Snickers Salad

This may not actually qualify as a salad, but it is a yummy treat and it has apples, so its a salad.

2 boxes instant pudding, We use pistachio for St Patricks day, but French vanilla is also a favorite
2-3 cups of milk depending on how thick you like the sauce
8 oz cool whip
4-6 diced apples I like to mix granny smith and a red variety
12-15 snack size ( not bite size) snickers, or about 4 large ones. I like the snack size because they are easier to chop up.
sliced bananas (optional)

Chop the snickers bars. With the bite size, I usually slice down the middle then across in about 5 pieces. Mix pudding and milk for about 2 minutes. Gently fold in cool whip. Dice apples. I love the apple slicers, so you can easily core and cut the apples into slices and then simply dice them. Stir into the pudiing mixture. Add snickers and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Stir in sliced bananas just before serving, if desired.

Shredded chicken

I love to use shredded chicken in things, as opposed to chopped cubed chicken. So once or twice a month I make shredded chicken and freeze it, because by the time I remember to make it, it's usually too late!

So here is my shredded chicken method:

4-8 chicken breasts (whatever fits in the crock pot) I usually buy my chicken
breasts when the local grocery store runs 40 lb for $55 or something, so I do this the first day I get them and freeze the rest of the chicken breasts to use later, so USUALLY the chicken breasts are frozen, but this works either way
1-2 Tbsp chicken base
1/4 c dehydrated onion
few dashes of garlic salt- maybe 1/2 tsp or to taste
few dashes of poultry seasoning- again 1/2 tsp or to taste
1/4 c water
Place all ingredients in a crock pot. If frozen begin on High for at least 4 hours. I usually do 6 hours on high, then 2-4 hours on low. The house smells amazing all day. After the first 6 hours or so, I use a couple of forks to shred what I can so that it all simmers for the next 2-4 hours in the broth. Cool completely and portion it into Ziploc bags or , if you are lucky and have a sealer, it works great! Freeze for later use.

Some of my favorite ways to use this are for salads, especially Won ton Salad, Chicken and cream cheese rolls, stir fry, soups, BBQ chicken, and salsa chicken. The later two I can either do at the last minute, or when I actually plan ahead. I basically for the BBQ or Salsa chicken I just add the chicken then either our favorite BBQ sauce (We LOVE Winger's BBQ sauce which has become available in our local grocery store) or for salsa chicken I just add a can of salsa. With either, if I am using frozen chicken, I add 1/4-1/2 c water.

Danna's Chicken Wonton Salad

Here is one of my FAVORITE salad recipes from my great friend, Danna.

Salad:
2-4 C chicken breast baked and cubed, or shredded (see above post)
1 head iceberg lettuce cut up
1 head romaine lettuce chopped up
4-6 green onions chopped
2 cans sliced water chestnuts, drained
sliced almonds
sesame seeds
1 package egg roll wrappers

Dressing:
1 c vegetable oil
3/4 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp seasoned salt
2 tsp pepper

Bake egg roll wrappers by brushing a jelly roll pan (I like to use my stoneware baking sheet) with olive oil. place wrappers on the pan and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake at 400 4-8 minutes until golden brown. Be careful, the second batch on a hot cookie sheet bakes much faster than the first. Or you can fry them in oil, but this way your whole house doesn't smell for days! When cool, crumble egg roll wrappers.
Make salad by tossing together all salad ingredients.
Shake dressing ingredients together vigorously- this can be done ahead of time to let ingredients blend, if desired. Shake vigorously again and pour over salad and toss JUST before serving!

Cafe Rio Pork

Café Rio Style Pork Barbacoa
Thanks to my friend Cyndi for this recipe. It's definitely a family favorite!

Put a 2-3 lb pork roast or tenderloin in a in a crock pot and cook until very tender (about 8-10 hours on low) Drain off the juice.

Shred pork with a fork and add:
1 can enchilada sauce (about 15 oz)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 small can diced green chilies
1 can Coca-Cola (NOT DIET)
1 cup+ brown sugar
salt to taste ( not usually very much)

Cook for at least one more hour, but I prefer to let it simmer another 3-4. If it is still too juicy, I'll put it on the stove and reduce it a bit more, or drain off some sauce before serving.

I like to cook the pork overnight on Saturdays (Except that the the fabulous smell sometimes wakes me up lol !), then add the sauce before church so it simmers for a while before we get home. I love to serve this on the Costco tortillas that you cook yourself, with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and guacamole; or as a salad.
MMmmmmm.

This recipe can be doubled