Chinese Chicken Salad

This recipe is from my best friend and sister Angela.  I know there are a lot of chinese chicken salad recipe's out there but this one is my favorite.

Chinese Chicken Salad
from Angela Stotler

salad
1 head cabbage chopped
4 green onions sliced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and cut up or shredded
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
2 packages chicken ramen noodles broken up and ran under hot water until softened then drained (I don't like the noodles over cooked or to hard that's why I just run them under hot water until they are the consistency I like)

dressing
2 packets chicken ramen seasoning
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (I usually start out with a bit less salt then add more if it needs it)

Mix ingredients together well and pour over salad

Chewy Caramel Corn

I consider myself quite spoiled when it comes to caramel corn.  Growing up my mom always made this delicious chewy caramel corn that would leave my sisters and I fighting for any caramel on the sides of the bowl.  In my head (and maybe sometimes out loud) I would laugh at what others called "caramel corn" they would bring to church or school functions.  What I'm snobbishly trying to say is that nothing compares.

Chewy Caramel Corn
from my mom

Pop and clean 2 batches of corn and set aside in a large tupperware bowl

syrup
2 sticks butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

make syrup ~ in a medium size pot melt butter, stir in brown sugar, light corn syrup, and salt.  Bring to a full rolling boil stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Stir in baking soda and vanilla.  Pour over popped corn, and stir well.

Store leftovers (if any) in an airtight container

Sweet Potato Casserole

This recipe comes from my sister in law Jessica who is from the south, and let me tell you it's the best!  It's like having your dessert along side your main dish.  You'll love it!  If  for some reason you're still making sweet potatoes with marshmallows you won't be after trying this recipe.

Sweet Potato Casserole
from Jessica Slade

casserole
3 cups cooked sweet potatoes
(about 3 large, bake for 2 hours @ 350 degrees, or you could microwave them to speed up the process)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup evaporated milk

topping
1 box light brown sugar
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup melted butter

make casserole ~ mix together sweet potatoes, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and evaporated milk.  Pour into 9x13 pan
make topping ~ mix together brown sugar, self rising flour, pecans, and sugar.  Pour topping over potatoes and bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.

Triple Fudge Cake

This cake is so simple and soooo good.  It only has 4 ingredients and whips up in no time.  As a kid I remember hoping there would be enough for another piece the next day.

Triple Fudge Cake
from mom

1 5 1/2 ounce package chocolate pudding mix
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 dry chocolate cake mix
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Cook pudding as directed on package.  Blend dry cake mix into hot pudding.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle batter with chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Serve warm with whip cream.

Apricot Rum Bundt Cake

This is not just any bundt cake, this bundt cake has won five 1st place blue ribbons and 1 best in show award at the Kern County Fair.  After you try it you'll know why.  I wish I could give credit to the author of the cake, but in all my searching I haven't been able to locate the original article.  Someday I hope to give credit where credit's due.  On a side note, when I lived in Bakersfield California I loved getting together with my mom and trying new recipe's.  This one was love at first bite.  I mean it.  My Grandmother came over and we shared a piece with her.  We sent some home with her to share with Grandpa, and later found out that she hid it from him so she could have it all to herself.  So now without further ado~

Apricot Rum Bundt Cake
preheat oven to 350, grease and flour bundt pan.

Cake
1 17oz can apricot halves drained (save juice for syrup)
Puree apricots.  In a large bowl combine pureed apricots with the next five ingredients
1 cup chopped walnuts (I usually substitute pecans because of family members that are allergic to walnuts)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

sift together in a small bowl the next 5 ingredients
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon

combine in a cup
1 teaspoon rum extract
1/4 cup milk

syrup
1 cube butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup apricot juice
1/2 tsp rum extract
Put ingredients except extract, in a small pan.  Bring to a boil until butter and sugar are dissolved.  Add extract, cool and pour over cake.

Fold flour mixture and milk mixture alternately into apricot mixture.  Pour into pan and bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Poke holes in hot cake and pour syrup over cake letting it absorb as much as possible.  Let cool 30 minutes in pan, turn out onto cake plate.

Pear and Feta Salad

My mom got this recipe from a good friend Sarah Hardy.  It is one of the most requested recipe's for birthday dinners and other family get togethers around our house.  I know my mom has used canned pears in a bind and it tastes just as good.

Pear and Feta Salad
from the kitchen of Sarah Hardy

3 pears ~ chopped
1/2 ~ 3/4 cup feta cheese
3/4 ~ 1 cup craisins
caramelized pecans
(1 1/2 c. pecans, 1/4 c. sugar ~ caramelize on stove by stirring the pecans and sugar in a teflon pan for a few minutes ~ watch closely)

mix above ingredients with a large bag (about 1lb.) of european or continental salad mix.

dressing ~
1 1/2 cup red onion chopped
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup vinegar
2 cups oil
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
blend dressing ingredients without seeds.  Stir in poppy seeds and toss with salad. 
Dressing makes more than you need
Enjoy!