Chunky Chicken Salad

This is a recipe that I "created" a few years ago.  My husband and I LOVE LOVE LOVE this chicken salad!  It is seriously yummy!!!  (And everyone I've made it for has gobbled it up!)  But its not a "sandwich chicken salad."  Its way to yummy and chunky for that!  This recipe is best served with your favorite cracker!  :)

"Egg-cellent" Egg Salad



My hubby LOVES egg salad - which is a good thing, because we have it several times a month!  Egg salad and chicken salad are staples in this house - especially on evenings when a quick meal is in order.  But I'm always looking for a way to make even the most basic of recipes "zazzy." - You know what I mean - just a little bit of pizzaz!  Well, this egg salad is "zazzy!"  ;)

I originally came up with the idea to try and "zazz" up my egg salad after reading this recipe.  It seemed so yummy - and on toasted bread!  OH MY!  The problem was, that my hubby is more of a purist.  The idea of diced celery adding "crunch" to his egg salad wasn't appealing.  I guess, in his mind, egg salad shouldn't "crunch."  I can understand that.  So, I changed the recipe up a little bit to fit our tastes.  It was a HUGE hit!!!

Now, this recipe makes quite a lot, but we are having it for dinner tonight AND lunch for the rest of the week.  You could easily have the recipe if you like.

Oh, and the toasted bread is a MUST!  Just trust me.  Try it.  You won't regret it.  ;)


"Egg-cellent" Egg Salad

9 hard-cooked eggs
mayonnaise - to taste (I use 3 or 4 large tablespoonfuls)
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp pepper


1.) Dice eggs.  (This is very important.  Don't "mash" them.  Trust me on this.  It makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE when it comes to good egg salad!) 
2.) Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.
3.)  Serve on toasted bread.  YUM!  :)

Ranch Oyster Crackers

While visiting my in-laws a few weeks ago, my little one had oyster crackers for the first time.  I can't believe I had never thought of those as a snack!!!  I mean, they are the perfect size for little hands!!!  As soon as we got home, I went out and bought 2 bags of them from Walmart.  (By the way, buy these babies at Walmart!  For normal grocery shopping I go to Publix because its closer, but they charge about $3.00 a bag for oyster crackers and Walmart sells them for about 99 cents!) 

Anyway, I mentioned the purchase to my friend Tara over at Mommy Time and she mentioned that she makes Ranch Oyster Crackers for the family to snack on.  Holy Cow!  That sounded YUMMY!!!  I love oyster crackers AND I love Ranch dressing!!!  Perfect!  So I looked around and found this recipe on allrecipes.com.

These are SUPER easy to make and a SERIOUSLY delicious!!!  Give them a try.  You'll probably love them as much as your kids do!

Peanut Butter Cheerio Treats

Ever have half a box of cheerios left over and you know they are gonna go stale before they get eaten?  Well, that's what happened to me last week.  I don't eat much cereal, and my hubby only its it occasionally.  That only leaves my toddler who, let's face it, can't pound down a full box before it gets old.  I HATE for things to go to waste though, so I set out on pinterest to see if I could find something fun to do with these cheerios.  That's when I found this recipe for Cheerio Treats.  These were SO easy and quick to whip up!  And my little one loves them!  The only warning I'll give you is that the sugar and corn syrup gets very sticky, so as soon as you're done making these you should go ahead and wash your bowl and utensils.  If you rinse them off with hot water, they are pretty easy to clean though.  :)

White Chocolate Pretzels

For Saint Patrick's Day this year, I decided to make this yummy treat  The best part about it - its SOOOOO easy!!!!!!!!!

What you'll need:
1 bag of pretzels
2 bags white chocolate chips
2 Tbs shortening
Sprinkles or colored sugar (optional)

Pizza Biscuits

This is another wonderful Pinterest idea but it didn't come with a link.  It could easily be an appetizer if you wanted it to be, but I often make these on a night where we don't want a big dinner or we have something going on and need a quick dinner.  They are super easy and a big hit at my house!!!

the picture is from Pinterest but like I said it didn't come with a link to the website

Can of Biscuits (I usually buy the four pack pillsbury and use them for different things like this and mini monkey breads)
Mozzarella Cheese
Pepperoni (cut up or buy the mini's)
Garlic Powder, Basil, Oregano, Parsley (this is where you can get creative and add whatever you want or nothing at all!!!)
Pizza Dipping Sauce

Pigs in a Pig - (Easy Appetizer-Perfect for Super Bowl Party)

I love football which makes my hubby love me even more!  Score 1 for me!  When we have a big game coming on, we try to easy foods so that we aren't in the kitchen instead of watching the game.  Here is a family favorite:

Pigs in a Pig:

2 packages of Lil' Smokies(any flavor)
2 packages sliced bacon(cut into 3rds)
1/2 cup of brown sugar

Last Minute Salsa

I went to visit my parents yesterday, for a little while.  And, as usually happens when leaving, we end up with a bag of "leftovers" and such to bring home with us.  Yesterday it was piles of pancakes.....and tortilla chips. I know, odd combination :-)   Anyhow, I really like munching on tortilla chips - especially if I have a dip to go with them.  So, last night, I was making chili for the hot dogs we were going to eat for my daughter's birthday supper.  Hot dog chili for me is just browning some hamburger, then throwing in a little bit of Manwich Sloppy Joe sauce and chili seasoning....and a little ketchup and mustard.  Anyhow, I had about 3/4th of a can of Manwich leftover.  And, rather than waste it, I decided I'd take some of the tortilla chips and dip them in the Manwich sauce (since I didn't have any salsa).  Well, it tasted pretty good.....but, seemed to be missing something - the "chunkiness" of salsa.  So, that's when I decided - hmmmm, wonder what it would taste like with a can of Rotel?  So, I drained a can of Rotel, added it to the Manwich sauce, and put it through the blender (my hubby doesn't like chunky tomatoes, so I was trying to be considerate <chuckle>)....and VOILA!  Salsa!  I don't know if it's of any cost savings or not, over a jar of Picante......but it served its last-minute purpose, and the fam enjoyed it! :-)  

Stuffed Mushrooms

This is one of my husband's FAVORITE appetizers.  On Christmas Eve, we like to do finger foods instead of a big meal - since I'm usually prepping lots of stuff for Christmas dinner - and this is the first thing he requests every year.  These are a big crowd pleaser as well.  :)

Ham Pinwheels

These are a cute little appetizer, snack, or even a lunch menu item.  :)

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 package sliced ham
1 carton French Onion Dip

Hot Feta Artichoke Dip

OH YEAH.  I am a sucker--let me repeat that--a SUCKER for feta.   And this dip is all about the feta.  Add a little Parmesan and some artichoke hearts, and you've got one of the best dips ever. 

Hot Feta Artichoke Dip
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 package (8 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 jar (2 oz) diced pimentos, drained
1 clove garlic, minced
Triscuit Thin Crisps (or pita chips, or any other cracker that floats your boat)

Easy Shrimp Dip

8 oz cream cheese
1 can cream of shrimp soup
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1 can of small shrimp, drained


Mix all of the ingredients, except the shrimp with mixer until smooth, and then fold in shrimp.  Chill.  Serve with Bugles.

Heather's Bean Dip

This is a recipe that I got from my friend Heather.  It is awesome in the summer when veggies are fresh.  It's easy and delicious - and all of the colors from the veggies make it look real pretty on an appetizer table!


2 cans black beans, rinsed
1 can white shoe-peg corn
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
1 small / medium onion, chopped
spoonful of minced garlic (I use the kind in the jar)
8 oz Italian dressing (I like Zesty Italian)
Optional:  celantro and red/yellow/green pepper for additional color)


Mix all ingredients together (it's good to mix together a bit early so all the flavors can marinate together).  Serve with Scoops tortilla chips (you can use any kind, but those work the best!)