Freaking delicious....

Ok, every Thursday night up at the lake we have a lobster dinner on the beach. Lobster, steamers and delicious garlic bread are provided and everyone brings a side dish and a dessert. Seriously good stuff passes through there each week. My Aunt Patty always makes her yummy fo*replay pie (because it's really "Better than se*x" pie). (I'm not sure if this is the recipe, but it's like this one...)

Crust
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup butter
Filling
1 cup Cool whip divided
1 (8 oz package) cream cheese
1 (3 oz package) cream cheese
3 packages instant vanilla pudding
4 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup confectioners sugar (optional)

Method CrustMix flour, sugar and butter and beat until smooth and creamy. Place in a 9 by 13 inch pi pan. Bake at 350°F until brown, about 10 minutes. Cool thoroughly.FillingSpread 1/2 cup cool whip into the cooled crust. Soften the cream cheeses and mix with pudding and milk. Mix well. Spread this mixture on top of cool whip. Top with more cool whip and chopped nuts. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

This last week someone brought a terrific salad that everyone raved about. My mom and I tried to replicate it using her recipe but we were sorely lacking. I've done some research online and I think I have come up with a version that works great for me. This dish looks like you spent all day chopping veggies but it's super easy and SOOOO good. It's colorful and yummy. I think it would be a 4 season dish too. I'm making it this weekend and I'll post any tweaks then.

Oriental Broccoli Salad

Dressing (if this didn't make as much dressing as you'd like, you can double it, but I found doubling it made the bottom of the salad soupy)
1/2 cup oil (olive or a veggie oil, with a splash of sesame if you have it)
1/4 cup rice (or distilled white) vinegar
1/3 cup white sugar
1 packet from Oriental (or chicken) flavored ramen noodles

Salad:
2 (3 ounce) packages ramen noodles, crumbled (seasoning packet used in dressing)
2 package of Broccoli slaw (variety with shredded carrots and red cabbage)
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 small bell pepper, diced (red or yellow would provide a great look)
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 - 1 cup Craisins (or raisins if you prefer)
EDITED TO ADD - a can of drained mandarin oranges would be super yummy!!

Mix salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl. Mix dressing ingredients together in a smaller bowl. Let dressing sit and then put on salad when ready to serve.

Then... Dan and I went to dinner at the Inn where we were married. It was delicious. We had a great time with my cousin and her fiancee'. I had a delicious beet salad that I had to have again when I went up for drinks and apps with my friend J. This is the best re-creation I could find.

Beet Salad

Gorgonzola Dressing (or if you can find a good bottled gorgonzola dressing)
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola


Combine all ingredients. Mix well.

1 small Red Onion, cut into thin sliced circles
3 tablespoons coursely chopped walnuts

Beets:
Rub beets with olive oil, salt and pepper and place in foil covered roasting pan. Roast in 350 degree pre-heated oven until you can easily pierce the beet with a paring knife (approximately 45 minutes for a baseball size beet). Cool and slice with a knife or mandolin. (Or you can use canned sliced beets or a light pickled sliced beet)

It was beautifully presented on a large salad plate. There was a beet slice in the center of the plate, with 5 beet slices surrounding it (think like a 5 petal flower with a center). Each beet was then topped with one of the onion circles. The gorgonzola dressing was mostly drizzled in the center and then sprinkled with the walnuts.

It was yum yum yum