Connie's Chicken Salad

"Female friendships are like no other relationship:

unconditional, loving, silly, safe.

They are our secret weapon."

~Beverly Lowry

I first had this chicken salad

a few years ago.

My treasured friend, Connie, made it for me

when we were vacationing at her lake condo.

It's the perfect summer-time meal.

Easy, quick and delicious.

Roast about a cup of walnuts.

Just put them on a cookie sheet

in a 350 oven for 5 - 10 minutes.

Watch them closely so they don't burn...

I use rotisserie chicken but you could bake your own.

That takes longer though and the rotisserie chicken 

adds a great taste.

Remember we're going for quick and easy...

Chop the following:

Both breasts of the chicken

1/2 c. celery

1 c. red grapes

1/2 c. onion

1/2 c. roasted walnuts

Mix the ingredients with 3 (really heaping) tablespoons of Hellman's.

You can add more or less depending on your taste.

Add 1 T. milk to thin it just a little.

Connie uses plain yogurt...

 but I never have any so I use milk.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Serve on a bed of lettuce.

Another idea...

This salad is delicious as part of a fruit plate.

Surround a large scoop of the salad 

with different, seasonal and colorful fruit.

Enjoy!

Linking to:

Home May'd Spring/Summer Link Party at Southern Hospitality

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Easy Chicken Noodle Casserole

This recipe has been a favorite of my family

since my kids were very small.

It was one of the meals I could make

that EVERYONE liked. 

Over the years I have changed a few things to make it easier.

Here is what I do:

Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil.

Cook about 8 oz. noodles according to package directions.

I add olive oil and salt to the water.

Drain noodles.

While noodles are cooking mix the following:

1 can cream of celery soup

3/4 can milk

(it works best to use a whisk)

3 heaping Tablespoons Light Mayo

1 pkg. Steamfresh Singles Peas

Next is my secret weapon:

Add both breasts (sort of shredded) of a rotisserie chicken.

Add cooked noodles.

Top with fresh bread crumbs.

Drizzle with olive oil or melted butter.

Bake at 350 for 30 - 40 minutes

until it's toasty brown and bubbly around the edges.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

It fits perfectly in a 9 x 13 pan.

When my kids were still home I would serve this

with fresh fruit and some good rolls.

It was always a hit.

I would give pretty much anything to go back

and have just one meal with my family

the way we were back then...before my kids grew up.

Since I can't do that, I hope some family out there

has this for dinner...sitting around a table all together.

Enjoy!

Linking to:

Try It Tuesday at Dot Dot Dot

Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings

Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios

Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style

Delightfully Inspiring Thursday at Delightful Order

Foodie Friday at Designs by Gollum

Happy To Design

My Mom's Pasta Salad

This recipe has been a favorite in my family for years.
My mom always made it and now I try to make it for family dinners.
It makes a huge bowl and feeds lots of people.

Start with a pound of pasta.

Cook it according to package directions.

I add salt and olive oil to the water.

Chop up:

Half of a large sweet onion.

Half of an English cucumber.

Cut the grape tomatoes in half.

Chop the carrots to make about 2 cups.

Chop 2 hard boiled eggs.

Dump all your vegetables and eggs into your bowl.

Season with salt and pepper.

And now the easiest dressing ever.

Add about 1/2 the jar of Marzetti's Slaw Dressing.

Add the cooked pasta.

Stir to combine pasta with other ingredients.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours...longer is better.

You can make it the day before you need it because the longer it sits the better it is.

If the pasta sucks the dressing up just add more...

You will never find complicated, time consuming recipes on my blog.

I'm a maker of simple dishes...I'm a cook, not a chef.

Enjoy!

Linking to

Saturday Night Special at Funky Junk Interiors

Sunday Showcase Party at Under The Table and Dreaming

Newbie Party at Debbiedoos

Try It Tuesday at Dot Dot Dot

Super Simple Sugar Cookies

I always appreciate a recipe that is easy and uses basic ingredients that most cooks already have in their pantry. This is one of those recipes.  No fuss...no muss.  In less than 20 minutes you can have hot cookies ready to eat.

Sugar Cookies~makes about 30 but can be doubled

1 stick butter softened
1/8 c. canola oil
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar (if you don't have this just use 1 c. of regular sugar)
1 t. vanilla
1 egg
1/2 t. salt
2 t. baking soda
2 c. flour
Mix first 6 ingredients together.  Add dry ingredients a little at a time.
Bake at 350 for 9 - 10 min.

The dough already mixed up.

 A cookie baker's best friend!

 Ready to go in the oven.

 The cracks in the dough make cracks in the baked cookies...yum.

The finished product.

 Remember those cracks I mentioned?

I hope you try this out.  Once I lost track of what I was doing and may have left a batch in the oven too long. They ended up as doggie treats...now my little dog loves them too!

Linking to

Inspiration Friday At The Picket Fence
Debbie's Newbie Linky Party
Masterpiece Monday at Boogieboard Cottage
Blue Monday at Smiling Sally's
Tuesday Blog Trail at Six in The Nest


Happy To Design

Have a great day!