Honey Lime Enchiladas

6 tablespoons honey
5 tablespoons lime juice (approx. 1 large lime)
1 tablespoon chili powder (use a little less for a milder version- I used 1 tsp.)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used 2 large chicken breasts)
8-10 flour tortillas (I made 12 smaller ones)
1 pound monterey jack cheese, shredded (I used cheddar and monterey jack)
16 ounces green enchilada sauce
1 cup heavy cream (I only used about 1/2 cup)

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder and garlic together and toss with the shredded chicken. Let it marinate for at least 1/2 hour (or toss together in a ziploc bag and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours).

Pour about 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Fill flour tortillas with chicken and shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas. Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the cream and leftover marinade. Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.

Serve with sour cream, rice and black beans.

Bar Z Roasted Corn Salsa

1 (16 oz) bag frozen corn
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 green onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 avocado, diced
juice of 3 limes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Spread corn in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Allow corn to thaw, then place sheet under broiler and broil kernels until they begin to brown. Cool, and place in mixing bowl with remaining ingredients. Allow mixture to sit several hours or overnight for flavors to marry. Serve with tortilla chips.

From "Favorites" Cookbook

Pumpkin Granola or Bars

Pumpkin Granola

5 cups rolled oats
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
¾ tsp. salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup pepitas

1. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine oats, spices, and salt. Mix well.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, pumpkin puree, applesauce, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth. Pour wet ingredients into oat mixture and stir until the oats are evenly coated. They will be moist. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove pan from the oven and stir. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the granola is golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and stir in dried cranberries and pepitas. Let cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

*Note-serve granola with yogurt, milk, or enjoy plain.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

3 1/4 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 by 8 baking pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, whisk oats, spices, and salt together. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

4. Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set-you don’t want them to be under baked. Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

5. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars. Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Makes 10-12 granola bars

*Note-these didn’t last long in our house, so feel free to double the recipe and bake in a 9 by 13 pan.

Kelsey's Granola

Kelsey's Granola
6 cups oats
3/4 cup honey
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbs cinnamon (depending on your preference)
2 Tbs vanilla
1 cup coconut
1 cup craisins, raisins, or other dried fruit
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup almonds (or any other nuts you have)
1/2 cup flax seed or wheat germ (optional~to give it an extra little health kick)

Combine all ingredients in a LARGE bowl. Spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown. (I like mine soft and chewy, so I only bake it for 8-10, but if you like it crunchy, it will be more like 15 minutes.)

Cafe Rio Pork, Rice, Dressing (Annie)

Sweet Pork Barbacoa Salad
We served the salad in disposable 9 inch cake/pie tins. Line the tin with a flour tortilla. Top the tortilla with pork, rice, black beans and cheese. Cover with romaine lettuce and a few tortilla strips for crunch and garnish. Top with creamy cilantro salad dressing.
(This salad is such a crowd pleaser and PERFECT if you are having people over and giving out food assignments. You can also use uncooked tortillas from Costco. Throw them on the griddle and cook just before serving.)

Sweet Pork
4 lb. pork roast
2 cans tomato sauce (8 oz.)
1 can El Pato Mexican tomato sauce (8 oz)
1 tsp. pressed garlic cloves
1 1/2 to 2 cups brown sugar (packed)
2 tsp. cumin
2 cups Dr. Pepper
2 Tbsp molasses
1/2 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except pork until sugar is dissolved. Place pork roast in a crock pot sprayed with Pam. Pour mixture over roast and let simmer until meat is tender and pulls away with fork. (Cook on low over-night if desired.) Shredding pork and return to liquid. This pork/liquid mixture freezes well for later use. Serving size is about 1/2 cup cooked pork.

Lime Rice
2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/4 cup rice
2 1/4 cup chicken broth (or chicken bullion crystals)
3/4 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Juice and zest (peel) of 1 large or 2 small fresh limes
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 tsp. cumin

Melt butter with rice in skillet. Add the rest of ingredients EXCEPT for lime zest and juice, and cilantro, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add lime zest, juice, and cilantro after. Makes about 4 cups of cooked rice. Serving size is 1/2 cup per person.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing
16 oz. bottle of La Victoria green salsa (or any other tomatillo green salsa)
1 package dry buttermilk ranch dressing (about 4 Tbsp)
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh cilantro (just use leaves and really pack cup)
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (Taste and decide)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate. Makes about 1 quart dressing. I have used this on many dishes now. It is wonderful!

Chicken Divan (Jill Hyer)

2 cans cream of chicken soup
2 cups grated cheese
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. curry powder
1 cup mayo
4-6 cooked chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 pkg. chopped broccoli (or enough to cover the bottom of the pan)

Layer broccoli on the bottom. Cover with chicken. Mix everything else together and put it on top. Bake 350* for 45 minutes uncovered. Serve over rice.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (OBB)

A note about water baths: Kate talked about water baths a little in her cheesecake post. While cheesecake enthusiasts will tell you it's essential to always use one, from my experience, some cheesecakes do okay without them (like Kate's recipe) and others really need them to turn out well. I think it depends on the recipe. This one needs a water bath.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Crust:
1 3/4 C gingersnap crumbs (about 30 small cookies)
6T real butter, melted
3 T brown sugar
3/4 C ground pecans

Filling:
3 8oz blocks cream cheese
3/4 C canned pumpkin puree
6 oz melted white chocolate (that's about 1 C white chocolate chips)
1 C sugar
3 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/4 t nutmeg
1 1/2 t cinnamon
1/8 t cloves

Topping:
- 1 C whipping cream, beat with 1/2 tsp vanilla and 4 Tbs powdered sugar until medium peaks form.

- 1/3 C roughly chopped pecans, either toasted or caramelized

- 2 Tablespoons jarred caramel sauce

Preheat oven to 350. Using 2 large pieces of heavy duty foil, securely wrap the bottom and outside of your cheesecake pan. This will prevent leaks when using the water bath.

For Crust:

Use a food processor to crush gingersnaps. Then do pecans. Combine gingersnaps, pecans, brown sugar, and butter and stir well to combine. Press into a 9" spring form pan. Evenly spread across the bottom of pan and up the sides about 1 inch.

To melt chocolate, place in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. Set aside.

With an electric mixer beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add pumpkin, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves.

With the mixer running, slowly add in white chocolate in a steady stream (or steady blobs).

Pour mixture on top of the crust.

For water bath:

Place cheesecake pan inside of a larger pan. I use a roasting pan, like this. (and by "like this" I mean its appearance, because I most certainly did not pay $270 for mine) Place your cheesecake pan into larger pan. The larger pan should be at least 2-3 inches in depth. Place in pre-heated oven. With a kettle or pitcher filled with hot water, pour water into the larger pan about halfway up, or approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches.

Bake for 60-75 minutes or until set. The center should be just a tad bit jiggly still. It will finish cooking while cooling.

When it's done, remove from oven and place on a rack until completely cool. Place in the fridge for at least 12 hours. This is a very soft cheesecake so sufficient chilling is a must!

When ready to serve spread sweetened whipped cream on top, drizzle caramel sauce over it, and sprinkle with pecans.

Lemonade Ice Cream Pie

Makes 8 servings
Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total time: 4 hours 20 minutes

Crust:
25 Ginger snaps, finely crushed (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
1 quart (4 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
1/2 cup frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
Topping:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 T. powdered sugar
4 strawberries, halved

1. Heat oven to 350*
2. Combine crushed cookies and butter with fork. Press into 9" pie pan.
3. Bake about 8 minutes. Cool completely
4. Mix ice cream and lemonade. Pour into crust. Freeze at least 4 hours.
5. When ready to serve, whip cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Place cream in 8 dollops around edge of pie. Place strawberry half in each dollop.
Tip: This crust recipe is a basic recipe that will work well with other pie recipes needing a crumb crust. Be creative and try with other ice cream flavors and toppings.

One Hour Wheat Bread

From Real Mom Kitchen

Makes 2 (8×4 inch) loaves

3 c. whole wheat flour
1/3 c. gluten flour, sifted (or vital wheat gluten)
1 1/4 T. instant yeast (or quick-rising, I used SAF yeast)
2 1/2 c. very warm tap water
1 T. salt
1/3 c. oil
1/3 c. honey or 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/4 T. bottled lemon juice
2 – 2 1/2 c. whole wheat flour

Mix together first three ingredients in mixer with a dough hook. Add water all at once and mix for 1 minute; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Add salt, oil, honey or sugar and lemon juice and beat for 1 minute. Add last flour, 1 cup at a time, beating between each cup. Beat for about 6-10 minutes until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl. This makes a very soft dough. (For me, I ended up using 5 cups along with a couple tablespoons)
Preheat oven for 1 minute to lukewarm and turn off. Turn dough onto oiled counter top; divide, shape into loaves, place in oiled bread pans. Let rise in warm oven for 10-15 minutes (this took 30 minutes for me) until dough reaches top of pan. Do not remove bread from oven; turn oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 30 minutes (that is 30 minutes from the time you turn the oven on). Remove from pans and cool on racks.

Thick and Chewy Gingerbread Cookies

From My Kitchen Cafe

*Makes about 2 dozen gingerbread men*

3 cups (15 ounces) flour
¾ cup packed (5 ¼ ounces) dark brown sugar
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature (but not warm!), cut into 12 pieces
¾ cup light or dark molasses
2 tablespoons milk

With an electric mixer, stir together the flour, brown sugar, soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. Stop the mixer and add the butter pieces. Mix at medium-low speed until the mixture is sandy and resembles fine meal, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and with the mixer running, gradually add the molasses and milk; mix until the dough is evenly moistened about 20 seconds. Increase the speed to medium and mix until thoroughly combined, about 10 seconds.

Scrape the dough onto a work surface and divide it in half. Working with one portion at a time, roll the dough ¼ inch thick between 2 large sheets of parchment or wax paper. Leaving the dough sandwiched between the parchment or wax paper, stack the dough on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, 15 to 20 minutes. (Alternatively, refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silpat liners.

Remove one dough sheet from the freezer and place on the counter. Peel off the top parchment or wax paper sheet. Gently cut the dough into 5-inch gingerbread people or 3-inch gingerbread cookies, transferring the shapes to the prepared baking sheets with a wide metal spatula and spacing them ¾ inch apart. Set the scraps aside. Repeat with the remaining dough until the baking sheets are full. Because flour is not added during rolling, dough scraps can be rolled and cut as many times as necessary.

Bake the cookies until set in the centers and the dough barely retains and imprint when touched very gently with fingertip, 8 to 9 minutes. Do not overbake!! Cool the cookies on the sheets 2 minutes, then remove the cookies with a wide metal spatula to a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Gather the scraps; repeat the rolling, cutting and baking. Frost as desired (I used a ziploc bag filled with simple white icing).

Store soft gingerbread in a wide, shallow airtight container or tin with a sheet of parchment paper between the cookie layers. These cookies are best eaten within one week.

Sugar Cookies

From Our Best Bites

1 C real butter (no substitutions!)
1 C sugar
1 egg (make sure to use a large or extra large egg)
1 1/2 t almond extract (or other flavor of your choice, like vanilla)
3 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Add in egg and extract and mix to incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until completely combined.

Chill the dough in the fridge for about an hour, or use this great tip to make things easier:

When your dough is made, instead of putting it in the fridge, immediately roll between 2 sheets of waxed or parchment paper and then place on a flat surface in the fridge. Chill for about 20-30 minutes and then start cutting it out. This way it chills faster and the bonus is that you don't need to add extra flour to roll it out. If you don't use this tip, proceed as follows:

When you're ready to roll out dough lightly sprinkle flour onto your work surface and roll out dough with a rolling pin.

Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes. The baking time really depends on how you like them. If you like them really and slightly chewy, about 8-9 minutes does it. If you like them slightly crisp and buttery, then go for 10-12.

Orange Julius

1/2 can or 6 oz. OJ concentrate
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup milk
1 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
about 10 ice cubes

Blend in blender.

Orange Julius For One or Two- 315 calories
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup oj concentrate
1/4 t. vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
and throw in a handful of spinach!

Liz's Slush

4 cups water
2 cups sugar
Dissolve sugar in water. Turn off heat and add:

12 oz OJ concentrate
2 tsp. lemon juice
64 oz. cranraspberry

Freeze at least 24 hours. Add as much sprite as you want to make slushy.

Slow Cooker Barbecue Chicken

4-6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I used 4 large breast that were partially frozen)
1 (18 oz.) bottle of barbecue sauce
1/2 cup prepared Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Place chicken in crock pot. I a bowl mix 2/3 of the bottle of barbecue sauce, Italian Salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours on high or 6 to 8 hours on low. (I cook on low) Remove chicken from crock pot. Pour juices from crock pot into a large bowl. Shred chicken and place back in crock pot. Add remaining 1/3 of bottle barbecue sauce to chicken an d mix. Then add some of the liquid removed from the crock pot to make the chicken the wetness that you like it. Makes at least 8 sandwiches.

From Real Mom Kitchen

Lion House Rolls

2 tablespoons active-dry yeast
2 cups warm water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or shortening
1 egg
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
5-6 cups flour

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes. Add sugar, shortening, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Turn dough onto a lightly floured board and knead until it is smooth and satiny (I simply use my very-well-loved Bosch mixer to knead for me). Return dough to an oiled bowl and cover to let rise until doubled.

Separate dough into three portions. Roll out each portion into a circle and cut into 8 pie-shaped pieces (or 12 pieces if you want smaller rolls). Roll up crescent-style and place on baking sheet (I line mine with a silpat liner or parchment paper). Cover with saran wrap that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray and let rise until doubled, about 45 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes – until nicely browned. Makes 2-3 dozen rolls.

*Freezable: I freeze the baked rolls in freezer-safe ziploc bags. I microwave the frozen rolls (about 6 at a time) for 2 minutes before serving.

Fluffy Honey Butter

2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Whip all together with an electric mixer and serve at room temperature (can be refrigerated and softened).

From My Kitchen Cafe

Corn Bread

½ cup cornmeal
1 ½ cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cup milk

Add dry ingredients, make a well and add oil, butter, eggs, and milk into the center. Stir until just mixed (batter will be runny – don’t be alarmed!). Bake in an 8” square pan at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. This doubles perfectly for a 9X13-inch pan.

From My Kitchen Cafe

Bajio Chicken

5 chicken breasts
1/2 cup salsa
1 Tbsp cumin
1/2 cup brown sugar (more to taste, I added at least an extra 1/8 cup)
1 4 oz. can diced green chilies
6 oz. Sprite (1/2 can)

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove chicken and shred. Return to crock pot and cook 1 more hour. Thicken the juices with a little cornstarch mixed in water.
Serve with flour tortillas, lettuce, cheese, black beans and any other taco fixings.
If you want it spicier rather than sweeter add a hotter salsa and more green chilies.

From Real Mom Kitchen

Hershey's Cocoa Brownies (9x9")

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts(optional)
CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING(recipe follows)

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Stir together butter, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Add eggs; beat well with spoon. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; gradually add to egg mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in nuts, if desired. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.

3. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Prepare CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING; spread over brownies. Cut into squares. About 16 brownies.


CREAMY BROWNIE FROSTING

3 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
3 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 tablespoon light corn syrup or honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons milk

Beat butter, cocoa, corn syrup and vanilla in small bowl until blended. Add powdered sugar and milk; beat to spreading consistency. About 1 cup frosting.

Jamie's crunchy topping

1 1/4 cup oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup wheat germ, unprocessed bran or chopped nuts
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Combine and cook in skillet over medium heat 5-7 minutes or until golden brown.

Jamie's Salad Dressing

1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 T. grated onion
Put in blender and then add
1 T. poppy seeds
Great on spinach with craisins, almonds, and avocados.

Peanut Butter Playdough

1 C creamy peanut butter
2 C powdered sugar
1/2 C honey

Directions: mix mix mix. I use my stand mixer to make it quick, clean and easy, but if you prefer to make it long, messy, and not-so-easy, let your kids mix it up by hand :)

Chicken Salad

1 1/2 cups mayo
1 tsp. mustard
1/4 cup cream
3 T. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery (or more)
3 cups grapes
3 cups chicken
2 oz. almonds (broiled until toasted)

Orange Glazed Chicken Breast

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. chopped basil
pinch of garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 T. butter, divided
1 T. olive oil
1/4 cup orange marmalade
2 T. orange juice
2 T. white wine vinegar
1 T. soy sauce

Combine the dry ingredients and add over the chicken. Fry in skillet on each side in 1 T. butter until cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet momentarily. In the same skillet, combine remaining ingredients and stir over med-low heat for 2-3 minutes. Replace the chicken into the skillet for one minute. Add sauce from the skillet when plating the chicken.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
4 T. ketchup
1 T. soy sauce
Mix all together.

Bake chicken in 9x13" pan with sauce at 325* for 1 hour. Take sauce out, thicken with cornstarch, and then put back.

Five Layer Cookies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped nuts (like walnuts)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut (if desired)
1 1/3 cups sweetened condensed milk (1 can)

Pour melted butter on to the bottom of a 13x9" pan (or melt in metal pan). Sprinkle crumbs over butter. Sprinkle nuts over crumbs. Sprinkle chips over nuts evenly. Sprinkle coconut over chocolate. Pour condensed milk over coconut. Bake 20 minutes at 350* and cool in the pan. Cut into bars.

Spinach & Pasta Salad with Teriyaki Vinaigrette

Spinach Chicken & Pasta Salad with Teriyaki Vinaigrette (My Kitchen Cafe)

Dressing:
1 cup canola oil
1/3 - 2/3 cup bottled teriyaki sauce (I used 1/3 cup but you may want to add more depending on your taste)
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
6 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Salad:
16 oz. bow tie pasta, cooked al dente, drained and cooled
1 bag fresh spinach (9 - 10 oz)
6 oz. craisins
2 (11 oz.) cans mandarin oranges, drained
1 (8 oz.) can water chestnuts, drained and slivered
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 green onions, thinly sliced (white and green parts)
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
6 oz. honey roasted peanuts
2 cups cooked chicken, tossed with 2-3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients and blend until well combined and smooth. Mix about 1 cup of the dressing with the cooked pasta in a large bowl and marinate for at least one hour (Judy has left this step out many times with still great results). Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a large bowl. Just before serving, add pasta and toss. Add dressing to taste and toss. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: from My Kitchen Cafe

Cran-Orange Salad

Cran-Orange Almond Salad (Real Mom Kitchen)

• 1 large head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried, and broken into pieces (I like a lettuce combo so I used red leaf and butter – a red leaf and spring mixture would also be yummy)
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced sliced and separated into rings (I recommend slicing them very thin, a mandolin would be good if you have one. I wish mine were thinner. I then cut the rings in half)
• 2 – 3 oranges, peeled and sliced then cut into chunks (You can us 2 cans of mandarin oranges, drained – but the fresh orange is fabulous and the more the better for me)
• 1/2 jicama, peeled and cut into julienne strips
• 1/2 cup or so of dried cranberries
Serve tossed with orange dressing and sugared almonds. (recipes below)
Orange Dressing
• 1 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
• 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/2 cup canola oil (or vegetable oil)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix
Combine ingredients in blender or shaker jar.
Sugared Almonds
• 4 ounces slivered almonds
• 3 Tablespoons sugar
Place almonds in a small skillet and sprinkle with sugar. Cook over medium heat stirring until almonds are coated and starting to brown (a nice tan color) and sugar has dissolved. (Be careful not to burn) Allow almonds to cool.

Asian Wonton Salad

Sweet Sesame Dressing (Our Best Bites)

2/3 C rice vinegar
1 C canola oil
2 Tbs sesame oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed or very finely minced
2 Tbs soy sauce
1/2 C sugar
4 Tbs sesame seeds

Place all ingredients into a quart jar (or something equivalent) and shake vigorously. If desired, make ahead of time and store in the fridge.

Asian Wonton Salad

2 heads romaine lettuce
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed or shredded
cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, sliced thinly
1 cucumber, sliced
1 package wontons
vegetable oil for frying
optional: cashews (Mel noted in the comments that cashews are a yummy addition, I'll have to try it!)

Sweet Sesame Dressing

Heat about 1 inch of oil in a pot on the stove top. Use pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut wontons into thirds (3 strips). You may not need the entire package, depending on how much salad you're making. I usually use about half of the wonton wrappers. You'll want the oil at about 375 degrees. Test by dipping a wonton in and seeing if it bubbles up quickly. Fry wontons a few at a time and set on paper towels to dry. These can be made ahead of time and kept in an air tight container.

Tear clean lettuce into chunks and place in a large salad bowl. Top with cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber, and red onion. Add shredded chicken and top with Sweet Sesame Dressing. Toss salad together. Once everything is well coated, add wonton strips and gently toss to combine.