Homemade Dressing

 My  mom used to make this homemade dressing when I was a kid:

Mayo mixed with kechup

That's it, that is the recipe!

Delicious!

I made it this past week and it brought me back to childhood!

(you know how much I love salads, right?)

Black Bean Veggie Salad

Black Bean Veggie Salad

2 cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can of green beans

cherry tomatoes, sliced in half (a bunch)

a cucumber diced

1 can corn (I used white corn here), drained

Avocado, sliced, chopped into bite size pieces

Sliced Black Olives, leftover from Taco night...

Salt and pepper to taste

Dressing of your choice,

I used a tomato vinaigrette

YUMMY!

Pigeon Poop!

This is one of our "bird theme" snacks, Pigeon Poop!

4 cups peanut butter crunch cereal

3 cups rice krispies

2 cups pretzel sticks broken in 1/2

2 cups miniature marshmallows

2 bags white chocolate chips

Mix all dry ingredients in large bowl and melt white chocolate chips in microwave and cover and mix, then lay on wax paper until cooled. Break into pieces.

The kids loved making this! It's so fun to say too!!

Peanut Butter Pie!

Did you know that "Happy Birthday" has 13 letters in it?

It does.
(which is perfect for your newly donned teen)

Just like his father, Jedi loves pie instead of cake.

Peanut Butter Pie to be exact.

Peanut Butter Pie

Crust

25 Oreo cookies, crushed to a fine crumb

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

Filling

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter (I use Jif  and eyeball it)

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla 

Small container of Cool Whip

(because it's easier)

Press crust ingredients into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake 375 degrees for 10 minutes

Let cool.

In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter and vanilla until smooth.

Fold in Cool Whip.  Spoon into crust, garnish with cookie crumbs if you want to.

Refrigerate or freeze

(we freeze it and take it out for like 15 minutes before cutting)

If you have a big family like we do, you will make 2 of these pies

and if you do that, well,  you might not measure those cookies!

Bean Counter Chowder

Bean Counter Chowder

Chopped Onion

2 Garlic Cloves (I used minced)

1 Tbsp oil

14 oz Stewed or chopped Tomatoes

(I used Petite Diced)

2 -14 oz cans chicken broth

1 3/4 cups water

1/2 tsp each:

basil

Oregano

Celery Flakes

1/4 tsp Pepper

3 cans Great Northern Beans or Pinto Beans

(I always use whatever I have on hand--kidney is fine)

1 cup uncooked Elbow Macaroni

1 Tbsp Parsley

You can either make this on the stove or in the crockpot.

I put it all together except the noodles, in the crockpot, 

then, about 1/2 hour before eating, add the noodles.
This is the original recipe, but I am not exact on the beans or broth when I make it!

It's a great, easy, Friday crockpot meal!

Janine's Salad

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cherry Tomatoes

Red Onion

Black Olives

Slice veggies and olives, toss with dressing:

Ranch dressing season packet

2/3 cup canola oil

1/4 cup regular vinegar

Very refreshing and delicious!!

Spinach Tortellini Salad

This was my aunt's recipe and she had no exact measurements,

so make it the way you like!

I made a large salad for a large homeschool gathering, so doubled everything!

Spinach

Cheese tortellini (cooked and cooled)

Coleslaw (pre-packaged)

Large black olives

Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

Dressing:

Ranch dressing season packet

Mayonnaise (I use light Mayo)

Milk

Fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Mix all together and add the dressing.

This salad was a big hit!