Grandma Klingler's Berry Cream Salad

While at the family reunion in Idaho this summer, Grandma Klingler wowed us all with one delicious, irresistible recipe after another!  When she asked if she could add some of them to our family recipe blog, my response was naturally . . . ABSOLUTELY!  There are several, so I will post one a day for the next week for your culinary enjoyment.

MMMMM....  This sweet summer salad was a favorite with everyone.  I will definitely be making this one soon!

Ingredients

• Package of frozen fruit of your choice (blueberries, raspberries or mixture) 
• Tub of cool whip (size depends on size of salad you want to make)
• One small carton of berry yogurt 
• 1 package cheese cake pudding mix

Stir yogurt and pudding mix together, add cool whip and stir gently. Stir in the frozen fruit. (I have also used fresh strawberries and raspberries).  Let set in fridge for 15 to 20 minutes to allow fruit to thaw and flavor to blend. Serve.

Ranch Chicken Pasta

My friend Tiffany taught me about this meal idea, and it has become one of my favorites for a quick night dinner!

Ingredients:

• Bite-sized pasta noodles of your choice
• Chicken
• Ranch dressing
• Vegetables of your choice (optional) I love peas and mushrooms the best, and have also liked peppers, carrots, onions, green onions . . . whatever you have on hand!
• If desired, cooked bacon, crumbled, is also really yummy!

Directions:

Cook the pasta according to the box directions and drain.  Cook the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces.  Toss in a bowl with ranch dressing and vegetables if desired until everything is coated well.  Serve with crusty bread - yum!  This tastes great on a hot day served cold as well! 

Chocolate rolo cookies

These cookies are so good and easy to make!  One of Jd's Aunts made them for Jake's wedding and we all had to have the recipe.  I think they would be cute at Christmas with green and red frosting drizzled on the top
Chocolate fudge cake mix 1/3 C oil 2 eggs Rolo candies White chocolate or frosting drizzle (optional) Directions: Mix first 3 ingredients, form a very small ball of dough around a rolo candy. Spray cookie sheet with Pam. Bake at 350 for 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar or drizzle with white chocolate or frosting. Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Servings: 36

Sadie's Sassy Grilled Pineapple

This recipe is from Josie S. Kilpack's latest culinary mystery Banana Split.  I love these books, and I love trying out the recipes in them!  :)  We tried this grilled pineapple a couple of weeks back, and really liked the flavor!  This recipe is definitely a 'keeper,' one we'll make again!

• 1 teaspoon honey 
• 3 tablespoons melted butter or balsamic vinegar 
• Dash of cayenne pepper 
• 1 fresh pineapple, peeled, cored, and sliced into 3/4-inch thick rings 
• Dash of salt 

Combine the honey, butter or vinegar, and cayenne pepper in a large zip-top bag. Add pineapple slices and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. Grill 4 to 5 minutes, turning halfway through, on cleaned and lightly oiled grill. Serve warm. Notes: If using canned, sliced pineapple, dry rings on a paper towel before marinating. You can also thread 1-inch chunks of fresh or canned pineapple onto metal skewers or soaked bamboo skewers instead of grilling pineapple rings. (Most grocery stores will core the pineapple for you if you ask a produce employee.) Pineapple can also be broiled in the oven on the middle rack for 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Dish Detergent

As you know, I've been making my own laundry detergent now for a couple of years, and love it.  For those same couple of years, I've been trying to find a dishwashing detergent recipe that I liked.  I've tried probably a dozen different combinations and recipes over time, unsuccessfully, but I've finally found one that I think actually cleans as well or better than the expensive store-bought stuff.  The KEY is using Lemishine.  Lemishine is a product found next to the rinse aids in the dish soap aisle.  I buy it at King Soopers (Smith's) or Wal-Mart, and have noticed it at other grocery stores.  The other ingredients are things I usually have around my house, because many of them double as the ingredients in my laundry detergent recipe.  I have been washing my dishes with this for about 4 months now, and am really pleased with the results.  I had a friend move and she gave me some liquid dishwashing detergent, so I have been using that for the past couple of weeks instead, and it doesn't come close to comparing to the quality of this homemade stuff!  I finally threw the last little bit out and just switched back to this homemade stuff because it's SO much better.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Borax
• 1 cup Arm & Hammer super washing soda
• ½ cup kosher salt
• 1 cup Lemishine 

Mix everything together and store in a plastic container.  Use 1 Tbsp per load.  I put this in the dishsoap section that doesn't have a lid covering it.  Use white vinegar in the rinse aid compartment of your dishwasher to help keep your dishes from getting spotty. I also fill the dishsoap section of my dishwasher with a lid with straight Lemishine.  Lemishine really is the KEY.

I got this recipe from The Lady with the Red Rocker, and she includes a price breakdown to show how much money you save by using this rather than store bought stuff.  Good luck, and happy dish washing!

'Lil Reeses PB Cups Cookies

I'm doing some baking for my piano recital this weekend, and tried out a new dessert I saw on pinterest.  This is the picture and link to the original article where I found the recipe, but I did make some changes to the original recipe.  Below is my personal version of these yummy treats!

Source: marcussamuelsson.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Ingredients:

• 36-48 miniature peanut butter cups 
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 tsp. baking soda 
• 1/4 tsp. salt 
• 1 cup salted butter 
• 1/2 cup white sugar 
• 1/2 cup firmly-packed brown sugar 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

Instructions:

Place peanut butter cups in the freezer (there’s no need to unwrap them; just place the whole bag in the freezer) for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter. Add the sugars and beat until light and fluffy (about 2 – 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture. Mix until a soft dough forms. Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray.  Using a spoon, scoop about a 1-inch balls into each mini muffin tin. Press dough balls into mini muffin tins, making an indentation in the middle with your thumb.(I had to dip my thumb in flour between each indentation, because the dough was soft and sticky.)  Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately press a miniature peanut butter cup in the center of each cookie. Cool and remove from pan. (I actually removed from the pan immediately and set them on a cooling rack to cool.)  YUM!

Heavenly Oreo Dessert!

We made this dessert last night to share with some friends, and it is sinfully delicious! You won't be disappointed if you try it!

Source: mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

                                                 

Ingredients

• 1 (15.5 oz.) package of Oreo cookies
• 1/2 c. butter, melted
• 2 pkg. (3.9 oz each)  Chocolate Instant Pudding
• 3 1/4 c. cold milk 
• 2 containers (8 oz. each) Cool Whip
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 c. powdered sugar

How You Do It

Crush all Oreo cookies in a food processor until crushed. You could also put the cookies in a large resealable bag and crush using a rolling pin.  Save 1/2 c. of the crumbs for the topping. Pour the remaining crumbs into a 9x13 dish and add the melted butter.Stir and press into the bottom of the dish to make a crust. (I used two 8x8 pans, and this worked, too.)

In a bowl, whisk together the pudding mix and milk. Set in the fridge for now. Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix and fold in one container of Cool Whip. Spread over the crust. Add pudding and spread over the cream cheese mixture. Top with the other Cool Whip.

Sprinkle the 1/2 c. Oreo crumbs over top.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.