Quinoa Fruit Salad

1 cup quinoa (I used Red Quinoa)
2 cups water
Pinch of salt

For the Honey Lime Dressing:

Juice of 1 large lime
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

For the fruit:

1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/2 cups chopped mango
Extra chopped mint, for garnish-optional

directions:

1. Using a strainer, rinse the quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let quinoa cool to room temperature.

2. To make the Honey Lime Dressing: In a medium bowl, whisk the lime juice, honey, and mint together until combined.

3. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, blueberries, strawberries, and mango. Pour honey lime dressing over the fruit salad and mix until well combined. Garnish with additional mint, if desired. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Vickie's Breakfast Casserole

4 c. Seasoned croutons
4 c. Shredded cheddar cheese
12 eggs
1 qt. Half and half
1 t. Salt
1 t. Dry mustard
Dash of pepper
Onions
1 lb. Cooked bacon,drained and crumbled
1 lb. Cooked and crumbled pork sausage

 Place croutons in bottom of 13 x 9 pan, sprinkle with cheese. Pour mixture of beaten eggs, mustard, onions, sausage and half & half over cheese. Sprinkle bacon over top. Refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

Veggie Salad

1 can shoepeg corn (or frozen corn), drained
1 can French-style green beans,drained
1 can baby peas (or frozen peas), drained

1/2 c. chopped green onions (or red onion)
1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper

Mix 3/4 c. vinegar
       1/4 c. oil
       1 c. sugar
Salt & pepper to taste.
Mix together.  Pour over vegetables and refrigerate over night.
Serves: 6-8

Shared by Patty West

Spaghetti in Garlic Gravy with Chicken

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti  (cooked al dente)

1 pound chicken breast fillets (sliced into 1 inch chunks)

For the chicken marinade:

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped (if using dried, use half of the amount)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of ½ a lemon

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon coarse salt (not table salt)

½ teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (to sauté the marinated chicken)

-  Add all the marinade ingredients into the chicken and marinade for 20 minutes (if making this dish for immediate serving) or overnight (if making this dish the next day… much better).

-  Saute the marinated chicken in extra virgin olive oil until cooked (about 4-5 minutes) then set aside.

For the garlic gravy:

½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, finely minced

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 ½ cups chicken stock

1 Tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup parsley, chopped (to sprinkle/finish the pasta)

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 cups whole cherry tomatoes

-  Place sauté pan over medium heat and add butter and olive oil.

-  Saute garlic until fragrant and soft.

-  Add the flour and cook for a minute.

-  Add chicken stock and simmer gravy until thickened then add the chopped basil.

-  Season with salt and pepper.

-  Add the sauteed chicken in the gravy then toss the cooked spaghetti into this sauce.

-  Add the cherry tomatoes and finish the dish with the chopped parsley and grated parmesan cheese (serve extra on the side).

Makes 5-6 servings.

Broccoli Crunch Salad

2 heads fresh broccoli 1 red onion 1/2 pound bacon 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries 3/4 cup sliced almonds 1 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup SPLENDA® No Calorie Sweetener, Granulated 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar Directions Place bacon in a deep skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Cool and crumble. Cut broccoli into bite-size pieces and cut onion into thin bite-size slices. Combine with the bacon, raisins, and almonds and mix well. To prepare the dressing, mix mayonnaise, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, and vinegar together until smooth. Stir into the salad, let chill and serve.

Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind, or grind them in a food processor. Tiny granules.)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 

1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Texas Coconut Pound Cake

2/3 C. Crisco
2 sticks butter
3 C. sugar
3 C. All purpose flour
5 large eggs
1 C. Milk
1/2 t. baking powder
1-1 1/2 C. coconut
2 t. coconut extract

 Cream butter, Crisco and sugar. Add eggs one at a time beating well after each. Add coconut flavoring. Sift flour and add baking powder. Alternate adding flour and milk to sugar mixture. Add coconut.
Spray tube pan with Crisco no stick spray with flour.
Bake @325-350 for 1 hr to 1 hr 15 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes turn on cooling rack.

Glaze, if desired.

Glaze

2 c. powdered sugar

2-3 T. milk

1/4 t. coconut extract