Vegetable Salad...

Yesterday, we decided to check out an antique mall not too far from our house. As with any antique store, we find many goodies, some way over priced and some just the right price. I found an antique cigarette box, in the Franciscan Apple pattern for $95.00. I also found a booth of cook books, that were 40% off… not were talking!!

I bought a cook written by Russell Gardner, copyrighted in 1984.  The over 300 recipes are from famous Texan’s; it is going to take me some time to get through this cookbook since many of the recipes we want to try. There are few submitted recipes that are just a hoot; one of my favorites is from Senator Chet Edwards. The Senator writes his favorite recipe is Stouffer's Beef Teriyaki, and if he is having dinner for two he serves by candlelight.

The recipe that I am going to share with you today is from former First Lady Barbara Bush. The original recipe is for a service of 16. I have reduced to a service of 8 and would work well if you had a pot luck to attend. The reason I suggest this for a potluck is the salad has to chill for 12 hours. You make this before you went to work and it would be ready when you needed it.

Main Ingredients:

1 lb freshly chopped spinach

5 hardboiled eggs, sliced

½ lbs of bacon, cooked and crumbled

½ medium head of lettuce, shredded

½ cup shallots, sliced

1 pkg, frozen peas, thawed, uncooked

Directions:

Place in order in layers in a large salad bowl

Mix in a different bowl:

1 ¼ cup of mayonnaise

1 ¼ cup sour cream

Salt, pepper, lemon juice and worcherstshire sauce to taste

Blend and pour over the top of the peas.

Top with ¼ cup grated Swiss cheese  and chill for 12 hours. DO NO TOSS.

Vidalia Onion Casserole…

My brother-in-law loves onions; he has sliced onions with every almost every meal. When we were house hunting and living with them, I was in charge of the cooking.  I wanted to find a way to cook the onions, to entice the kids to eat them too. I found this recipe from Sandra Lee, of Semi-homemade. The casserole wasn’t a big hit with the kids, the adults loved it.

The onions were sweet, cheesy and the Ritz crackers are the ingredient to pull it all together. If you can’t find Vidalia onions, try a similar sweet or yellow onion.

Ingredients:

6 Vidalia onions (peeled and sliced very thinly)

½  cup butter

30 Ritz Crackers (one sleeve, coarsely crushed)

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F

Over medium heat, melt butter in a saucepan

Sauté onions until they start to turn golden brown

Butter or spray a 2 qt baking dish, then layer half the onions, Ritz crackers and cheese

Repeat layering topping with cheese.

Bake uncovered for approximately 25 minutes, or the cheese on top is slightly brown.

1.      Set

2.      7

Repeat