Strawberry-Spinach Salad

This a great salad for Spring!  I LOVE this salad and it is also a big hit with the kids.  It is also great for EASTER!!! I got this recipe out of my old ward's cookbook from a Sister in our ward named Cara Sullivan.  This is how you make it.

What you Need:

(10 oz) fresh spinach, washed and remove stems
1 lb. strawberries, hulled and sliced

Dressing:
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbs. Lemon Juice
6 Tbs. Vegetable Oil

Topping:
1/4 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Sliced Almonds

To make the dressing, place sugar and lemon juice in a lidded jar and shake until the sugar is dissolved.  Add oil and shake well.  Refrigerate until needed.  For the topping, in a heavy frying pan, heat the sugar and almonds, stirring constantly until the sugar caramelizes.  Once it is a dark golden, IMMEDIATELY remove from heat and spread coated nuts on aluminum foil to cool.  While the nuts are cooling, Toss spinach and strawberries and dressing in a large bowl.  Then after the almonds are all cooled, crumble it on top of salad. Serve and Enjoy! It's DELICIOUS!!!!

Uncle Jerry's Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes:
1 box white cake mix
1 cup water
1 pkg (3.5 oz) instant lemon pudding
4 egg whites
2 tablespoons oil

Directions for Cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 345 degrees. Mix ingredients together and beat at medium speed for two minutes. Pour into muffin tins (Gr. Jean recommends only filling about 21 muffin cups instead of the full 24 so that the cupcakes are larger, rise higher out of the pan, and thus are easier to frost). Bake 16-17 minutes. Frost when cool.

Ingredients for Frosting:
8 oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 1 lemon)
zest from lemon

Directions for Frosting:
Beat together cream cheese and butter. Add lemon juice and zest, and gradually beat in powdered sugar.

Notes:
For the frosting, remember to zest the lemon before you juice it. Also, the frosting makes a TON. You could either find some use the extra, halve the frosting recipe, or double the cupcakes.

Source:
Grandma Jean

Easy Homemade Breadsticks

I actually found this recipe here at this website. And I love it.  Here it is again. It's great for when you're having Pizza.

1 1/2 cups of warm water

1 Tbs. active dry yeast

2 Tbs. Sugar

1 tsp. Salt

4 cups Flour

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter

Garlic Powder

Parmesan Cheese

Directions: In a bowl, mix together warm water, yeast and sugar.  Let it sit for 10 minutes while the yeast activates and becomes frothy.  Then add salt.  When adding flour, add two cups, mix and then add the other two cups.  The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and not become sticky.  Knead for about 10 minutes. Then spray the inside of a plastic bowl with cooking spray and put the dough ball in it and cover.  Let it rise for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375F.  In a microwave safe bowl, microwave your cube of butter till all melted.  Once your dough ball has risen, take it out and the roll the dough out to just barely smaller than the pan you will use to bake your breadsticks (about an 11x13 or 2 cookie sheets if what i've done :P). On your pan, pour about half of your melted butter till it coats the pan.  Lay your rolled out dough in the pan, and using a pizza cutter, cut your dough into strips for breadsticks.  Then taking a basting brush, or just pouring over, coat the top of your breadsticks with the melted butter. Sprinkle with Garlic Powder and Parmesan Cheese.  Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 to 18 minutes.   Then pull out, let cool a little bit and ENJOY!

Chocolate Eclair Cake

I got this recipe from a Relief Society activity a while back and I love it!  Definitely a staple for a birthday :)

1lb. Graham Crakers

3 cups of Milk

8 oz. Cool Whip

1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

2 pkg. (3oz) Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 tub chocolate frosting

Directions: In a 9x13 inch pan, place a layer of graham crackers.  Mix together milk and pudding mix.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Pour half of pudding mixture over crackers.  Repeat layers, ending with graham crackers.  Melt frosting in the microwave until soft. Spread over graham crackers.  Sprinkle with nuts if desired.  Refrigerate 12 hours before serving.