Broccoli-Cauliflower Salad

This recipe comes from my next door neighbor's mother-in-law. It's one of my friends most favorite salad recipes. I was so excited to try it out and I'm so glad I did, but I just have to give one warning about it: it makes your fridge super stinky! I'd never made a broccoli-cauliflower salad before and was shocked when I'd open my fridge and get hit by the smell.

My best advice, make it for a barbecue or a potluck - something where a lot of people will be and have it eaten by the time you have to go home so that you don't have to store the leftovers.

But aside from the smell, it is a very delicious and healthy salad.

Here's what you'll need:

1 bunch broccoli

1 bunch cauliflower

8 strips cooked & crumbled bacon

1/3 C. chopped onion

1 C. chopped tomatoes

2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1 C. miracle whip

1/3 C. sugar

2 Tbsp. vinegar

Combine the broccoli, cauliflower, bacon, onion, tomatoes, and eggs in a large bowl.

In a separate smaller bowl, mix together the miracle whip, sugar, and vinegar; mix well.

Add to the broccoli combination and combine well.

Salt and pepper to taste. Keep refrigerated.

Citrus Jello Salad

This recipe comes from a neighbor who is a very good cook, Virginia. She's like a legend around here. If you try any of her recipes, you know they'll be good!

In my hubby's family, there are two Jello salads that we all adore - this Citrus Jello Salad and Pistachio Pudding Salad (I'll have to get that one posted sometime). We lovingly refer to them now as Orange Fluff and Green Fluff.

So enjoy today's Orange Fluff (Citrus Jello Salad)! We do!!

Here's what you'll need:

2 C. boiling water
1 small box orange Jello
1 small box instant vanilla pudding
2 small cans mandarin oranges
1 (20 oz) can crushed pineapple
1 (12 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed

Stir Jello into the boiling water, off the heat, until completely dissolved. Add pudding and stir until it starts to thicken slightly.

Let mixture cool (I put it into the fridge to speed up the process). Spoon mixture into a large serving bowl and fold in drained oranges and drained pineapple.

Or you can add the fruit when it's still in the saucepan, like I did here, and then put it into the large serving bowl.

Fold in Cool Whip. Cover and refrigerate until set.

Yum, yum, yum!!!

Raspberry Pretzel Salad

My sister-in-law, Valerie, is the wonderful saint who introduced me to this salad. And, yes, I consider this a salad - a side dish. Some people consider it a dessert. But no, no, not me. I happily eat this right along with my main dish. FAB-U-LOUS!!!

This recipe takes some time to set up. So either make this the night before you'll need it or the morning of.

It is sweet and salty, crunchy and creamy. A truly fantastic recipe!!

Here's what you'll need:

Crust -
2 C. crushed small twisted pretzels (that's a little more than half a 1lb. bag)
3 T. sugar
3/4 C. melted butter

Combine and press into a 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. DO NOT OVERBAKE! Let cool.

While the crust is cooling, start on the second layer -
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 C. sugar
1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed

Cream these ingredients together until nice and smooth. Spread over the cooled crust, completely covering the crust. Leave NO holes or else you'll have a soggy crust.

Now for the third layer -
1 (6 oz) pkg. raspberry Jello
2 C. boiling water
1 1/2 (12 oz) bags frozen raspberries

Dissolve Jello in boiling water off of the heat. Add the frozen raspberries. Stir until Jello starts to set slightly (a couple of minutes). Then spread over cream cheese layer. Cover and refrigerate until completely set.

You can use strawberry Jello and the sliced frozen strawberries, or you can do raspberry Jello with huckleberries. They are all VERY good!! You have to try this if you have never had this before. And if you have, you'll just have to make it again!

Summer Salad

There are only a few green salads that I actually like to eat. You know how it goes, right? When it comes to green salad, it's not like we actually say, "Oh, yum! I can't wait to eat that!!" Unless, however, it has yummy things in it, like this salad does. It also helps that this salad is SO incredibly easy to make and the colors in it are gorgeous!

Here's what you'll need:

A bag of baby spinich
1 lb. container of strawberries, sliced
1 can of mandarine oranges
Sliced or slivered almonds
Poppy Seed Dressing (recipe below)

Put a few strawberry slices, a few mandarine oranges, and a few almonds in the bottom of a salad bowl. Top with some spinich. Repeat with layers and finish with strawberries, oranges, and almonds on top. Serve with Poppy Seed Dressing.


Poppy Seed Dressing

1 C. Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1/2 C. sugar
1/4 C. vinegar
1 t. poppy seeds

Combine and beat with electric beater well.