Girls Night and Candy Bars

 

Behold the fabulous Snickers Salad! I made it for my girlfriends this week, and they LOVED, LOVED, LOVED it! I can't believe I haven't shared this recipe before; I think I've taken it to a dozen different carry-in dinners or picnics. It's such a yummy seasonal concoction too, with apples and CANDY BARS! I'm sure I found this recipe on Pinterest (where else?) but don't know the source, so it's not really MY recipe, but whatever......enjoy!

  

Snickers Salad

1 8-ounce container cool whip, thawed
1 3.3-ounce package white chocolate instant pudding
4-6 Granny Smith apples, diced (I used Jonathon apples from last week's orchard trip)
3 standard-sized Snickers bars, diced (I used 10 "snack sized" Snickers)

Spoon Cool Whip into a large bowl and sprinkle packet of pudding over top, using a whisk to combine.  Stir in apples and chopped Snickers.  Serve immediately or refrigerate for up to 8 hours.  SOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!

 

My 4-year-old "helper" loved chopping up candy bars for the "salad"! She also set the table and made cute place cards for my "mommy party"!

Today's Brilliant Idea: Two-Ingredient Pumpkin Muffins!

 

I was in the mood to bake this morning, and so, of course, I perused Pinterest! If you've EVER ventured onto Pinterest, surely you have encountered THIS recipe, or a similar cake version:

I've been curious since I saw the recipe months ago, so, I gave it a whirl! The batter is a bit thick, and the centers were a little moister than I would want, but hey, the recipe really  does work! I added a few handfuls of milk chocolate chips and glazed them with a simple powdered sugar and milk mixture - yum!

 

An added bonus was how wonderful my house smelled all morning! Next time, I think I'm going to try the "cake" version of this recipe; with an apple cider glaze! Double yum!

 

 

Delish Side Dish

 

Earlier this week, I had a craving for pork chops marinated in barbecue sauce, but was at a loss when it came to planning a side dish.  I had just bought a few zucchini squash at an Amish produce stand, so I perused my Pinterest board aptly named "Yum" and found this gem: Cheesy Zucchini Rice! I added sweet corn from my freezer (also from the aforementioned Amish produce stand), which "beefed up" the consistency.  It was soooooo savory! I had thirds...

 

 

Cheesy Zucchini Rice (with corn)

adapted from www.bunsinmyoven.com

 

1 TBL olive oil

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 cups chicken broth (I made mine with chicken bouillon)

2 TBL butter

1 medium or 2 small zucchini, grated (I used one small zucchini)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used shredded co-jack)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

salt and pepper, to taste

 

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add the rice and stir to coat.  Toast the rice, stirring often, just until it starts to turn golden.  Pour in the chicken broth, bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and cover.  Cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.  Remove from heat and add the butter, grated zucchini, cheese and garlic powder.  Stir until well incorporated.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes.  Stir again and season with salt and pepper. Yum!

 

 

Green Goddess Pasta Salad; sooo healthy!

 

I've probably mentioned before that my girlfriends are my "new recipe guinea pigs"...but seriously, who better to try things out on? They love food as much as me, and my immediate family (husband and 4-year-old daughter) are a bit picky; food-wise.  I found this recipe in Health magazine (www.health.com) and have been dying to try it. Total success! It was crunchy, cheesy, savory and kind of "green-ey" (in a good way). 300 calories (sorry), but also 16 grams of protein!

I paired it with store-bought Parmesan foccacia topped with cherry tomatoes from my garden - delish!

Green Goddess Pasta Salad

12 ounces mini ravioli or tortellini (I got my mini cheese ravioli at Trader Joe's)
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound frozen peas, thawed
3 Tbl. sliced almonds
6 cups watercress or baby arugula (I used baby arugula)
1 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp. coarse sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shavings

Cook pasta as package label directs.  Add asparagus and peas to the cooking pasta during the last 2 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly.  While pasta is cooking, place almonds in a small dry skillet over medium  heat and cook, shaking pan often, until lightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Let cool and set aside.  Place cooked pasta and veggies in a large bowl and toss with watercress/arugula, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Top with almonds and Parmesan and serve.

Today's Brilliant Idea - times two!

 

Today, I whipped up a super easy twist on one of our regular snacks, and it was a hit! I blended mini M&M candies in smooth peanut butter; for dipping apple slices into! My 4-year-old LOVED it! Brilliant....

 

 

Switching gears just a bit, I keep forgetting to post this gem: DIY Banana Chips! Usually, I make muffins or a quick bread with the bananas that "turn", but we seem to ALWAYS have overripe bananas and can only eat so many muffins! I do not recommend using super-brown and mushy bananas, but if they are "borderline", this is a perfect use for them!

 

You will need one of these handy contraptions, though. I got mine in the mid 1990s and it's still plugging along.

Cut banana in MANY slices...

and dry for 8-12 hours (follow the instructions for your dehydrator), depending on how chewy or crunchy you want them.  Store in a resealable bag. Hide some from your husband or he will eat them all; or is that just at my house?