Sarah's Pesto Pasta

1 - 12 oz box pasta
1/2 cup Classico pesto sauce (I just use a dry pesto mix packet from the store that you mix with water and olive oil)
1 - 10.5 oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 lb. chicken, cut into cubes

Cook chicken in olive oil in large skillet (cook pasta separately, according to instructions).  When chicken is done, add soup, milk, and sauce.  Mix and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.  Stir in cooked pasta and serve.

Banana Pudding: Magnolia's Famous

We went to NY with my family a couple of weeks ago and finally had the famous banana pudding from Magnolia's! It was heavenly. Not the fake banana flavors, real bananas, real good. My aunt has made this for family functions and I was lucky enough to get the recipe so here it is.

Magnolia’s Famous Banana Pudding
Recipe from: More From Magnolia
by Allysa Torey, Photographs Zeva Oelbaum
Cookbook Heaven at Recipelink.com

I started making this pudding when I was in my early twenties and cooking at a Tex-Mex restaurant and bar. Customers loved it, so when we opened the bakery many years later, it seemed like a great idea to serve it there. It remains the second most popular dessert (after the cupcakes) at the bakery.

·         1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

·         1 1/2 cups ice cold water

·         1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)**

·         3 cups heavy cream

·         1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)

·         4 cups sliced ripe bananas

1.    In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.

2.    In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.

3.    To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

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**I couldn’t find a 3.4 ounce vanilla pudding mix, so I bought the larger one and didn’t use the whole package.

Taffy Apple Salad

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple
½ cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. flour
1 ½ Tbsp. vinegar
3 red apples
3 green apples
4 cups honey-roasted or dry roasted peanuts

Separate pineapple from its juice. In a saucepan, combine (with whisk) pineapple juice, flour, egg, vinegar, and sugar. Heat slowly on low heat until consistency is custard-like. Chill completely.

Fold in whipped topping. Then fold in apples, marshmallows, and pineapple. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving, fold in the peanuts.

Fall Apple Pear Salad (From Jill)

Dressing:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 ½ cup oil
¾ cup raspberry vinegar
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 yellow medium onion, quartered

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Salad:
Romaine lettuce, torn
Field greens lettuce
1 tart apple, diced or sliced
2 ripe pears, diced
feta cheese, mild, crumbled
1 bag crasins
Pecans (As many as you like.)

Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Add dressing. Toss.

Shauna's Citrus Salad

1 large red leaf lettuce, washed, dry, and chill (It really makes a difference)
1 medium red onion
2 cans Mandarin oranges, drained
1 small Jicama, sliced thin
4 oz. sliced almonds
3 Tbsp. sugar

Put almonds and sugar in small pan on medium heat. Add almonds. Cook until coated and toasted. Cool on flat pan so they don’t stick together.
Dressing:
½ tsp. orange peel
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
½ cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix.

Sumi Cabbage Salad

1 big head of cabbage, finely shredded
6 to 8 green onions, chopped using tops
8 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds
8 Tbsp. Slivered almonds
2 pkgs. Top Ramen noodles, dry
1 can Mandarin oranges, drained, optional
red pepper, diced, optional

Toast almonds and seeds under broiler until they become a light tan color. Set aside to cool. Mix together cabbage, onions, almonds and seeds. Discard the seasoning package that comes with the noodles. Crumble noodles over cabbage. Pour dressing over the cabbage and mix.
*This recipe is easy to half. I always use a bag of prepared cabbage. Add cooked chicken breast slices to use as a main dish.

Dressing:
1 cup vegetable oil
6 Tbsp. rice vinegar
4 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt and pepper


Place all ingredients in a shaker and shake until well blended.

Holiday Baked Brie

One 16 oz. brie round
One 16 oz. can whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbsp. orange juice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 cup chopped toasted pecans

Trim rind from top of brie leaving 1/4 inch border on top. Put brie in baking dish, top with other ingredients (pre-mixed together), except nuts. Top with nuts and bake at 350 about 30 minutes.