Buffalo Chicken Salad

I made this for myself for lunch yesterday. It was quite delicious and you can increase all amounts for a larger salad.

1 1/2 - 2 cups mixed salad greens

1 crispy chicken strip (I got mine from a deli)

1 Tbs hot wing sauce (more or less to taste)

grape tomatoes

cucumber slices

grated cheddar

Bleu cheese dressing

Slice chicken strip into small, bite-size pieces. Place in a small resealable container, pour in hot sauce. Cover and shake until chicken is evenly coated. Place chicken over a bed of salad greens. Garnish with tomatoes, cucumber and cheddar. Serve with bleu cheese dressing.

Sweet Potato Fries

While I was at my sister-in-law's a couple of weeks ago she made some sweet potato fries on the grill. They were so delicious that I have been craving them since. I didn't get her recipe so I just made up my own and baked them in the oven. They were so good that I made them two nights in a row!

2 large sweet potatoes
olive oil
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper

I put a baking sheet in the oven and preheated the oven to 425 degrees. I peeled the potatoes and rinsed them, then patted them dry with paper towels. Then I sliced them into 1/4-inch sticks. I put all the sticks in a bowl and drizzled them with olive oil and tossed to coat. Once the oven was preheated, I pulled out the baking sheet and dumped the potato sticks onto the sheet and seasoned them with salt and pepper. (I wanted to put a little cayenne on them but I was out.) I baked them for 20-25 minutes, until they were starting to blister and crisp, turning once or twice during the cooking time.

Mmmmm. I think I like these better than french fries and I'm going to guess they're healthier, too. I think my SIL added some fresh basil to hers and that was really delicious also.

Taco Dip

Tonight we had tacos. I always cook a full pound of hamburger for the tacos, though my family barely eats 1/2 of it. Rather than putting it back in the refrigerator (letting it sit there at the back until it molds and I have to throw it away) I've begun to use it in this yummy taco dip.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1 can refried beans
1/2 lb leftover seasoned taco meat
1/2 - 1 cup salsa
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread cream cheese into the bottom of an 8x8 baking dish. Spread refried beans over the top of the cream cheese. Mix taco meat and salsa to taste, then spread over the beans. Top with grated cheese. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until heated through and sides are bubbly. Serve with your favorite corn chips.

It's perfect for a game night!

Oatmeal S'More Cookies

This recipe came from a Taste of Home magazine from a few years ago. This is a great oatmeal cookie alternative for those weirdos who don't enjoy raisins.

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c shortening
1 c pack brown sugar
1/2 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 c oats
1 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c mini marshmallows*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, shortening and sugars in a large mixing bowl. Ad eggs one at a time, mixing well after each egg. Beat in vanilla. Gradually add flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in oats, chocolate chips and marshmallows. Drop by heaping teaspoon onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 11-13 minutes. Let cool 1-2minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool. (If cookies come out flat, chill dough for 30 minutes before baking.)

*I don't know if it's my altitude, but I've found that the marshmallows bake better if they've been allowed to dry out a few hours before adding them to the cookie dough.