Mandarin Chicken Salad

Okay, this salad is an addiction. I think about it. I think about making it. I think about eating it. It is such a simple dish, but so very good! I actually got this recipe from my wonderful friend Katharine who got it from her very sweet mom, Muriel. Thank you both for sharing this one!!!

Mandarin Chicken Salad
4 chicken breasts (or use a rotisserie chicken from the store)
1 16 oz box acini de pepe pasta
3 small cans mandarin oranges (or 2 large cans)
3-5 stalks celery, chopped finely
1/3 sweet onion, chopped finely
small bunch green grapes, cut in quarters (I prefer red but green taste great too)
2 pkgs. slivered almonds (1 cup)
1-1/2 cup mayonnaise (or to taste)
salt & pepper (to taste)
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. Johnny's Seasoning Salt

Bake chicken in pan covered with foil at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until done (or remove meat from rotisserie chicken). Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed and refrigerate. Once chicken is cooled, finely shred or cut into small cubes; toss with seasoning salt. Mix all remaining ingredients. Stir and chill before serving. Salt & pepper to taste.


TRY THIS ONE!!! It makes a ton but lasts for a long time so you can do what I did and eat it for lunch and dinner for 4 days in a row. Sorry I don't have a photo - I will try to be better about photos with my recipes for you visual people (like me!).

Mexican Cookies

I grew up eating these cookies a LOT, as my mom made them frequently. They are really, really easy and quick to make. And I can scarf down a plate of these things in minutes. Though I can't imagine that these are actually frequently eaten in Mexico! But with the tortillas, cinnamon & chocolate, they do have a Mexican "flavor". So this recipe isn't so much a recipe as it is just directions.

















Flour tortillas
Cinnamon & sugar (mixed of course!)
Softened butter (or margarine or whatever you prefer)
Chocolate chips

Spread tortillas with butter. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon & sugar. Cut into triangles and place on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for....oh, just until they are crisp. While they are baking, grind or grate or finely chop the chocolate chips to a powder. You can put them in a blender or just use a food chopper, just try to get all the chunks out so it's pretty fine. Once the tortillas are crisp, remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with the chocolate. Let set so chocolate melts. Then eat them!! These are so good, really!

By the way, I tried them tonight with whole wheat tortilas since that was all we had ... and they were actually pretty good. I still prefer the white flour but hey, they were a bit healthier this way, right? Really, these aren't so bad for the old diet - you use very little butter & sugar & chocolate but they still satisfy a sweet tooth.