Bowtie Pasta Salad

Bowtie pasta, cooked

Grapes

Cashews

Mandarin Oranges

Pineapple (canned or fresh)

Green onion, chopped

Cubed, cooked chicken breast

Coleslaw dressing 

Mix everything together.  Add mandarin oranges last and fold them in.  Add salt to taste.  Garlic salt is also very good.  As far as the amounts, use your judgment ;)

Fluffy Orange Fruit Dip

1- 8 0z package cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons orange zest
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice(use some juice from the orange that you zested)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
1- 7 oz jar marshmallow cream

Beat cream cheese, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla and salt until smooth and creamy. Add marshmallow cream and beat until combined.

Serving suggestion: Serve with fresh cut fruit. I used strawberries, oranges, apples, bananas, kiwi and fresh pineapple.

Valentine's Dessert

I got this recipe a few months ago after tasting it at a friends house, but just got around to making it this weekend. It seemed like a nice valentine's day dessert. It makes quite a bit, but my little family has been loving it all weekend. The almond and cherry combination is delicious, and the crust is similar to a sugar cookie....so yummy

Cherry Surprise Bars

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1 tsp almond extract
4 eggs
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 can cherry pie filling

Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and almond extract and mix well. Add flour and salt. Grease 10x15 pan. SPread 3/4 batter in pan, top with pie filling. Then dab remaining 1/4 batter on top.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes (I cooked it for 2 more minutes as it wasn't completely done), let cool 15 minutes.

Drizzle over top:

1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 spoons of water (I added a little more water until the consistency was right)

Dream Cake

• Prepare one white cake mix according to directions on box.



• Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 8 oz softened cream cheese, and 8 oz thawed cool whip.



• Spread cream cheese mixture over cooled cake.



• Combine one container strawberry glaze and sliced strawberries, fresh or thawed. Spread over white layer. (I spread the glaze first then covered it with the sliced strawberries.)



• Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Yummy Snack

This time of year we have an abundance of apples. I get kind of sick of just eating plain apples or in slices so with the cold weather we have been eating a lot of cooked apples.

Peel and slice the apples.

Put in a microwave bowl, add a little water, sprinkle on cinnamon/sugar and cook at 5 min. After they get out, sprinkle a tad of brown sugar on top. Plus, it makes your house smell delectable.
SO EASY!

Take it one step further and if you want applesauce pour the whole cooked bowlful into the blender and blend up until you have the texture you want.