Creamy Fruit Salad

I'm almost embarrassed to post this. Almost but not quite. It's SOOOO easy but SOOOO good! I made this for christmas dinner and got rave reviews all around. I used canned fruit..and a few blackberries I found in my freezer... because that's what I had...and I'm not a big canned fruit girl....so I can only imagine what this would be like using all fresh fruit. And you can use any kind of fruit...get creative! Just think what lots fresh berries would taste like in this! But...I'm a BIG fan of berries and anything resembling cream so that would work just fine for me! Kids will love this! It doesn't make a ton so it's nice for a small family dinner but it can be easily doubled!! Give it a try! 

Creamy Fruit Salad 

 

• 3 pounds mixed fruits, cut into chunks


• 1 package (3 ounces) vanilla or French vanilla pudding, not instant


• 1 1/3 cups pineapple juice


• 1 1/3 cups orange juice

Preparation: 
Put chilled fruit into a large serving bowl and set aside. In a saucepan, combine pudding mix and juices. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Pour the sauce over the fruit and mix well. Refrigerate until chilled. 

(I didn't post a ton of pictures with this recipe because it's SO easy...and you guys are SMART!) 

 
Here's all you need...

 
Make the pudding with the juice...no milk!! 
Pour the cooked pudding mixture over the fruit and stir.

 
Serve!

White Cheddar Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I can eat it all by itself or with a meal. I was always under the impression that IT Guy didn't like it. So...consequently, I haven't made it very often during our marriage. But I decided to make it the other day along with some baked chicken. I figured he try it out of obligation...you know, be a good sport. So when I told him what we were having, I told him "I know you don't care for macaroni and cheese, but I wanted to try this. Don't eat it if you don't want to."  He looked at me a little puzzled and said, "I like macc and cheese. Where'd you get the idea I didn't?" Sheesh...you think you know a person.

White Cheddar Mac & Cheese



3 cups elbow macaroni - cooked and drained
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cups of shredded white cheddar cheese 
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/3 cup plain bread crumbs



Preheat oven to 375 and butter a 9x9 glass dish.

Boil the elbow pasta and drain.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour, chili powder, salt and pepper and mix well, getting out all the lumps and stir for 3 minutes.

SLOWLY add 1 cup of milk and stir until smooth and lump free. Add the remaining 1/2 cup milk and mix well. Add in the Dijon mustard.

Stir constantly for about 5 minutes, until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, add 1 cup of the cheese, mix well.

Add the sour cream, mix well.

Stir the cooked pasta into the sauce and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared dish, cover with remaining cheese. Combine 2 tablespoons of melted butter with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over mixture.

Cook for 30 minutes until its golden brown and bubbly. 

Let it sit 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe can easily be doubled.

 
This is what you need.

 
Melt the butter. Add the flour, 
chili powder, salt and pepper.

 
Mix well and stir and cook for about 3 minutes.

 
Then add the milk.

 
Stir in the cheese...

 
..and sour cream. Mix well until smooth.

 
Dump in your pasta and mix well.

 
Combine the breadcrumbs and butter.

 
Pour the sauce/pasta into your 
prepared dish and sprinkle with 
remaining cheese and the bread crumb mixture.

 
Yummy, yes???? Oh, yes!

Honey Lime Shrimp Fettucini

Here's something a little sweet, a little spicy with a hint of citrus! All these flavors combined make for a very refreshing meal! If you want, you could put the shrimp on skewers and throw them on your grill but I loved the fact that the pasta took on the taste of the marinade once it was combined with the shrimp! Yummy, yummy!

Honey Lime Shrimp Fettucini



1 pound shrimp ~ shelled, deveined and tails off
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 - 2 cloves garlic ~ minced
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces fettucini ~ cooked and drained

Combine all ingredients in a plastic zip top bag.

Add shrimp and marinate for an hour.

In a hot skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter. 

Remove shrimp from marinade and cook in butter until shrimp are almost done. 

Throw leftover marinade away.

Add cooked pasta and toss to combine.


 
The goods.

 
I like to place my plastic bag inside 
a glass, then add the marinade ingredients.

 
After all the marinade is in the bag, 
add the shrimp and allow to chill for about an hour.

 
Melt a little butter in a hot skillet.

 
Cook the shrimp.

 
Then add the cooked pasta and toss.

 
Sweet, citrus-y, spicy and delicious!