beat butter for 30 seconds; add the 2 cups sugar and beat till fluffy. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla; beat well. Add dry ingredients to beaten mixture, beating till well combined. Form dough into 1-inch balls; roll in a mixture of the 3 Tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Place balls 2 inches apart on a cookie sheet; flattening slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass. Bake in a 350 degree oven about 8 minute or until light golden. Makes about 66.

Hint: These are best just slightly underbaked - makes them more soft and chewy

*i always half the recipe. 2 cups sifted flour works perfectly when halved. 

S'more Cookies

I had these at a missionary farewell, made by Bonnie Rosdahl. They are amazing!!

2/3 cup margarine

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon milk

1 1/2 cups flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups chocolate chips
Graham Crackers

Heat oven to 375. Mix margarine and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add milk and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients. - add to wet ingredients. on low until just blended. Fold in chocolate chips. Place 1/4 of a graham cracker for each cookie onto an un-greased cookie sheet.(I always end up cutting about 1/2 inch off the length of each cracker to ensure complete cookie coverage:) Drop walnut size balls of dough unto the center of each cracker. Bake for 7 min. then place half of a large marshmallow on top of each cookie, gently pushing it down. Cook for another 2-3 minutes. Let cool on the counter for a couple of minutes before transferring to a cooking rack. After the cookie is completely cool, put frosting into Ziploc bag, clip corner and squeeze onto each cookie.  I use the chocolate frosting recipe on the back of the Hershey cocoa can.

Pineapple Salsa Chicken

If you like fruit salsas you'll love this dinner from Mel's Kitchen Cafe. 

4-6 chicken breasts

1 can black beans, drained rinsed

1 can white beans, drained rinsed

1 20 oz can crushed pineapple

1 cup Salsa

Put all ingredients in your crock pot. Cook on low for 6 hours. Shred chicken. Serve on tortillas with your favorite toppings. Sour cream, cheese, cilantro etc. serves 8

I cut this recipe in half. It still made a lot. I only had an 8 oz can of pineapple chunks. I drained it and threw it in the food processor for a quick buzz to make it crushed. 

Trav loves spicy food so I used half medium and half mild salsa. Turned out the perfect heat and sweet mix. 

I saved the other half cans of beans to make burritos and quesadillas for lunch tomorrow. Yum!!