Cafe Rio Cilantro Ranch Dressing

1 packet TRADITIONAL Hidden Valley Ranch mix (not BUTTERMILK)
1 c. mayonnaise
1 c. buttermilk
2 tomatillos, remove husk, diced
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lime
1 jalepeno

Mix all ingredients together in the blender. That's it!

Cafe Rio Black Beans

2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/3 c. tomato juice
1 1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped cilantro

In a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. Add beans, tomato juice, and salt. Continually stir until heated through. Just before serving stir in the cilantro.

(**NOTE** You can add a can of corn, drained, to the beans with a dash of cumin and chili powder, it's not "traditional Cafe Rio")

Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Rice

1 c. uncooked rice (long-grain, white rice)
1 tsp. butter or margarine
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
1 can (15 oz) chicken broth
1 cup water
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tsp. sugar
3 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 1 tsp. lime, chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl combine lime juice, sugar and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice.

Southwest Pasta Salad

makes a huge bowl that will feed at least 12

1 16 oz. box fusilli pasta

1 can corn

1 can black beans

1/2 small red onion diced

1 small bunch cilantro fresh, chopped

1 small red pepper, diced

2 cups Spicy Ranch dressing

Boil pasta about 12 minutes until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. Let cool about 15 minutes. Put pasta into large mixing bowl and add dressing. Mix until pasta is coated well. Drain cans of corn and black beans and mix into pasta. Add remaining ingredients and give a good stir. This is best served chilled.

Easy Homeade Vanilly Icecream

Ingredients:
4 cups half-and-half or light cream
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND®-Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Directions: In large bowl, combine ingredients; mix well. Pour into ice cream freezer container. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Freeze leftovers.

* We made this icecream last night, it is a good recipe. Gage added melted Nutella into the icecream and then froze it in the freezer. Yum!

Baked Oatmeal with Almonds and Cherries

Serves: 8

Cooking Time: 45 min

• 2 cups old-fashioned Quaker oats
• ¹/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
• ¹/2 cup almonds, sliced
• 1 large apple, unpeeled and grated
• 4 cups milk
• ¹/4 cup brown sugar
• ¹/2 cup dried cherries

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat 3-quart dish or baking pan with cooking spray.
   
2. In mixing bowl, combine Quaker oats, almond flavoring, almonds, apple, milk, brown sugar and cherries. Transfer to baking dish. Sprinkle top with additional almonds.
   
3. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Variation: Omit all almond flavoring and cherries. Add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1/2 cup raisins, and 1/2 cup chopped peanuts.

Easy Crockpot Oatmeal

Serves: 4

• 1 cup Quaker oats
• ¹/3 cup raisins (optional)
• 2 ¹/4 cups water
• Apples (optional)
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Nuts (optional)

1. Spray slow cooker with non-stick spray.
   
2. Combine oats, water and other ingredients if desired.
   
3. Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.

Breakfast Oatmeal

Serves: 6

• 2 cups old-fashioned rolled Quaker oats
• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¹/2 cup dates or raisins, chopped

1. Combine Quaker oats, water, salt and dried fruit in a slow cooker.
2. Cook on low overnight for 8 hours.

Banana Bread Oatmeal

• 3 cups fat-free milk
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
• 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted pecans
• Plain or vanilla nonfat yogurt (optional)
• Banana slices (optional)
• Pecan halves (optional)

In medium saucepan, bring milk, sugar, salt and spices to gentle boil (watch carefully); stir in oats. Return to boil; reduce heat to medium. Cook 1 minute for quick oats, 5 minutes for old fashioned oats or until most of liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Remove oatmeal from heat. Stir in mashed bananas and pecans. Spoon oatmeal into six cereal bowls. Top with yogurt, sliced bananas and pecan halves, if desired.

To toast pecans, spread evenly in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F 5 to 7 minutes or until light golden brown. Or, spread nuts evenly on microwave-safe plate. Microwave on HIGH 1 minute; stir. Continue to microwave on HIGH, checking every 30 seconds, until nuts are fragrant and brown.

*I made this today for breakfast and my kids liked it for the most part. Korbin didn't like the pecans in the oatmeal, but Trinity said it tasted better than the last time I made oatmeal. I will definitely use this recipe again.

Crockpot Oatmeal

--1 cup of oats

--2 cups of milk

--2 tablespoons of brown sugar

--1 tablespoon of vanilla

--pinch of salt

--1 chopped apple

The Directions:

--add oats, chopped apple and milk to stoneware

--put in brown sugar, vanilla and pinch of salt

--mix with a spoon

--cover and cook on high for 1-2 hours or low for 2-3.

--check consistency of oats

--garnish with some cinnamon

Nutella Gelato

From Giada DeLaurentiis

Makes about 4 cups

You’ll need:
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup sugar, plus ¼ cup
4 egg yolks
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (i.e.: Nutella)
½ cup toasted hazelnuts, crushed, for garnish

Directions:
In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and ½ cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour ½ cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the vanilla and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with hazelnuts.

*We made this tonight, yummy! We doubled the recipe but couldn't get it to thicken up to the custard stage maybe because we doubled it. We didn't have the hazelnuts to serve with it but it was really good anyways.

Strawberry-Kiwi-Almond Tart

1 package (7 oz) almond paste

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 egg

1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

1/4 cup apricot preserves

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries (about 1 lb)

2 kiwifruit, peeled, halved lengthwise and sliced

• Heat oven to 375°F. In food processor bowl with metal blade, place almond paste. Cover; process with on-and-off pulses until finely ground. Add butter, flour and egg; process until smooth. Set aside.
• On ungreased cookie sheet, unroll dough into 1 large rectangle. Press into 12x9-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Fold 1/2 inch of dough edges over, forming crust rim.
• Spread almond paste mixture over dough to within rim.
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Immediately spread preserves over tart. Arrange fruit over warm tart. Serve warm or cool.

* I made this tonight for desert with some friends and we quite enjoyed it. I cooked ours in a 9X13 glass baking dish and we served it with fresh whipping cream. It was wonderful.

Strawberry-Mango Salad

Dressing:

1 container (6 oz) Yoplait® Greek Fat Free strawberry yogurt

1/2 cup fresh strawberries

1/4 teaspoon poppy seed

Salad:

6 cups bite-size pieces mixed salad greens

1 1/2cups halved or sliced fresh strawberries

1 cup mango chunks

1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion, separated into rings

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted

DIRECTIONS

• In blender, place dressing ingredients. Cover; blend on high speed about 15 seconds or until smooth.
• On 4 salad plates, arrange salad greens, strawberries, mango and red onion. Pour dressing over salads; sprinkle with pecans.

*I made this tonight and we really liked the flavor of the dressing. I didn't put in the red onion or pecans but I did add dried cranberries. We also didn't put in on the plates I left it all in bowls so everyone could add as much or as little of the fruit as they liked.

Candy Bar Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwiches

2 sticks softened butter

1 Cup granulated sugar

3/4 Cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

3 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

10 oz bag chocolate chips

Variety of snack size Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and Kit Kat

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until well combined. Add eggs and vanilla until well combined.

2. Place flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl; mix then slowly add to wet ingredients. Add chocolate chips to combine. Using a cookie scoop take one scoop of cookie dough and place on top of snack size candy bar. Take another scoop of dough and place on bottom of candy bar. Seal edges together by pressing and cupping in hand until candy bar is enclosed with dough. Place onto a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake cookies 9-13 minutes or until cookies are baked to your liking. Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack. Serve with a tall glass of milk, enjoy!

Makes about 24 LARGE Cookies

*I made this and used the cookies suggested, I love the Snickers but don't care as much for the Peanut Butter Cups or the KitKat. I would love to make them again and try Milky Ways and Twix. These cookies are better eaten fresh the day they are baked.