Dirt Pudding

2 regular sized pkg. Oreo cookies, crushed
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
1 c. powdered sugar
2 (6 oz.) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding
3 1/2 c. milk
12 oz. Cool Whip
gummy worms

Cream together cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Mix instant pudding with milk. Mix creamed mixture and pudding mixture together. Fold in Cool Whip. Layer cookie crumbs and pudding mixture, starting and ending with cookie crumbs. Use large plastic flower pot (if desired) and decorate with silk or plastic flowers and let your kids eat dirt!

Updated 10/28/17 with edits

Bacon & Feta Stuffed Chicken

8 tbsp	olive oil
	2 tsp	lemon juice
	4 clove	crushed garlic
	1 tbsp	dried oregano
		salt
		pepper
	4	boneless chicken (skinless boneless chicken breasts)
	4 slice	feta cheese
	4 slice	bacon (fried and drained)

1	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2	In a small bowl combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Mix together. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour oil mixture over chicken.
3	Stuff each chicken breast with 1 slice feta cheese and 1 slice bacon. Secure open sides with toothpicks.
4	Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes.

Brown Sugar Glaze for Salmon

Brown Sugar Glaze: Mix 2 Tbsp of Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Pure Maple Syrup
1 garlic clove (minced)
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

Pour over Salmon, and marinate for at least 10-15 minutes

Chicken Fajitas from Jessica

Ingredients and Supplies:
Large Ziploc Bag
Fajita Spice Packet (you can get this in the spice aisle)
2-3 Chicken Breasts
Whatever Veggies you like in your fajitas, I used: 2 Bell Peppers, fresh mushrooms, and half an onion
3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

Directions:
Cut up thawed chicken breasts with kitchen scissors into good size chunks/strips to eat
Chop Veggies to desirable size
Put it all in a Large Ziploc Bag with Olive Oil and Spice Packet, and MUSH MUSH MUSH until the chicken and veggies look well covered with the oil and spices.



Heat oven to 375 degrees
Line a baking sheet that has sides with tin foil, place everything in the ziploc baggie on the baking sheet.
Make a "cover" for the baking sheet with tin foil, but cut a slit down the middle, place over the top like a "tent"
Bake for 25 minutes at 375.

Tortillas: Layer flour tortillas on a plate between paper towels, microwave for 15-20 seconds right before it's time to eat.

Put everything together with sides you like...we always do grated cheese and sour cream....

Jessica's Fruit Salsa

Jessica's Fruit Salsa

3 Fuji apples: peeled, cored, chopped
1 lb Strawberries: chopped
8-12 oz blackberries: cut into 4ths
2 Kiwis: peeled and chopped
1 Tbsp brown sugar
2-3 Tbsp white sugar
2-3 Tbsp preserves of your choice: I usu. use strawberry or blueberry

Cut up fruit, and mix it and all other ingredients together in a bowl.

Now for the chips:

10 ten inch flour tortillas
3-4 C of cinnamon sugar in a large ziploc bag
Either melted butter OR butter flavored cooking spray

Spray or brush each side of the tortillas with butter/butter spray
Use a pizza cutter to slice them into chips of your preferred dipping size
Bake at 350 on cookie sheets for about 10 minutes
Take out, let cool for 10 minutes, serve with chilled fruit salsa! SO GOOD!!

"Chinese Salad" from Sharon Chaney

1 head of celery cabbage (Napa) chopped

2+ chopped green onions

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Brown the following ingredients together at 350, for approximately 10 minutes until toasted:

2 Tbls. sesame seeds

1 Tb. butter

1 pkg. broken up raman noodles

2 Tbls. almond slices

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Dressing:

1/4 cider vinegar

3/4 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. sugar

2 tsp. soy sauce

Boil for 1 minute & cool.

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Keep all 3 "sections" separate until minutes before serving. Toss together in a large bowl.

HUGE hit, even for non-salad-likers.

Lisa's Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread (2 loaves)

3 eggs
1 C oil
2 C sugar
2 tsp Vanilla
2 C Zucchini (grated)
1 C crushed pineapple (drained)
3 C sifted flour
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
(chopped nuts if wanted)

Beat eggs until foamy. Add Oil, sugar, and vanilla and mix well. Stir in Zucchini and Pineapple. Combine dry ingredients in separate bowl. Add dry ingredients to Zucchini mixture. Mix until well blended. Bake in 2 9x5 loaf pans 350 degrees 45-60 min

Texas Caviar from Jaimi

1 16 oz can of Pinto Beans – drained

1 16 oz can of Black Eyed Peas – drained

1 16 oz can of White Corn – drained

1 small green pepper chopped

1 small jalapeno chopped

1-2 stalks of celery chopped (to taste)

1 cup of red onion chopped

Cilantro chopped (to taste)

Mix all of the above ingredients in a bowl and put aside.

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½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup sugar

½ cup white vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Bring all of these items to a boil.

Let it cool and then pour over the mixture you set aside earlier.

Marinate at least 2 hours (it’s even better if you let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.)

Serve with Frito Lay Scoop chips.

Tips: The vinegar/oil/sugar mixture doesn’t look like it’s enough to cover all the ingredients, but it is plenty. As it sits and marinates, the liquid will rise to the top. Once it rises to the top and when you are ready to serve, just be sure to stir it up well.

Broccoli Salad from Michelle K's mom

Broccoli florets (I used two packages)

1 small chopped onion

1 cup raisins

1pound bacon (precook, don't add until ready to serve)

1cup light Mayo ( you can substitute regular or fat free mayo depending on your taste preference)

1/2 cup sugar

1T white vinegar

Mix the broccoli, onion and raisins together. Separately mix mayo, sugar and vinegar. Mix all together and refrigerate 4 hours or overnite. Just before serving, add crisp bacon crumpled.

Occasionally I also add 1 cup of shredded cheese'

HIGH TEMPERATURE Sirloin Roast

Ingredients

• 1 (3 pound) sirloin roast
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Season the roast with salt and pepper and place in a roasting pan or baking dish. Do not cover or add water.
2. Place the roast in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C). Roast for 15 minutes (five minutes per pound) then turn off the oven and let the roast sit in the hot oven for 2 hours. Do not open the door at all during this time!
3. Remove the roast from the oven, the internal temperature should have reached at least 145 degrees F (65 degrees C). Carve into thin slices to serve.

Homemade Kool-Aid Play Dough

{Colorful Kool-Aid Play Dough}

Okay...Kool-Aid Play Dough was my absolute favorite thing to make when I was little, and I admit it still makes me a little giddy even nowadays. Who can resist a cheap, homemade version of play dough that actually smells good? ;) (and that is made of edible ingredients! Come on...we all know that's a necessity with little kiddos and play dough! Goodness, that makes me think I should make my next batch with fresh ground whole wheat! Just in case...)

Ingredients:

1 c. flour

1/4 c. salt

1 Tbsp. Cream of Tartar

1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-Aid

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1 c. water

Mix flour, salt, cream of tartar, and Kool-Aid medium saucepan. Add the oil and water. Stir over medium heat for 3-5 minutes.

Once the dough starts sticking together enough to form a ball when stirred, it's time to remove it from the heat and scoop it out onto a lightly floured surface on the counter. (you only need a VERY small amount of flour- not nearly as much as I have on my counter!) Knead the dough until it's no longer sticky...and obviously resembles play dough. :)

And last but certainly not least...let the play dough serve it's purpose! It stores well for at least a few weeks in a plastic ziploc. (Though I admit that several times I've found "forgotten" play dough in the back of the drawer months later and it still looks/smells fine and isn't dried out!)

(Just wanted to update...I was asked if this play dough stains skin or surfaces. I have been making this stuff since elementary school and have never had that problem!)