Easy fruit salad

Can of mandarin oranges, do not drain
Apples, in bite size pieces
Bananas, sliced
Other fruit if available

Place all in a large bowl and toss to mix. The orange juice will keep the other fruit from turning brown.

This was an easy way to get my girls to eat some fresh fruit. They loved this simple fruit salad. Other fruit that works well with this are blueberries, strawberries, kiwi, grapes, and canned or fresh pineapple chunks. Nuts and/or mini marshmallows can also be added for variety.

Italian Potatoes

Potatoes
Olive oil
Italian seasoning
Cooking spray

Coat a cooking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.

Cut potatoes into slices or strips. Place in a plastic bag with the olive oil (enough to coat the potatoes) and the seasoning.
Place potatoes in a single layer on the prepared cooking sheet.
Place in oven and bake until potatoes are tender and golden brown. Turn the potatoes midway. For a crispier potato, place under broiler for a few minutes at the end of the cooking time.

Homemade Tortilla Chips

Flour tortillas - any size
Cooking spray
Cumin
Garlic powder

Cut tortillas into desired shape ( I sometimes do pie-wedges and sometimes just straight strips).
Spray cooking sheet with cooking spray. Arrange tortilla pieces on the cooking sheet- place them as close as possible to each other without overlapping.
Spray lightly with cooking spray. Sprinkle with cumin and garlic powder.
Place under broiler for 2-3 minutes until they start to brown. Serve with salsa, soup or salad.

Mexican Chicken Salad

1 ripe avocado
3 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
2 cups cooked, cubed chicken thigh meat
3 scallions, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn, rinsed in hot water to thaw, drain well
4 cups lettuce
cherry or grape tomatoes

Cut avocado into small pieces and mix in bowl with the lime juice until coated. Stir in olive oil, salt and cumin. Add chicken, scallions, black beans and corn. Stir to mix.
Place 1 cup lettuce on plate, top with 1/4 of the avocado chicken mixture. Decorate with tomatoes.

Makes 4 large servings.

Raspberry Slaw

Cabbage, shredded - green or red (Red is especially nice for this) about 3-4 cups
Dried cranberries - 1/3 cup
Slivered almonds - 1/4 cup
3 or 4 Scallions, sliced
Raspberry vinaigrette dressing, enough to 'wet' the cabbage ( I like Marzetti's Light Raspberry Cabernet)

Quantities can be varied to your tastes. Mix all ingredients except dressing in a large bowl. Just before serving, stir in the dressing and mix well.

Honey Balsamic Salmon

Cooking spray
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb frozen salmon fillets (4 fillets, 2 ounces each), thawed
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Spray large skillet with cooking spray then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Heat to medium high.
Place salmon in skillet and cook on each side about 3-4 minutes until browned and salmon is cooked through.
Remove salmon and keep warm.
Mix together vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together. Pour into skillet (careful - the vinegar fumes can be powerful). Stir and heat until reduced by half.
Pour 1 tbsp of the honey vinegar sauce over each fillet to when serving.

Serves 4
(original recipe from Weight Watchers - I made some modifications - 6 points per serving)

Bunny Bread

I found this recipe many years ago in Quick Cooking magazine. My whole family loves it!


2 1-lb loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed (or your homemade bread dough for 2 1-lb loaves)
dried cherries or raisins
slivered almonds
1 egg

From 1 loaf, take 1/4 and make a pear shape for the head. Place on a greased cooking sheet. Using a sharp knife, make several diagonal cuts on each side of the head for the whiskers.
With remaining 3/4 loaf, shape a rectangle for the body, place below the head.

Divide the second loaf into 4 equal portions. Take 2 of the portions and make ropes, fold over and place ends next to head for the ears.
Take a third portion and divide into half, making 2 balls, place at the bottom sides of the body for the hind legs. Make 2 slits using a sharp knife on the outer edges.
Take the remaining portion and divide in half. From one half, make 3 small balls (one should be slightly smaller than the other two) and place on face for cheeks and nose.
From the other half, make 2 balls and place near the top of the body for front legs, using a sharp knife make two slits on the outer edges.
Place raisins or cherries for eyes and almonds for teeth.
Brush with beaten egg.


Let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Let cool.


Once cool cut out the tummy to create a bowl for serving dip. (I used a cream cheese container as a pattern for the circle)


I inserted the cream cheese container in the tummy to hold the dip but you can just put the dip into the tummy if you like. I just prefer to not have the soggy bread around the dip.

Place bunny on a serving tray and surround with lettuce and fresh vegetables. Everyone will love it!

I served Fiesta Dip in the tummy- it is a Ranch dressing recipe. Take 2 cups sour cream, stir in one package of Ranch Fiesta dip mix and 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Serve with carrots, celery, radishes and green pepper slices.