Chicken, Craisin and Bowtie Pasta Salad

This is a really yummy and easy to make pasta salad. I love the color that the red grapes and craisins give to the salad and the creamy dressing is so good. This salad would be great for bridal or baby showers or even for a fun summer bbq.

Chicken, Craisin and Bowtie Pasta Salad

• 1 16oz. bag bowtie pasta, cooked according to package directions
• 4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• 3/4 cup craisins
• 1 cup red grapes
• 4 green onions, chopped
• 3/4 cup sunflower seeds

in a large bowl, toss all ingredients together except for the sunflower seeds. mix in sun flower seeds and dressing just before serving.

*dressing:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

One of my husband's and my favorite vegetables is sweet potatoes. Usually we bake them and top them with a little butter and brown sugar, so good, but sometimes it's nice to mix things up. So when I'm in the mood for something a little different I turn to this recipe that I got it from my sister-in-law Kristin. The light orange sauce is a perfect complement to the sweet potatoes and makes them soo soft and tender.

Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

• 6 medium sweet potatoes
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 tablespoons butter

preheat oven to 400 degrees. peel sweet potatoes and cut each lengthwise in half. place in an ungreased casserole dish.

in a small saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, salt and orange peel. slowly whisk orange juice into sugar mixture and then add in butter. cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. boil and stir for one minute. pour hot orange mixture over sweet potatoes in casserole dish. cover and bake for 1 hour, basting occasionally.

Ultimate Homemade Brownies

I am in love with these brownies! I have to admit that normally I prefer the box mixes when it comes to brownies but this recipe is definitely the exception! And these are no regular brownies, not only are they topped with creamy chocolate frosting, but they are filled with your choice of peanut butter cups or caramel filled chocolate bars. I mean does it get any better than this???

Ultimate Homemade Brownies

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon balking powder
• bag of peanut butter cups or chocolate filled candy bars (or any other candy you like)

preheat oven to 325 degrees. in a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. in a separate bowl, sift together dry ingredients. beat dry mixture into butter mixture until well combined. Grease and flour (or use Wilton Cake Release) a 9x13 inch pan. pour half of the batter into the pan and then layer candy on top. cover with remaining batter. bake for 45-50 minutes. cool completely and then frost with chocolate frosting.

*chocolate frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar + more
• 1 tablespoon milk + more
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder

combine all ingredients and beat with a hand mixer, adding more milk and powdered sugar until you get the creamy consistency that you want.

Fruity Jell-O Pudding Salad

My aunt Amy gave me this recipe and it's delicious! I made it for a family get together last week and everyone loved it. I think my husband liked it the most because he kept going back for more and he said the only reason why he did eventually stop eating it was because we were having cake for dessert and he wanted to save room for that. This would make a great side for any bbq or summer dinner, but I think the colors would make it especially perfect for a 4th of July party!

Fruity Jell-O Pudding Salad

CLICK HERE FOR MY RECIPE

Banana Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting

These bars are simply heaven! I got this recipe from the recipe club that I go to and this one is definitely a keeper. These bars take banana bread to a whole other level with the creamy, brown sugar cream cheese frosting. I had to have my husband take a few plates of these bars into work so that I wouldn't eat them all myself because they're so yummy and tempting!

Banana Bars with Brown Sugar Frosting

CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE

Chinese Chicken Tossed Salad

This is my mother-in-law's recipe and it is by far my favorite chinese chicken salad recipe! I had it for the first time when my husband and I were dating and I have loved it ever since. I love it because it's simple and fresh and the light dressing gives it a great flavor. This is one of those salads that I always end up craving for days after I've had it!

Chinese Chicken Tossed Salad

CLICK HERE FOR MY RECIPE

Guava Cake

My husband is half Hawaiian and besides getting a cool new last name, I have absolutely LOVED learning about Hawaiian culture and traditions and getting great new recipes. Guava cake is a traditional Hawaiian recipe and it is one of my husband's favorite desserts. I've been wanting to make it myself for awhile so I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Mari. It's really easy to make and so yummy! I think that the fun bright pink color of the cake makes it perfect for summer parties!

Guava Cake

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Sweet and Spicy Barbecued Chicken

I love barbecued chicken but sometimes I get sick of the bottled stuff. This is a great recipe for when I'm in the mood for something completely homemade. It's easy and delicious and I love combination of sweet and spicy. We had a beautiful spring day last week and so we got out the grill and made this chicken. It was absolutely perfect and made me even more anxious for summer!

Sweet and Spicy Barbecued Chicken

• 6 chicken breasts (or any other cut you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon tabasco sauce
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

in a bowl, whisk together tabasco sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, garlic, and ketchup. pour into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat for 6 minutes, stirring with whisk regularly. set aside.

in a large bowl or baking dish, toss the chicken with the olive oil and then generously season with salt and pepper. lightly oil the grates on the grill and cook chicken covered, over medium heat for about 12-15 minutes, turning frequently. uncover the grill and continue cooking the chicken while basting frequently with the sauce for about another 4 minutes or until chicken is completely done and is nicely glazed.

use leftover sauce for dipping.

Enchilada Soup

This is another delicious soup recipe that I got from my sister-in-law Mari. It's also one of those great soups where you can add all of your favorite toppings to it to make it just the way you want it. I love the flavor of this soup and the green enchilada sauce gives it a nice subtle, spicy kick. When I made it, I halved the recipe and it turned out perfectly. I used three chicken breasts when I halved it so it was nice and full of chicken and my husband loved it!

Enchilada Soup

CLICK HERE FOR MY RECIPE

Marinated Turkey Tenderloins

This is a recipe that I got from my mother-in-law and I love it because it's super easy to make, it's healthy, and it's delicious! I sometimes get bored making chicken or beef every night so it's nice to do something a little different. The turkey is great because it's really nice and tender after marinating overnight. If you're having a BBQ this summer this would be a great alternative for people who want something a little more healthy!

Marinated Turkey Tenderloins

• 1 cup 7-up
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 1 1/2 lb. turkey tenderloins

combine all ingredients in a zip lock bag. coat the tenderloins evenly and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally. grill tenderloins over medium heat for 20-24 minutes.

Caramello Cookies

I have had this recipe probably since junior high and I'm kicking myself for not making it more often. I always look at it and then decide on making something else. Well, I just made these and oh my gosh I'm in love! I had forgotten how amazingly delicious these cookies are. I shouldn't be surprised because not only are they filled with chocolaty caramel goodness, but there is almond extract in the dough which I've mentioned before is one of my absolute favorite flavors! When I decided to make these I told myself that I would make them and then give them away to the neighbors so that I don't eat them all myself. Well....we'll see if they actually make it over. :)

Caramello Cookies

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 cups flour
• 5 king size caramello candy bars, cut into squares

cream butter and sugars together. add eggs and mix well. mix in salt, baking soda, vanilla, and almond extract. add flour and mix well. mold dough around each caramello square covering really well. (I used my bigger ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough.) bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. remove from pan onto parchment paper to cool.

*tips:

1. when you cut the caramello bars into squares use a sawing motion to cut through the chocolate. I found this is the best way to keep the chocolate from cracking so that the caramel doesn't leak.
2. mold the dough around the squares the best you can to reduce caramel leaks. All of my cookies leaked when they baked, but even though they didn't look perfect, they tasted perfect!
3. use a knife to scrape off the caramel from your spatula as you remove the cookies from the pan, this will help keep your cookies intact as you remove them.

Sundried Tomato Alfredo and Pasta

This is my aunt Lisa's recipe and I've really wanted to try it for awhile now. I finally made it last week and it was so yummy! This recipe is great because you can make it with any vegetable or pasta, whichever is your favorite. I made mine with peas and rainbow rotini. I also think it would be fun to try different sauces to go with this pasta. Classico has several different alfredo sauces so I think next time I am going to try either the Four Cheese Alfredo or the Roasted Garlic Alfredo, any of their flavors would be delicious!

Sundried Tomato Alfredo and Pasta

• olive oil
• 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 package fresh mushrooms, whole or sliced
• 2-4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
• bacon, cooked and crumbled
• peas or other vegetable of choice
• 1 bottle Classico Sundried Tomato Alfredo (or any other alfredo flavor)
• 1 package of your favorite pasta, cooked according to directions
• shredded parmesan cheese

saute garlic and mushrooms in olive oil until mushrooms are tender. add chicken, bacon, peas, and alfredo sauce and cook until warmed through. add pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Homemade Strawberry Orange Banana Ice Cream

I made this ice cream yesterday for my brother's birthday to go with his cake and everyone loved it! My dad who usually will only eat desserts if there's chocolate in it had two bowls. He told me that you know it must be really good if he, a "chocolate guy," went back for seconds. I'm more of a chocolate fan myself but this ice cream is absolutely delicious and I think it's a perfect treat for a warm sunny day!

Homemade Strawberry Orange Banana Ice Cream

• 1 pint whipping cream
• 1 quart milk
• 3 cups sugar
• juice of 3 lemons
• juice of 3 oranges
• 3 bananas, smashed
• 2 packages frozen strawberries, sliced or cut into chunks

in a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. pour into ice cream machine and freeze according to machine directions. makes 4 quarts.