Fruit Delight

1 (29 ox) can fruit cocktail

2 20 ox cans chunky pineapple

2 11 oz cans mandarin oranges

1 pkg vanilla instant pudding, prepared

1 12 oz carton Cool Whip

Drain jice from cans of fruit and discard. Add pudding to fruit and mix well. Spread in a shallow dish and cover top with Cool Whip.

Taco Salad

1-1/2 lbs lean ground beef

2 tomatoes

1 can pitted ripe olives

6 green onions

tortilla chips

1 8-oz pkg cheddar cheese

1 pkg taco seasoning

1 lg head lettuce

1 can red kidney beans

1/2 bottle catalina salad dressing

Brown ground beef and drain. Add taco seasoning and water as per package. Cover and simmer about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely. Tear lettuce into bite-size peices. k Drain beans. Slice olives and onions; cut tomatoes in chunks. Mix everything together except chips. Use as much Catalina as needed to coat salad. Break up chips and add just before serving.

Apple-Orange Jello

from Alicia Sorensen

2 pkg(6oz) jello (raspberry, strawberry, cranberry)

2 C orange juice

2-3 apples, peeled then grated

Bring oj to boil, remove from heat, stir in jello. Add 2 C ice cubes, when dissolved add apples and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Good for You Greek Salad

3 large ripe tomatoes, chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
3 teaspoons lemon juice
1 t red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
6 black Greek olives, pitted and sliced


In shallow salad bowl, or on serving platter, combine tomatoes, cucumber, and onion. Sprinkle with oil, lemon juice, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle feta cheese and olives over salad. Serve.

Favorite Apple Salad

1 can (20 oz) unsweetened pineapple chunks
1/4 C butter or margarine
1/4 C sugar
1 T lemon juice
2 T cornstarch
2 T cold water
1 C mayonnaise
8 C chopped tart apples
2 C green grapes
2 t potty seeds
3/4 C chopped pecans, toasted

Drain pineapple, reserving juice; set the pineapple aside. Place juice in a saucepan; add butter, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil. Combine the cornstarch and cold water until smooth; add to the saucepan, stirring constantly. Return to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Chill. Stir in mayonnaise. In a large bowl, combine pineapple, apples, grapes, poppy seeds and cooked dressing. Ford in the pecans just before serving.

Strawberry Pear Gelatin

1 can (29 oz) pears
1 pkg (6 oz) strawberry gelatin
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed
1 carton (8 oz) cool whip, thawed
Mandarin oranges, opt.

Drain pears, reserving juice. Chop pears and set aside. Add water to the juice to measure 3 cups. Place in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Transfer to a large bowl. Add gelatin and stir until dissolved. Whisk in cream cheese until smooth. Refrigerate until slightly thickened. Whisk in whipped topping until smooth. Add chopped pears. Transfer to a 13 x 9 in dish. Cover and refreigerate until firm. Garnish with mandarin oranges if desired.

Taffy Apple Salad

Plan ahead - needs to be refrigerated overnight!

1 (15 oz) can pineapple chunks - drained with juice reserved

1-1/2 C miniature marshmallows

1 egg, beaten

1 T flour

1-1/2 T white vinegar

1/2 C sugar

1-1/2 C roasted Spanish peanuts

1 (8 oz ) Cool Whip

2 tart apples - peeled, cored, and chopped

Directions:

Combine the pineapple chunks and marshmallows.  Mix together and refrigerate overnight.  In a medium sauce pan, stir together the pineapple juice, egg, vinegar, and sugar over medium low heat.  Cook and stir sauce until thickened.  Transfer to a medium sized bowl.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Just before serving; in a large bowl, blend together the marshmallow mix and sauce.  Stir in the peanuts, whipped topping and apples.  Refrigerate until served.

Two Beautiful Jello Recipes

I made both of these for Thanksgiving, and they tasted as good as they looked.

Pretzel Salad

Bottom Layer:
2 cups broken pretzels
3/4 C melted butter
1 T sugar

Mix together, pat in bottom of 9x13 cake pan.
Bake at 350 for 8 min and cool.

Middle layer:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
12 oz tub cool whip
1 C sugar
Mix together until smooth and creamy; spread over cooled pretzel crust.

Top layer:

2 pkg small strawberry Jello (or 1 large)
2 C boiling water
20 oz frozen, sliced strawberries
Stir together until jello is dissolved. The cold strawberries will help to make it set faster. Refrigerate until it begins to gel but do not allow to solidify. Pour over the creamy layer.

Refrigerate until set and serve.

Christmas Jello

1 sm pkg. lime jello
1 sm pkg lemon jello
1 sm pkg strawberry jello
1 sm cool whip
1 sm can crushed pineapple
Approximately 20 miniature marshmallows
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese
1 C nuts

Bottom layer: Mix lime jello, 1 C hot water and 3/4 C cold water. Set until firm.

Middle layer: Mix lemon jello, 1 C hot water and 3/4 C cold water. When thickened, mix in separate bowl cool whip, pineapple, marshmallows, cream cheese and nuts. Add to lemon jello, chill for 30 minutes.

Top layer: Mix strawberry jello, 1 C hot water and 3/4 C cold water. When thickened, add to top of other layers. Let set.

Note: I make top two layers in the evening and refrigerate over night. I add the last layer in the morning.