Pea Salad

This is such a simple salad and yet it taste to wonderful. It rounds out an meal nicely. It's my moms broccoli salad recipe adapted for my non broccoli eating husband. The sweet peas and crunchy romaine were great together. This recipe doubled easily or can be cut in half just as easily. 

This salad can be made in advance. Just throw everything together except for the romaine, it' will get soggy and  limp in the dressing. Slice and store separately, just stir in right before serving.

12 oz. frozen peas, thawed

1 heart of romaine, very thinly sliced

1/4 c. real bacon bits

1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 red onion, chopped

2 carrots, grated

3/4 c. mayo

2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp. sugar

Dash black pepper

Salt to taste

Whisk together the mayo, vinegar, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. 

Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill for 30 minutes.

Homemade Oreo Cookies (Gluten Free)

3/4 c. Arrowhead mills gluten free All-purpose baking mix

1/2 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 c. sugar

10 Tbsp. butter

1 egg

Mix all the dry stuff, beat in the butter cold and then the egg. 

Use about a tsp of dough per cookie, don't be tempted to make them any bigger, they spread quite a bit. Roll the dough into balls and flatten slightly. Place on an ungreased, tin foil lined, baking pan about 2-inched apart. 

Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Remove from the oven, take the tin foil off the cookies pan and let cool. 

Once the cookies are completely cool pipe frosting into the middle and top with another cookie.

A regular buttercream frosting is nice. Other flavors that are good are mint, or the ones in the picture are pumpkin spice. 

Pumpkin spice buttercream

1 stick butter

1 (3.4 oz) Pumpkin Spice Instant pudding mix

1 Tsp. vanilla extract

Powdered sugar

Beat the butter until fluffy. Beat in the pudding mix, and vanilla. 

Beat in powdered sugar, half a cup at a time until stiff. 

Caramel Cream

 I want to say, I'm not usually a fan of cool whip. I actually hate the stuff on it's own. But in this recipe I wanted the stability it has, it doesn't run or wilt like real whipped cream does but it still provides the fluffyness and the caramel covers the funny taste. If you are going to use it right away real whipped cream will probably work. If you are making it the day before, I recommend the cool whip.

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white sugar

1/2 c.corn syrup

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/2 c. butter

12 oz. cool whip

Combine the brown sugar, white, sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream, and butter in a  pan. Boil over medium heat, without stirring, until soft ball stage (235*F)

Remove from heat and let cool until cool enough to touch. Add to a mixer and beat until cool. Add the cool whip, about a cup at a time, until all mixed in. Keep beating until the cream loses some of it's gloss. 

Use the cream as frosting to fill cupcakes, crepes, or cream canoes. Or I used it in little desserts cups, I was trying to mimic Olive gardens dolcinis. 

For my dolcinis I put some crushed chocolate cookies on the bottom, a layer of chocolate silk in the middle, and then I piped the caramel cream on top and garnished with chocolate curls.