Strawberry Pretzel Salad

This is one of my favorite salads…I remember having something like this dish at my cousin Renae’s Bridesmaids Brunch, at this super cute restaurant in Alabama, almost 10 years ago. It was sooo delicious but I hadn’t had it again until I moved to Iowa..and lo and behold it’s in the Farmer’s Family cookbook!! I have made this a few times but finally had time to document it :)

Bottom Layer:
2 ½ cups of crushed pretzels (I guess you could use a food processor, but I prefer to put a bunch in a plastic baggie and pound them to death!! Especially if the Farmer is taking a nap!! Hehe)
3 tbsp. of brown sugar
¾ cup of melted butter (this is where the recipe goes from “could be healthy” to “artery clogging goodness”
Mix these ingredients. Press in a 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes (and whatever you do, don’t take it out of the oven and accidentally place it on a hot burner on the stove top..this makes the pretzels very hard and you won’t be able to cut it..not that I actually did that or anything..just a tip!! ;)

Middle Layer:
¾ cup of sugar
8 oz of cream cheese
8 oz of Cool Whip
Blend ingredients until smooth. Spread on bottom layer.

Top Layer:
6 oz pkg of strawberry jello
10 oz frozen strawberries
2 cups of boiling water
Mix jello in boiling water. Stir in frozen strawberries. Chill until partially set. Pour on top of the middle layer and refrigerate until completely set.

Chicken Hot Dish!!

I thought we could use a break from beef (calm down, it's just for one night), so I whipped up this chicken dish from the Farmer's Family cookbook...recipe by my Mom-in-law...the Farmer says he cant remember her making it, but let's be honest, next time I make it he probably wont remember it either :) It's really hearty and super yummy!!

1 Package of (26 oz) shredded hash browns, thawed
1 package (24 oz) frozen California blend veggies
3 cups of cubed chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup of chicken broth
¾ cup of French fried onions

In a greased 9x13 pan, layer hash browns, veggies and chicken. In a bowl, combine soups and broth; pour over the chicken. Cover and bake at 375 for one hour. Uncover; sprinkle with onions, bake 10 more minutes.

and we had this for dessert!! Fresh strawberries (hello Spring!!) mixed with splenda served with Angel Food Cake!!

Sweet Baby Rose is 9 months - Hull, IA Photography

Finally a girl!! If you haven't noticed, I have been getting lots of boys to photograph lately! Not that I don't love little boys, but I'm a sucker for a sweet baby girl...especially when she brings her own jewelry, flower, hat, and rocking chair!!!! Soo fun :)

Weakness...

Lets be honest I have quite a few weaknesses...reality TV (Real housewives, Jerseylicious, Project Runway, Biggest Loser, Teen Mom..the list goes on!), shoes, gaudy jewelry, designer purses (I'm getting better at this one!), new photography stuff, all things pink, green, and polka dotted, and pretty much anything fried, but today I thought I would share a seasonal weakness of mine...Girl Scout Cookies!! But not just any Girl Scout Cookie..Thin Mints!! MMMMMmmmmm!!!
I thought that since I was finally settled down in a small town and getting active in the community, I would have tons of little girls hitting me up to order some of the deliciousness...and I would have gladly bought from each and every one...but sadly, not one girl tried to sell me a thing!!! I was soo disappointed! When I was home in March, I relayed my frustration to my Momma and somehow she managed to find me a box and shipped it my way!!

A box that I promptly devoured within a couple of hours...don't judge, I told you it was a weakness!!! :) Thanks Momma...my rolls thank you too :)

Broccoli, Bacon, and Cheddar Salad

I had to bring something to our potluck at work and thought this recipe would be perfect. It’s from the Farmer’s Family Cookbook by his (our) cousin Marissa and it is oh so yummy! It’s fairly healthy too! You use light mayo, so that’s a plus and I’m thinking you could even leave out the bacon and maybe add some nuts if you wanted! Anyway here is the official recipe!

Salad:
3 cups of fresh broccoli florets (That is my favorite cooking term..floret!!)
½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup of raisins
¼ cup of chopped red onion
4 slices of precooked bacon or 1/3 a cup of real bacon pieces

Dressing:
½ cup of fat-free mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. of sugar (you could use splenda!)
2 tsp lemon juice
In a large bowl, combine all the salad ingredients. In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently to coat. I think it gets better the longer it sits in the fridge!! Enjoy :)


This recepie sponsored by Wal-Mart!! hahaha....