Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ok- here is the recipe for one of the VERY BEST salads I have ever tasted. I got it from Nicole in our recipe group. Truthfully, I'm not drawn to spinach, even after all those Pop-Eye cartoons. In fact, we even caught a big green beetle wandering off my plate, which did not deepen my love for the green leaves. However, this recipe did. If it is made like this, I could eat it just about any day! SOOOO GOOD! You've gotta try this!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

1 pkg. baby spinach
1 1/2 cups chopped apples
1 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
1 pkg Craisins
1 small package (about 1 cup) slivered almonds (wet almonds, roll in sugar, roast 300 degrees for 5-10 minutes or until desired)

Dressing
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. mustard seed
1/3 cup olive oil
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup sugar (can use less)

Put this in a sealed container and shake. Don't pour it on the salad until you are ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Shrimp Burritos

This is another one I found in Simple and Delicious. It sounded pretty good, and when Sea Food sounds good, I have to give it a try. Doug really liked them. He really goes for the "fishy" taste- I think it is from spending two year in Japan on his mission. It was a fun new one to try though.

Shrimp Burritos
1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/8 tsp. seafood seasoning (I didn't have this)
1 lb. cooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 (10 in.) flour tortillas, warmed
1/2 cup shredded cheddar-Monterrey Jack cheese
1 cup torn romaine, chopped

In a large skillet, combine the first six ingredients. Cook and stir over medium heat until cream cheese is melted and blended. Stir in shrimp; heat through.

Spoon 2/3 cup filling off center on each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 2 Tbsp. cheese. Fold sides and ends over filling and roll up. Serve with lettuce.

Big Daddy Hash

This is one I thought would be appropriate for Father's Day coming up. My Douglas has fixed this up for me a couple times and I finally got him to give me the "secret recipe". You should be grateful, because this is a good one! You can tell this is a "Doug" recipe, because he doesn't skimp on anything. :) I think that is why it always turns out so good! Happy Father's Day all you dads!

"Big Daddy Hash"
1 cup meat *Bacon, sausage, or sliced ham (or all :)
5 cups hash browns
5 eggs
1 can mushrooms
"cheese of plenty" (as in at least 2 cups, divided)
1 onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
half cube (1/4 cup) butter
Salt and Pepper

In a large skillet, fry up bacon or sausage first if that is your meat of choice and then cook the hash browns up in the drippings. If not just start with the hash browns. Stir in the eggs, mushrooms and cheese, and continue to stir occasionally. Meanwhile, in a separate sauce pan, saute pepper and onion in butter. When cooked through, add to egg mixture and stir in adding salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with some remaining cheese; melt and serve hot. Mmmmmm....

Shredded Beef Au Jus

I found this one in Taste of Home, and my only "beef" (no pun intended) was that I didn't double the recipe! It was great! The meat was really flavorful and tender. I really liked the Au Jus drippings- if you didn't want to use it for that, it would made an awesome soup base. I just love that crockpot! For some reason this recipe reminds me of my Grandma Lou. I remember her cooking roast beef like this for us in the slow cooker- it always smelled and tasted so good! It was nice to find a recipe to bring me back!

Shredded Beef Au Jus
1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lbs.)
2 cups water
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1-1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp seasoned salt
1/4 tsp. dried rosemary, crushed
8 hamburger buns, split

Cut roast in half and place in a 4-5 quart slow cooker. Combine the water, bouillon granules and seasonings; pour over the beef.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until meat in tender. Remove beef; cool slightly. Meanwhile, skim fat from the cooking liquid.

Shred meat with two forks; return to the cooking liquid and heat through. Using a slotted spoon, place 1/2 cup on each bun. Serve with additional cooking liquid on the side.

Berry Perfect Trifle, Honey!

I am proud of this one! I created it this morning. I think this makes a “berry” perfect breakfast, because while I’m getting ingredients out, my little ones can crumble graham crackers in a big bowl. Plus, it makes enough for the whole family!

Berry Perfect Trifle, Honey!
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 container (32 oz.) fruit yogurt
½ cup quick cooking oats
2 cups Honey Bunches of Oats cereal
¼ cup runny honey
1 package graham crackers, crumbled
½ cup nuts (optional)

In a large glass bowl or trifle dish, layer each ingredient in no particular order, occasionally drizzling honey over a layer. Top with a few fresh berries and serve cold.

Ranch Turkey Wraps

I had a great lunch today, so I wanted to share it! I sent it with Doug to work too and it was a big hit with him- he loves ranch and he loves avocado, to a combination was a home run! :) I found this one in the Simple and Delicious magazine as well, and I was pleased with how easy they were to put together.

Ranch Turkey Wraps
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup prepared ranch salad dressing
4 flour tortillas warmed (10 in works best)
3/4 lb. sliced deli turkey
8 slices Monterey Jack cheese (I used mozzarella)
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and sliced
1 medium tomato, sliced

In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and salad dressing until smooth. Spread over tortillas. Layer with turkey, cheese, avocado and tomato. Roll up tightly and cut in half.

Peanut Butter-Banana Pie

Amberlee and I whipped this up last night for dessert. Mmmmm! It was delish! I got it from the Kraft Food site and their picture had it in perfect rows, but from some reason, this is more how my pies turn out. They are still delish, but their just sort of a blob of goodness. :) I did cheat too, so maybe that is why. It is already an easy recipe, but I used a pre-made oreo pie crust and halved most of the recipe because it was a little bit smaller. Still amazing! I loved running into a chunk of peanut butter and bananas!

Peanut Butter-Banana Pie
30 OREO Cookies, divided
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) margarine or butter, melted
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 bananas, sliced
3 cups milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Chocolate Instant Pudding
1-1/2 cups thawed Whipped Topping

CRUSH 22 of the cookies; place in medium bowl. Add margarine; mix well. Press onto bottom and up side of 9-inch pie plate. Refrigerate 30 min.
SPREAD peanut butter onto bottom of crust; top evenly with bananas. Add milk to dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Pour over bananas.
REFRIGERATE at least 2 hours. Top with the whipped topping and remaining 8 cookies just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Pasta Carbonara

Another amazing Simple and Delicious recipe. I loved how creamy and delicous this was, and it didn't take long to whip up! I say you can't go wrong with bacon! :)

Pasta Carbonara
2-1/2 cups uncooked mostaccioli
8 bacon strips, diced
1 (4 oz) jar whole mushrooms (or can of sliced)
1 green pepper (The recipe didn't call for it, I added this and sauted it with the mushrooms- it was really good!)
3/4 cup half-and-half cream
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. minced garlic
6 to 8 drops pf hot pepper sauce (I actually left this out... I know I should be more daring with the heat, but I'm not.)
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sliced green onions

Cook mostaccioli according to package directions.

Meanwhile in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove onto paper towels to drain. Brown mushrooms in drippings; remove to paper towels. Drain drippings from the pan.

Add the cream, butter, parsley, garlic, pepper sauce and salt and pepper to skillet; cook and stir over medium heat until bitter is melted. Drain mostaccioli; add to cream mixture. Stir in bacon, mushrooms, and cheese heat through. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with green onions.

Lemon-Pepper Chicken

I came up with this yummy chicken last night and was happy with the results. It was a good meal to wip up fast with a "fancy" taste.

Lemon-Pepper Chicken
2 chicken breast sliced, or chicken tenders
1 T lemon juice
2 tsp Lemon Pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 T olive oil
pinch of garlic powder
a few sliced fresh chives

Pour lemon juice over raw chicken. In a skillet pour oil in and heat at medium. Sprinkle seasonings over one side of chicken and place seasoned side down in the skillet, then season the other side. Turn over after about 5 minutes and cook chicken through on both sides.

Asian Pork Tenderloins

I found this great marinade in my Simple and Delicious (yes- once again. :) This last once had so many good recipes I wanted to try. I didn't actually have Pork Tenderloins, so it actually made it a lot more simple. I just used a different cut and marinated it in once plastic bag. Then we grilled it just like you would a steak, and I didn't get rid of the marinade, we used it for basting. It was delicious. I actually had it marinade in the fridge for a long time and I think it gave it a really great flavor! I also used sesame seed sprinkled on top for a garnish.

Asian Pork Tenderloins
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
2 T minced garlic
2 T minced fresh ginger root
2 T soy sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Dash cayenne pepper
4 pork tenderloins (3/4 lb each)

Marinade: In a blender or with a whisk, combine the first seven ingredients; cover and process until blended. Divide marinade between two large resealable plastic bags; add two tenderloins to each bag. Seal bags and turn to coat; refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Coat grill rack with cooking spray before starting the grill. Prepare grill for indirect heat. Drain and discard marinade, grill pork, covered, over indirect medium hot heat for 25-35 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Grilled Lemon Chicken Kabobs

I am loving the Spring/Summer foods! I found this yummy recipe for a chicken marinade in Simple and Delicious, and I shrunk the recipe and decided to create some Kabobs with it. They were delicious! The chicken was so flavorful and it didn't have to marinade for very long!

Grilled Lemon Chicken Kabobs
2 chicken breast, cubed
2 lemons, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced and cubed

Marinade:
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 T olive oil
1 T minced parsley
1 T grated lemon peel
1 tsp minced garlic
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme
3/4 tsp marjoram
3/4 tsp pepper

In a small bowl, combine ingredients and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the chicken and refrigerate for up to an hour. Assemble Kabobs with marinated chicken, pepper slices, and lemon slices. Grill over medium heat for 5-8 minutes on each side or until meat thermometer reads 170. Use left over marinade for basting.

Lemon Rice

I created this simple flavored Lemon Rice just by cooking the rice just like I normally would, but adding a couple tablespoons of lemon juice and some chicken bullion to my rice. It gave it a really good flavor and went well with my Grilled Lemon Chicken Kabobs!

Summer Strawberry Soup

My Simple and Delicious magazine came! Happy day- I litterally sing the title when it comes. (Ask my hubby!) Anyway- I found this little beauty in there and blended it up. Lets just say it made me REALLY happy, and this definitely won't be the last time I make this one! The girls had fun helping too!

Summer Strawberry Soup
2 cups vanilla, peach, or strawberry yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
2 lbs. fresh strawberries, halved (8 cups)
1/2 cup sugar

In a blender, combine the yogurt, orange juice, strawberries, and sugar in batches (or just puree with a blender wand in a big bowl); cover and process until blended. Refrigerated for at least 2 hours. Garnish with additional yogurt, cream, or fresh mint leaves if desired.

Lemon-Pepper Steaks with Sauted Onions

Doug and I have been having a lot of fun experimenting with the grill. We seasoned this one with a bit of lemon juice, lemon-pepper, salt and pepper, steak seasoning, and a bit of garlic powder. They were pretty tasty with a fresh squeezed lime over it. I sauted the red onions in all the same stuff in a little olive oil. It made for a yummy meal!

Creamy Breakfast Muesli with Yogurt & Berries

HOORAY! I just definitely found my new favorite breakfast! I had no idea muesli could be so delicious! I already love oats, fruit, and nuts- but like this... WOW! I had it once (if you could call it muesli) on a tennis trip to Sun Valley in high school. We stayed with some families there (they were so nice to put up a bunch of high school girls!) and for breakfast, we ate uncooked oats, raisins, and nuts in a bowl of plain yogurt. I pretended it was wonderful, but I was pretty much gagging down every bite, telling her, "I bet this will give us a lot of energy for our tournament this morning." So with that kind of introduction to "muesli" you might be able to see why it has never tempted me again.... until today!!! I saw this recipe in the most recent Taste of Home and it sounded delicious to me. I didn't have strawberries, so I substituted some frozen peaches I had. Mmmmm! It was amazing to me! My little brother served his mission in Bulgaria and he said he had it every morning for breakfast- that it was really cheap there. Lucky him! I want to have it EVERY morning too... it is just my kind of breakfast (tastes good and feels good after you eat it!) There are plenty of the tastes good breakfasts that I love (Ex. sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, 10 pancakes, greasy hash-browns etc.) but they always leave me with an onset of heartburn and a heavy stomach. Maybe I'm just getting old and my taste-buds are changing, but this was heaven for me!

Creamy Breakfast Muesli with Yogurt & Berries
3 cups quick-cooking rolled oats (not instant) *I used the "old fashioned" and it was still good
1-1/2 cups low-fat strawberry flavored yogurt *I used peach flavored
1 cup orange juice
1/3 cup light cream
2 tbsp honey
1-1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) raspberries and diced strawberries
1 medium apple, cored and grated (they said to peel it, but I didn't and it was great)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sliced toasted almonds (optional)

In a large bowl, combine oats, yogurt, orange juice, cream and honey. Let stand 5 minutes. Gently fold in fresh fruit. Cover and refrigerate overnight before serving (that makes it a lot more creamy). Sprinkle with almonds.

Creamy Pear Smoothie

Here is a smoothie I created at my daughters request. I was actually really excited to come up with a good use for the bottled pears I put up two years ago. Funny thing.... it was the first time I had ever bottled pears and I didn't really know when a pear is ripe and ready for bottling. Needless to say, these were not and I put up the whole box. So for two years I have had these really hard, un-ripe pears that I have tried to be creative with. (Hate to have all that hard work go to waste right?) I was excited that when I blended them up like this, I was able to get away with it. Note: Use ripe pears for best results. :)

Creamy Pear Smoothie
1 jar or big can of pears
about 1 cup (or less) half and half (you can you milk if you prefer)
1/4 cup sugar
half a tray of ice cubes

Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix. It might need more sugar or milk- just add to taste

Clafoutis with Raspberry Sauce

My girls and I found this yummy treat in The Friend, a really fun children's magazine that the Church of Jesus of Latter-day Saints distributes. They saw the illustration (a little girl and boy putting things in a blender) and they were so excited to find a "yummy smoothy" recipe- after we were done, I had to explain to two very confused and disappointed little girls that we couldn't drink what we had made. Don't worry, they weren't disappointed for long- they especially liked the raspberry sauce I made to go with it. Hope you do too!

Clafoutis (It's a French word pronounced kla-FOO-tee. I had way to much fun saying that! It made me feel so French and fancy. :)
4 eggs
2 cups milk or rice milk
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon almond extract (pretty strong- besure not to put more then a tsp) or vanilla extract
1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit of your choice (cherries, blueberries, raspberries, or peaches)

Place all the ingredients except the fruit into a blender. Blend on low speed for about 30 seconds. Pour into a quiche dish or ovenproof glass dish. Put fruit on top. Cook at 350 for 45 minutes or until clafoutis is not very jiggly.

Note: I didn't add the fruit. Instead a created this sauce.

Raspberry Sauce
about 1-1/2 cup cold water
1-2 Tbs cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries (or other fruit)

Pour the cold water into a small pot or sauce pan whisk in cornstarch. Stir in sugar and turn to medium heat and continue to stir- it will take a good five minutes or more of sitting there and stirring for it to thicken up like pie filling. When it does thicken, stir in the fruit and serve over something wonder like crepes or as a syrup for pancakes or a topping for cheesecake or.... just by itself :) you name it!

Tomato Beef Pasta

I found this recipe on Ashley's blog, Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen. If you haven't checked out her blog, you really should. She has so many amazing recipes and her photography alone is worth taking a peak. Way to go Ashley! I thought it was a delicious recipe! It was almost like a Stew. It made a really big batch, which would be especially nice if you are feeding a big group.

Tomato Beef Pasta
Adapted from Mom

6 Servings

1 pound ground beef, (I use ground sirloin)
1 pound pasta, (I use rotini, mom uses elbow macaroni)
1 large bottle (46 ounces) tomato juice
3 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
to taste salt and pepper
parmesan cheese, grated (optional)

Brown meat and drain fat. Add onion and pepper and sauté for a few minutes, until veggies get tender. Sprinkle on chili powder, brown sugar, salt and pepper. Add ketchup and tomato juice and stir. Pour in pasta and stir to coat.

Simmer, covered, until al dente (about 20 minutes), stirring occasionally to make sure that the juice is cooking the noodles evenly.

Serve, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Whole Wheat Crepes... yes, it can be done!

Well.... it can be done! It is possible to make a delicious whole wheat crepe! I used to give my mom a hard time about trying to make everything "healthy" by using whole wheat (everything from cookies to crepes and beyond...) but on the whole (no pun intended :) this one turned out great!!! I'm sure you could use any old crepe recipe and just substitute whole wheat flour and add a little extra sugar (which probably defeats the purpose of using whole wheat, but we feel better about it, right?) We have Betty Crocker to thank for this one, but my mother-in-law make a great crepe batter that I have posted in the past. Anyway... here is how the miracle occurred:

Sweet Whole Wheat Crepes
1 1/2	cups whole wheat flour
1	tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2	teaspoon baking powder
1/2	teaspoon salt
2	cups milk
2	tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/2	teaspoon vanilla
2	eggs

In medium bowl, mix flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in remaining crepe ingredients. Beat with wire whisk or hand beater until smooth.

Lightly butter 6-inch skillet; heat over medium heat until bubbly. For each crepe, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter into skillet; immediately rotate skillet until batter covers bottom. Cook until light brown. Run wide spatula around edge to loosen; turn and cook other side until light brown. Stack crepes, placing waxed paper between each; keep covered. I added peanut butter and bananas to mine (which was great) but I was dreaming about natella-banana or peanut butter-strawberry, but I had to work with what I had. :)

Catalina Steak Dinner

I got this idea from a Kraft recipe and we actually grilled it instead of pan roasting and it was delicious! Pretty much all you have to do is marinate it in Catalina and grill it up. PERFECT! We also did the veggies and they turned out great.

I'm posting a recipe from Kraft for the Pan-Roasted Steak Dinner

1 lb. well-trimmed boneless beef sirloin steak, 1 inch thick
1/2 cup CATALINA Dressing, divided
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 onion, chopped
3 cups small broccoli florets
1-1/2 cups very thinly sliced carrots (4 large carrots)
1-1/2 cups instant brown rice, uncooked

PLACE steak in resealable plastic bag. Pour 1/4 cup of the dressing over steak; refrigerate at least 30 min. to marinate.
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium-high heat until hot. Remove steak from bag; discard bag and marinade. Place steak in hot skillet; sprinkle with pepper. Place onions around steak. Cook 3 min. or until bottom of steak is well browned. Turn steak over; turn off heat. Combine broccoli, carrots and remaining 1/4 cup dressing; mix with onions. Wrap handle of skillet in heavy-duty foil. Place skillet in oven.
BAKE 18 to 20 min. or until steak is cooked to medium doneness (160°F). Meanwhile, prepare rice as directed on package. Cut steak across the grain into thin slices; transfer to serving plates. Spoon vegetable mixture over steak; serve with rice.

Catalina Veggies

I adapted this from a Kraft Steak and veggetable recipe and it was really tasty. I usually think Catalina is a little too strong, but this was perfect. You can add whatever veggies you want too!

Catalina Veggies
1 bag frozen carrots
1 onion chopped
1 T olive oil
1/4 cup Catalina dressing

Saute onions in oil until tender. Add other veggies pour dressing over the top. Stir occasionally and simmer with a lid on until tender. (about 10-15 minutes)

Snickerdoodles

I was delighted to find such a great recipe for Snickerdoodles on Joie de vivre's blog. (Don't they look delicious- she took the picture too. They turned out great! And I loved that it made 6 dozen- if I am going to go to the trouble of making cookies, they better made a big batch! :) I like checking her blog out every now and then- she always seems to have a great recipe on there! Way to go Joie! Snickerdoodles are one of my all time favorite cookies. For some reason they take me right back to grade school- I think our lunch ladies made these a lot! They were such great cooks- it's not everyone that can say that! A perk to growing up in a small town. :) They made the best homemade chicken noodle soup! Somedays it would be nice to have a lunch lady in my kitchen. :)

Snickerdoodles by Joie de vivre

Yields: About 6 dozen

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar

1 c. unsalted butter, room temperature

2 eggs

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

2 Tbs. sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Beat the butter and 1 1/2 c. sugar together until pale yellow and fluffy. Beat in the eggs until combined. On low speed, or by hand, beat in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

3. In a small bowl, combine the 2 Tbs. sugar with the cinnamon.

4. To shape: scoop out a teaspoon full of dough using a teaspoon cookie scoop. Roll the dough into balls between your two hands. Then roll the balls into the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Place the balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets

5. Bake for 8-10 minutes. When finished, remove cookies from cookie sheet and place on cookie racks to cool.

Easy Fudge

Feel like some fudge today? Who wouldn't? Mmmmm...

Easy Fudge
1-3/4 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2 T butter
Dash of salt
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (I found that is important. I used milk chocolate and it was good, but really sweet.)
about 20 quartered or mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla

In a 2 quart sauce pan combine the first four ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat; boil 5 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat; immediately add chocolate chips, marshmallows, nuts and vanilla. Stir until melted. Spread into buttered 9x9 pan. Cool; cut into squares.

Homemade Wet-Wipes

While I am posting non-food "recipes" I thought I would add this one. I just made them last night and they work really well. Thanks to Megan for the great idea- she gave it to me with the ingredients for my baby shower- I thought that was a cool idea!

Homemade Wet-Wipes
1 roll of paper towels (the thicker the better-I usually use the Wal-Mart "Oasis" brand)
1 1/2 c. hot water (I usually just microwave it for a couple of minutes)
1 1/2 T. baby wash
3/4 T. creamy baby oil

Cut (more like saw) the paper towel in half crosswise and remove the inner cardboard tube. Place half in a resealable tupperware-type container and save the other half for next use. Whisk together the water, baby wash, and baby oil. Pour liquids over paper towels and close container. Let soak into towels and enjoy!

Julia's Wraps

This recipe brings back a lot of happy memories of my college days. My room-mate Julia would crank out a big batch of these all the time. After a while, the spread became as common as milk in our fridge and we would just take turns buying ingredients. They also make really good appetizers cut up with a tooth-pick in it. So good, so fresh, and so quick!

Julia's Wraps

Spread:
2 (8oz) soft cream cheese
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp marjoram
1/4 tsp garlic salt
2 T milk

*Add all ingredients and stir together until smooth.

Additional goodness: (all optional)
Ham, turkey, or other sliced deli meat
1 red, yellow, or green bell pepper cut in long thin slices
lettuce leaves
Alfalfa sprouts
Thin flour tortillas (whole wheat is really good too)

*Spread the cream cheese mixture over tortilla. Add meat and any other desired toppings. Roll up tightly.

Home-Made Cheap Laundry Soap

This is not a food recipe, so I feel like I'm breaking all the rules. :) But I guess when you're the one making them, it's ok. I just got this recipe from a friend and tried it, and it works great, so I had to share. I will always miss the fresh scent of Tide detergent, but certainly not the price. This is very inexpensive and space efficient. (I think it is something like ten bars of the Fels Naptha is supposed to make a years supply.)

This recipe for home-made laundry soap is a concentrate --- no water added to this mix--- that is why you use such a small amount of the mix.... Easier to store than the recipes with the water added.

AT WINCO

$1.06 per bar of Fels Naptha

$3.54 Borax

$2.71 Washing Soda (Arm and Hammer)

Home-Made Cheap Laundry Soap

1. 1 bar Fels Naptha soap, grated (comes out to about 2 cups)
2. 1 c. Borax
   Comes from the grocery store laundry aisle and some hardware stores.
3. 1 c. Washing Soda
   Can be found in little grocery stores, online, or Mexican markets.
4. 1/4 c. OxyClean (optional)

Mix it all together into a bumpy, granular mix. Don't worry about stuff getting correctly dispersed, even if it doesn't quite look like it does.

Use 1 Tbsp. for a light load
Use 2 Tbsp. for a large or dirty load (It's true! Only 2 Tablespoons per load!)
-------------------------

I've never used this, but I have heard it works well. I'm just trying to come around to the thought of vinegar in the laundry- if you give it a shot, let me know how it works.

Laundry Rinse (instead of fabric softener)

1. 1 gal white vinegar
2. 25-30 drops essential oil - optional (Straight vinegar works just fine though.)

Use 1/4 c in the rinse cycle. I promise your clothes won't smell like vinegar. The vinegar clears the last bit of soap remaining on all your clothes and reduces static.

Using vinegar really works. It's great for removing odors from towels and work jeans, too. You can use 1 c. instead of 1/4 c. in your worst loads.

Cabbage Salad

Here's a great way to have cabbage! I sampled this from my friend Keri, and I just had to make it- I didn't know cabbage could taste this good! :)

Cabbage Salad
2 cups cooked chicken, cubed

1 lg. cabbage shredded

1-2 pkgs crushed Ramon noodles

4 green onions

4 tbsp sunflower seeds

4 tbsp almond slices

Dressing

3 tbsp vinegar

1/2 cup salad oil

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp Accent

2 tbsp sugar

Mix together and chill. Wait until serving to add Ramon noodles.