Deviled Eggs & Fluffy Fruit Salad

It's so funny how food brings back memories for me.  For example, these two dishes remind me of dear friends (you know, friends that you had before kiddos, which now seems like a lifetime ago!!) and every time I make them it reminds me of those friends, those events, or those people that I shared that food with.  Isn't it wonderful how food does that?!?  I felt that I needed to share that little extra tidbit with these easy peasy recipes that are great - not only for Easter, but to bring to any event or get together.

These deviled eggs remind me of my dad - who can eat a dozen deviled eggs in one sitting :) - but also of an Easter we spent with several friends, who were all far away from family, and I brought these as a taste of home - such a fun memory!

For the deviled eggs, you'll need:

• 6 hard cooked eggs
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 tsp vinegar
• paprika

I made 2 and a half times the amount of eggs, so I adjusted the above recipe accordingly.  I needed a lot of eggs, my dad & husband & I eat WAY too many of these eggs!! :)

Halve hard cooked eggs lengthwise and remove yolks.  Collect yolks in a bowl & mash with a fork.  Add mayo, mustard, and vinegar, mix well.  Stuff egg whites with mixture.  Sprinkle paprika for a bit of color :)  

Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.  Then, if you're like me, eat way too many!!  Enjoy!!

• This next recipe I found several years ago when I was looking for a recipe for fruit salad that didn't have mayo as an ingredient - to take to a friend's house who didn't like mayo.  I found this fruit salad & now every time I make it, it always reminds me of them!  I've also been told that this fruit salad reminds people of the old school pink fruit salad that old ladies used to bring to church events (but in a good, comforting way - haha!).

For the fruit salad, you'll need:

• 12 oz Cool Whip
• 21 oz cherry pie filling
• 8 oz crushed pineapple
• 11 oz mandarin oranges (drained)
• 1/2 bag miniature marshmallows

Mix together, chill for at least an hour, and serve.  Easy, easy, easy!!  And yummy, yummy, yummy!!

Feel free to share any recipes that bring back a memory or two in the comments!

Dump Cake

I love this recipe.  So easy, so yummy, and I can't mess it up.  Seriously - a crowd pleaser!  This recipe always makes me think of the midwest.  I don't know if it originated there, but that's what I think of when I make it.  My friend tried it with blueberry pie filling and it worked as well!  I've never tried it with anything besides cherry - I just don't like change!  But I love this recipe.  My husband loves it, too, and he likes it with Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla.  I like it warm out of the oven, but I especially like it cold out of the refrigerator the next day (like for breakfast - shhhhh, don't tell anyone that) - try it and you'll become a believer!

All you need for this cake is:

• yellow cake mix (any kind)
• cherry pie filling
• crushed pineapple
• two sticks melted butter

Dump pineapple into 11x17 glass baking pan

Spread cherry pie filling evenly over pineapple - don't you love the colors?

Dump cake mix over top and spread around evenly

Melt butter in microwave and pour evenly over top of cake.  Seriously, that's it!  Now into the oven!

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, or until cake is golden brown on top.

I wish you could smell it through the screen.  So good!!

Yes, it is amazing.  Yes, you must try it!

Enjoy!

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Whatcha Got Pasta Salad

Some of you may find this dish strange or weird, but I promise you, it was yummy!!  And the best part of it was it totally came together by accident!  The name of it is exactly what happened - I just used stuff I had around to make this pasta salad at lunch.  So easy, it came together so simply, and it was SO good!  My son said, "Daddy wouldn't like this, but we like it, right?"  Right you are, son, Daddy wouldn't touch this salad with a ten foot pole, but it sure was good for our lunch today!  So good my son asked for seconds again - the true test of whether or not it's good.  Now trust me on this one, I used:

• Wacky Mac (use however much you want and cook to package directions.  Wacky Mac is great bc it's noodles made of veggies, so my child is eating veggies without knowing it - score)
• Leftover Cucumber Salad (you remember that from last night??  Yes, that salad!)
• Cherries (yes, you read that right)
• shredded cheddar
• Olive oil
• Garlic Powder (bc this blog should be renamed "Garlic Powder Cooking")
• Sea Salt

I cooked the Wacky Mac to package directions, about 14 minutes.  Drain, then rinse well with COLD water in colander

I used a handful of cherries and just chopped them up.  I usually put raisins in my pasta salad and since I didn't have any raisins, these were perfect.  I never would've tried it otherwise, but it really worked so I was glad about that.

Yep, here's the leftover cucumber salad from yesterday.  I dumped the noodles in the colander, rinsed them, then dumped the cucumber salad right on top so all the stuff would drain.  But you don't really have to drain it bc all those juices would probably just add good flavor to your salad.

Then I put it in my bowl, added the cherries, and since this is our house, a handful of cheese (which btw, the reason we have so much cheese lately is bc Albertson's was having a really good sale this week.  On cheese :).  Then I tossed it in olive oil (just enough to coat), sprinkled with garlic powder and sea salt, and chilled it for a few more minutes while I got everything ready for lunch.

Isn't it pretty??  Do y'all think I'm crazy?!?  It was SO good!  

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