{Easy Peasy Pasta Salad}

Light, fresh, and easy peasy. Not that it has peas in it.

Because I hate peas.

This pasta salad is quick and great for summer picnics or any summer meal!

I made it today for Memorial Day.

Because it’s quick. And it’s easy.

Did I mention that already?

You can dress this up, or dress it down.

Here’s what I used:

1 box piccolini (16 oz)

(any pasta will work, and the tri colored looks great)

1/2 green bell pepper

2 small tomatoes

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup Kraft Fat Free Italian dressing

(you could use any Italian dressing or even many of the vinaigrettes.)

Cook the pasta according to the package, adding salt and about 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder to the water.

Then rinse fully in cold water.

Add the chopped pepper, tomato, and cheese. You can also add cucumber, olives, different color peppers and more.

 

Add the dressing and stir.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight to fully develop flavors.

Toss before serving.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan or romano cheese.

Have a great memorial, but don’t forget to remember.

"Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same." -Ronald Reagan

*thank you soldiers and veterans*

printable recipe

~Tina

{Holy Moses Dip}

This dip is from my friend, Lori.

I think she’s evil* because this dip is sinful.

Sinful I tell you!

*not really, she’s great ;)

Make it when you are having company over. If you don’t, you’ll probably hole up in a closet and eat it all by
yourself.

Seriously, it’s.that.good.

It’s called “Holy Moses Dip” because the first time I tasted it, I said “Holy Moses that is gooooooood!”.

I may or may not have had a mouthful of chip and dip at that point.

We need not discuss such things.

After all, I am a lady.

Ok, I just made myself laugh at that.

By the way, I have no idea what Lori calls it…? She just told me it was an amazing dip. She did not lie.

This dip and all it’s delicousness comes from just 4 ingredients.

Here’s whatcha need:

Holy Moses Dip

1 tub sour cream -16 ounces

1 package powdered ranch dressing mix (aka Hidden Valley) –4 ounces

1 package REAL bacon bits* (not the hard crunch kind) –3 ounces

1-2 cups cheddar cheese (mild or sharp, your choice, I use mild)

*the more industrious person could fry up about 6 pieces of bacon, but, I’m not that industrious.

Plus I don’t want to smell like bacon.

Y’all know you smell like it after you fry it. It’s a fact of life.

Preeeeetty simple here folks.

First plop the sour cream into a mixing bowl, like so

add the dressing

and the bacon

The cheese

oooh lookit how pretty.

Too bad we are stirring it up. Let’s just appreciate the beauty here for a second.

Enough of that, now STIR, my lovelies, stir!

Let sit a few hours or over night for the best flavor.

Then eat it, and yell out “Holy Moses that’s good!”

What? Is that just me??

Great for parties and picnics!

I suppose you could serve it with raw veggies instead of chips.

But that seems like a waste of perfectly good junk food.

I stand corrected, this is NOT junk food. I mean, look- you’ve got dairy, meat, and vegetables.

Potato chips aren’t a vegetable? I’m not sure I believe you.

I’ll consult Google next.

Did I say, “yum”?

Remember, serve to a crowd. Or you’ll be doing the walk of shame from that closet, with greasy fingers and sour cream lips!

Don’t blame me, I stamped this puppy with a warning label!

Enjoy.

Here’s the handy dandy printable recipe.

~Tina

posted at Mommy’s Kitchen Sunday Potluck for 5/29/11
posted on Fat Camp Fridays @ Mangoes & Chutney for 8/27/11 
posted at Hugs & Cook ies XOXO  10/12/11

{So.. Memorial Day?}

So, what's on your list for Memorial Day?

I'm contemplating ideas.

Stewing. Processing. Cooking.

That's my clever 'recipe' tie in for contemplation.

Lame.

I know.

So, clue me in on what you are making!! I'll be back with my details soon.

~Tina

{Angel Fluff Cakes}

So, today… is the day when we are either showered in gifts by our husbands and children, or declared to that “you are not my mother”, by those we married.

I hope you got the former, not the latter!

My lovely 14 year old Bean took me out for lunch (the husband had to work). He laid out $25 in allowance money for it too. What a sweetie. :)

This evening, I had my inlaws (outlaws! ha), my grandmother-in-law, my parents, and my grandmother over for a cookout. I made these lil beauties for dessert.I’ve heard the recipe referred to as Angel Lush Cake. However, my grandmother used to made a dessert called Pineapple Fluff that contained the very ingredients as the topping I used here.

So.. to me, this makes them Pineapple Fluff Cakes.

But you know me, I’m all about compromise, so I declare these… Angel Fluff Cakes!

These are the perfect summer treat. They are light, they are fluffy, they are low in fat and calories- um.. if you are into that kinda thing.

Whatever.

You can eat these on a 93 degree, dripping hot, humid, sticky, gross Ohio (or wherever, I just type what I know people), and not feel like you just consumed a brick after.

Did I mention they are yummy?

So, what you need here, is

A. An Angel Food Cake recipe.

Or

B. An Angel Food Cake Boxed Mix.

I choose B.

Because I didn’t have a dozen egg whites and a mass amount of patience.

I’ve heard both are required for making an Angel Food Cake from scratch.

I would not know from experience. Hey, cut me some slack. I’m no Alton Brown!

Anyhoo…

Mix according to directions, then spoon into cupcake liners. Isn’t Angel Food batter pretty?

I got 45 cupcakes from my box. Crazy cakes, eh?

Note, I did not have enough fluff to cover all of these cakes. I had enough for about 32 of them.

While that is baking, mix up your fluff.

1 Box Instant Vanilla Pudding

1 20oz can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 1/2 cups Frozen Topping, thawed (aka Cool Whip)

Stir until well blended.

Place in fridge until the cupcakes are totally cooled.

Then, plop on top of your cupcakes.

Top with strawberries or with other fruit.

and.. that’s it! Easy… quick.. refreshing.

Here’s the printable.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mommies out there in cyberland!

~Tina

shared on A Well Seasoned Life's Sweet Indulgences Sunday #6