Southwestern Chopped Salad

Large head of romaine 15 oz.
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
1 large orange bell pepper
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 cups corn (fresh or frozen, thawed)
5 green onions
Optional: avocado

{Dressing}
1 cup loosely packed cilantro, stems removed and roughly chopped
1/2 avocado (or 1/2 cup plain vegan yogurt or Greek yogurt)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice (about 1/2 lime), more to taste
1-2 garlic cloves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp. salt

{Instructions}

Making the dressing: puree all ingredients in a food processor/blender until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Making the salad: Finely chop romaine, bell pepper, tomatoes, and green onions.Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.Toss with desired dressing.

bacon bouquet

The how-tos are found at best bites.  Great valentine gift for your man.

minion cupcakes

First thing to do, make some cupcakes.
Then make some frosting.  Color it blue, for the Minions little blue overall bibs.
Take your Twinkies and cut them in half.

The best part of the Minions are their eyes and goggles. You have a few choices:

• I used Wilton Decorator Eyes for mine.
• #2 Choice – Use the white candy Smarties and take a little black frosting to make the eye balls.

Using some black frosting, make some dots for the eyes, kind of close together. Then press the eye balls into them. Now make some thin lines down the side for the goggle straps.  Some Minions have one eye and some have 2. I always see more 2 eyed Minions, but you can do whatever you want!

Once you have a bunch done, you can add mouths, hair or whatever you want. I was trying to find something good for the hair…Maybe the thin black licorice strings?

I frosted my cupcakes with a Wilton 1A tip and sprinkled with little blue sprinkles. Again, you can do whatever you want! That is the beauty of it! 

I added a little more frosting to the tops of the cupcakes so that when I pressed the Minions onto the top the frosting came up around the base a little. They seemed to look a little more sturdy that way.

These were actually really quick to make and very cute when they are done. My kids all took pictures and then promptly ate their faces off!

apple braid

For the Apple Filling
3 medium-size Granny Smith apples
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For the Bread
(note: before you panic about making bread, I have done this recipe using Pillsbury Crescent Roll Dough that I simply roll out & pinch the seams closed and then proceed with the slicing - so if you don't want to make bread dough - try this shortcut!)
2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon instant yeast (I prefer SAF Instant Yeast)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons vegetable oil

For the Glaze:
1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 teaspoons whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Make the Apple Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into thin slices, then cut the slices in half. Toss the apple pieces with the sugar, cinnamon, and lemon juice. Bake the apple filling in an 8-inch square baking pan (or 9-inch pie tin) for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. (Note: Do not turn the oven off at this point. You will be using it to bake the finished braid.)

Make the Bread: While the apple filling is baking, begin preparing the bread dough. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Add the water and oil and mix the dough for 6 minutes using an electric mixer on medium-high speed.

Spray a smooth clean surface with cooking spray and turn the dough out onto the surface. Knead the dough briefly to give it a smooth surface (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish). Spray a rolling pin with cooking spray and roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 12-inches by 16-inches in size. Lift onto a greased baking sheet.

Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut each side into strips about 1-inch wide down each side, leaving the center third of the dough uncut. Spread the apple filling down the middle third of the dough. Fold strips of dough into the center, crisscrossing the filling by alternating strips from each side. Lightly press ends to seal, and straighten out the braid with your hands, if necessary, to straighten.

Bake the braid in the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let the braid cool for several minutes.

Make the Glaze: Whisk together the glaze ingredients in a small bowl until blended and smooth.
Brush the glaze in a thick coat over the entire surface of the apple braid while it is still cooling. Carefully transfer the braid to a cooling rack set on a baking sheet (to catch drips) to finish cooling and prevent the bottom of the braid from becoming soggy from sitting in any pooling glaze. Slice and serve.

braided calzone

Lindsay Nay Anderson wrote:
As I was making a braided calzone for dinner, Garrett watched and wistfully said, "I hope that someday the wife that I marry knows how to make this for dinner." To which I replied, "The wife that you marry will think you are super amazing if you learn how to make it yourself so you can make her dinner." "Hey, you're right! I need to take notes." And he did. #goodboy

*Uhh... could I get a copy of Garrett's notes please? I'd really like to make this. 

*it's really easy. Just roll out pizza dough into a long, narrow rectangle. Cut "fringe" along both sides. Layer sauce and pizza toppings in the middle, then criss cross the the fringe over the top. Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes.