I made the chicken and spinach salad for some friends the other night. I made the chicken mixture that morning and put it in the fridge and I also candied the walnuts that morning. So when I came home from church I put the crackers on top of the chicken and baked it.and put the salad together. It was a really fast and easy meal.

Spinach Cranberry Salad

Fresh baby spinach
Dried cranberries
Chopped walnuts (I candied them)
Finely shredded Romano cheese

Dressing:
Raspberry Walnut vinaigrette
Bernstein's Italian dressing
I mix equal amounts of both dressings together and mix in blender.

Combine all ingredients and serve with with dressing. You can put the dressing on salad before you serve it or you can leave it on the side.

Candied Walnuts

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves
1/8 teaspoon coarse salt

Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. Use middle rack in oven. Lay walnuts out on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake for 5 minutes. Test for doneness. If not quite toasted enough, toast for 1 or 2 more minutes. Be careful not to burn. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack.

2 Pour sugar into a medium saucepan with a thick bottom. Have walnuts nearby, ready to quickly add to the pan at the right time. Cook sugar on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon as soon as the sugar begins to melt. Keep stirring until all the sugar has melted and the color is a medium amber. As soon as sugar is melted and the color is a medium amber, add the walnuts to the pan, quickly stirring and coating each piece with the sugar mixture.

3 As soon as the walnuts are coated with the sugar mixture, spread them out on a rimmed baking sheet, lined either with a Silpat non-stick mat, or with wax paper or parchment paper. Use two forks to separate the walnuts from each other, working very quickly. Sprinkle the nuts with the salt. Let cool completely.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

Poppy Seed Chicken

Shredded Chicken (about 4 breasts)
Cream of Chicken Soup (1 can)
Sour Cream (14-15oz)
Swiss Cheese Shredded (about 3/4 cup or to taste)
Poppy Seeds (2 Tablespoons)
Butter
Ritz crackers

You cook and shred your chicken. You add enough cream of chicken soup and sour cream to make it the consistency that you would like. Add poppy seeds and place in pan to bake. You take 1/4 cup of melted butter to every sleeve of Ritz crackers. You need to crush the crackers and mix them with the melted butter. Place cracker mixture on top of chicken and bake. It usually takes about 20-30 min to cook.
HINT: I also sometimes add shredded swiss cheese in the chicken mixture.

Rocky Road Fudge

2 cups chocolate chips
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups Miniature Marshmallows
1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped walnuts

Line 13x9 inch baking pan with foil; grease lightly.
Microwave chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk in large, microwave-safe bowl on HIGH power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10-to 20- seconds intervals, stirring until smooth. Stir in vanilla extract. Fold in marshmallows and nuts.
Press mixture into prepared baking pan. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Lift from pan; remove foil. Cut into pieces.

Cottage Cheese Dip

16 ounces (1 pint) cottage cheese
8 ounces (1 cup) sour cream
2 cups mayonnaise
1 package dry ranch-style dressing mix
1/2 teaspoon dry parsley
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
Pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients. Chill. Serve with fresh vegetables or crackers.

Chocolate Souffle

To serve four, use 5 teaspoons flour and double the remaining ingredients. Doubling the flour would make the base too heavy.

Cooking spray
4 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 tablespoon all-purpse flour
1 1/2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg white
1 teaspoon powdered sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Coat 2 (6-ounce) ramekins with cooking spray; sprinkle each with 1/4 teaspoon granulated surgar.
3. Combine 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, flour, cocoa, and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until heat. Cook 2 minutes, stirring until smooth. Spoon chocolate mixture into a medium bowl; cool 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla.
4. Place egg white in medium bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks from (do not overbeat). Gently stir 1/4 of egg white mixture into chocolate mixture; gently fold in remaining egg white mixture. Spoon mixture into prepared dishes. Sharply tap dishes 2 or 3 times to level. Place dishes on a baking sheet; bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until puffy and set. Sprinkle each souffle with 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 souffle).