Hot Hot Hot

My daughters' favorite meal requires no cooking at all and encourages them to try new things and taste combinations.
I put out 3 or 4 different cheeses (at least one that is new), sliced meats (turkey, roast beef, whatever), sliced fruit (apples, persimmons, pears, etc.) tomatoes, avocado, lettuce and/or spinach leaves etc. with breads and crackers. Then we all make our own combinations. My girls have discovered they like camembert cheese with sliced apricots on whole wheat crackers, and that pate and tomato is really good on toast. Extra sharp cheddar with orange marmalade has become a lunch box favorite as has brie and apple sandwiches.
I get a night without cooking (and the extra heat that goes with it) and they are free to create their own meal. Since they can try a small amount on a cracker and make something different for the next bite if they don't like it, they are more adventurous in their combinations. What began as an emergency meal after a day of 100 degree heat, has turned out to be a once a week favorite!

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Hi R., yes it has been very hot. I have some salad suggestions.
The first one is a tuna pasta salad. My son doesn't like tuna, but he eats this. You cook rotelle, or penne pasta...etc (not noodle type) drain, and cool. Then add tuna ( I usually use the big can), mayo, olives, and chedder cheese cut in chunks. It sounds weird but really good. Then salt and pepper to taste. The second one is another pasta salad. Cook and cool cheese tortellini add cherry tomotoes, grated parmesean cheese and any type of oil and viniger dressing. Stir and serve. The final salad we love is....red and green leaf lettuce, manderine oranges, slivered almonds and avacado with poppy seed dressing. You can do so many varieties of this too. You can add grilled chicken and use champagne dressing. I hope this helps a little. Try to stay cool.

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Hi R.....

Too hot for cooking...I love fruit salads or also a chicken-waldorf sald because it has good amounts of chicken, apples and walnuts ( I went onto Weight Watchers.com) to get a little healthier version than others!!! Plus, they have some great, great ideas other than salads!!

Hope this helps!! Good luck... think COOL!!!

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Hi there,
We make a pasta salad that I just do the colored pasta, then drain and cool, put in a little of everything we like (a little cut up red pepper,cucumber,cut up artichoke hearts, olives and I just pour a bottle of Bernsteins cheesy italian dressing and refrigerate. It is great and really refreshing. I'll even eat it for breakfast the next day after making.

I agree, I am dying with it being so hot!!!

K.

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This is an Asian-inspired cold noodle salad... adapted from Ina Garten.

Crunchy Noodle Salad

Kosher salt
1 pound thin spaghetti
1 pound sugar snap peas
1 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
3 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds, divided
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded, and thinly sliced
4 scallions (with and green parts), sliced diagonally
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring another large pot of salted water to a boil, add the sugar snap peas, return to a boil, and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until crisp tender. Lift the sugar snap peas from the water with a slotted spoon and immerse them in a bowl of ice water. Drain.
For the dressing, whisk together the vegetable oil, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
Combine the spaghetti, sugar snap peas, peppers and scallions in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the spaghetti mixture. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds and the parsley and toss together.

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I like to make pasta salad with cheese tortellini. I add red bell pepper, broccoli, cheese cubs, ham, olives, and whatever else sounds good with a little italian dressing. My husband likes to eat it just after I make it so its still a little warm. Try epicurious.com for some fun salads, their recipes are the best!

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I love this salad, I call it California Spring Salad.
Make individual salads.
Lay some spring mix salad on a plate
Next lay long strips of avocado around the plate on top of the salad in a spiral
Sprinkle mandarin oranges over top
Then sprinkle smoked seasoned almonds
Next lay cold grilled chopped chicken in the center
Drizzle with poppy seed dressing i love Brianna's brand
DO NOT TOSS
Serve chilled

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This is the best pasta salad I've ever made.
Family Pasta Salad-serve it cool

1 pkg cavatappi(or cork screws/small shells)
1 pkg mild or med cheddar cut into 1/2 cubes
1 c frozen peas, thawed
1/2 c sliced celery
1/4 c finely chopped onion (I used Vidalias but they've been hard to find so any sweet type onion should be fine)
1 small carrot grated
1 c light mayo
1 c plain fat free yogurt
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Now this part is where you can get creative and some of your favorite spices or herbs. I use a blend called Beau Monde Seasoning from spice Islands. It's fantastic.

Cook pasta, cool with water, drain & added everything but the topping part. For that combine the mayo, yogurt & spices in a large bowl. After blended add the rest & combine. Then chill till your ready to eat!

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Hi R.!! Our favorite sandwiches are the easiest ever!! Make your coleslaw as usual, head to Costco (or anywhere that has Rotisserie Chickens), and buy a chicken and some good rolls. Bone the chicken and toss with your favorite bbq sauce. Slice the roll in half, add some chicken, and top with some coleslaw and you have the yummiest, no-cook sandwich!!

Our fav salad is a knock-off from Elephant Bar and Grill. I actually make one big bowl for dinner and have two rubbermaids and make salads for our lunch as well!!

Throw the following in a big bowl (and rubbermaids):
Slice your fav lettuce or we like cabbage.
the rest of your rotisserie chicken in BBQ sauce
half a can of garbanzo beans (other half in lunches)
half a can of corn (ditto)
shredded sharp or medium cheddar cheese
your fav salsa
and toss with ranch when you are ready to eat.

You can really add whatever you like, such as avocados or black beans:-)

It is really a hearty, filling salad!!

Okay, my last fav...5 ingredients...spinach or mixed greens, berries (your choice), candied pecans, gorgonzola cheese, and your fav Raspberry Vinigrette. Toss all together and enjoy!! I take this to tons of potlucks and people RAVE!!

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Ok here is my version of the Italian Pasta Salad...my 6 year old daughter goes nuts over this.

1 bag tri-colored garden spirals (Rotini)
1 bottle of Italian dressing (We use the Safeway brand or the Kraft Zesty Italian. Whatever is the cheapest of the two)
1 or 2 ripe avocadoes diced
1 package of grape tomatoes.

Boil the pasta, adding a generous amount of salt to the already boiling water and add pasta. Cook al dente. Drain, and if possible do not rinse the pasta, allow to cool on its own. I even stick it in the fridge sometimes to help it cool. Place cooled pasta in a large bowl and add half the bottle of dressing. Then add your avos and tomatoes, and any other veggies that are good raw. Toss and serve. Simple and tasty. In fact making some tonight to have with our bbq steak.

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Buttermilk beet borscht in the Moosewood Cookbook...it is purple and my kids love it b

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MACARONI SALAD
1 cup uncooked salad macaroni
1 cup cooked ham, cubed
1 cup Cheddar cheese, cubed
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup green pepper
2 tablespoons chopped pimento
1/4 chopped green onion
1/4 cup sweet pickle relish
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
PREPARATION:
Cook macaroni as directed on package, drain and cool. Mix with the next 7 ingredients. Blend mayonnaise, mustard and salt. Add to macaroni mixture; toss lightly. Chill and serve.
Serves 4

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Dear R.,

Try this recipe. If you like it, I have more you may like to try, too.
____@____.com aka "M." (my daughter's nick name for me.. she added my name to the list.

Gaspacho
For a HOT Summer day

Strong chicken broth, defatted and chilled. (Or canned broth)

Several fresh, summer Tomatoes squeeze out juice and seeds into blender, cube tomoto & set aside ; blenderize juice and seeds add to broth.

Slice, break or snip into small pieces similar in size
Tomato flesh cut into 1/4 inch cube
Cauliflower
Cucumber
Green onion
Red onion
Celery
Jicama
Parsley and garlic

Add prepared veggies to tomato/broth. Chill for several hours. Serve with crunchy bread, or pita

For extra special day, add shrimp

Remove shells from fresh shrimp. Put couple of cups of water in sauce pan, add the shrimp shells and 1/2 tsp salt, some lemon juice, 1 tsp Crab Boil™ seasoning , few pepper corns and a bay leaf. Simmer for 30 minutes, covered. Add more water if needed to keep about 2 cups. Cool completely, add raw shrimp and marinate in refrigerator for couple of hours or overnight.

Strain shells and shrimp. Discard shells. Bring seasoned broth to boil, add shrimp and simmer JUST until shrimp turn nice and pink. Remove them immediately and place on a bowl of ice. When chilled add to the gaspacho.

You can adjust this cold soup to a more Mexican style by using cilantro instead of, or in addition to the parsley. Add 1/4 tsp cumin and 1/4 tsp chili powder. Cube a ripe avocado and add. When ready to serve add 1/2 inch chunks of room temperature, white Mexican cheese. Serve with heated, fresh corn tortillas.

Variation

Prepare the broth as above. Chill. Prepare veggies. Pour broth into bowls. Let family add veggies, shrimp as desired

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SALSA JALISCO:

Ingredients:

TOMATOES
TOMATILLOS
ONIONS
SERRANO CHILES
CILANTRO
LIME JUICE
ORANGE JUICE
PEPSI (OPTIONAL)
SALT
TOSTADAS
SOUR CREAM
PARMESAN CHEESE

Chopped up fine:
tomatoes, onions, cilantro,1 or 2 serrano chiles (small green peppers) and tomatillo (small green tomatoes that have a paper like shell...)YOU CAN FIND ALL INGREDIENTS @ SAVEMART or local store...
add orange juice, lime juice and (only optional a bit of regular pepsi)& salt...
Mix it all and let it sit in refregirator for a while!!!
and serve on tostadas: Put a little sour cream on the tostada first then the Salsa and sprinkle some parmesan on top... READY & ENJOY!!!

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After I've brought this to a summer potluck, I'm asked for it every time. I use all rice instead of barley and don't bother with the lettuce leaves. My daughter's picky, she wouldn't eat (anything). Hopefully yours are easier!

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kerrys-Beany-Salad/Detail.aspx

Here's a greek pasta salad:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Greek-Pasta-Salad-I/Detail.aspx

I love that site. You can do ingredient searches, keyword or regional. It's a lot of fun.

Take Care, C.

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2lbs Wacky macs (colored twisted noodles)
Italian dressing (1/2 bottle)
1 can Olives (chopped)
1 grated carrot
1 tomatoe
1 chopped green onion

mix all up and refrigerate for a few minutes and serve.

you can add avacado or imatation crab or shrimp.

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Barbecue chicken or fish early in the day and let it chill in the refrigerator for dinner. Slice tomatoes, avocado, cucumber, and carrot, sprinkle with basil,salt, and pepper, and a very light drizzle of olive oil. Make a rice pudding with a small fraction of the called-for sugar. This egg custard and rice combination is usually a favorite with children.

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Here's a good pasta salad recipe:
Ingredients: 1 lb. elbow macaroni. cooked and rinse in cold water til cold, 1 sm. jar sundried tomatoes packed in oil, cut up in smallest pieces, 3 minced garlic cloves (not garlic powder), 1/2 bunch of basil cleaned and chopped, 3 tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Directions: Combine everything in a big bowl, put your hands in it and mix it well. Serve immediately for best flavor. Can be refrigerated and served later - reseason if necessary.

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I love cucumber salad, and it's super easy. Slice your peeled cuccumber very thin and marinate it in seasoned rice vinegar, or just add some sugar to regular rice vinegar until it tastes good to you. Marinate it in the frige for about half an hour and it's done! I like to serve this with sushi, which you can make yourself or just pick up and bring home. Take care and stay cool.

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Cheeseburger salad! (a yummy variation of a taco salad)

A recipe I recently tried, and liked it enough to try it on my husband & son, they liked it too! It came from Pampered Chef...

Yum! My 5 year old son asked if I would make this everyday. I said no, because he'd get tired of it. He came up with the brilliant plan of having it every other day so he wouldn't tire of it. :-)

When I made it, I omitted the onions and the bun croutons.

Ingredients:
8 cups chopped lettuce -- in bowl

3/4 cup ground beef, browned

Sauce/dressing:
3/4 c ketchup
1 Tbsp mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1/2 a small red onion (the other half is to be sliced into rings for the topping)

2 plum tomatoes, diced (I used whole cherry tomatoes since my son doesnt like tomatoes "yet")
1 cup grated cheddar cheese (I used a little less than this)
red onion rings
4 sesame seed hamburger bun tops

Directions:
Slice bun tops into 1/4 in strips and toast/bake for 8-10 mins, to use as croutons, arranged around edge of serving platter. (I didn't do this)

brown ground beef. mix up sauce/dressing ingredients then mix with the ground beef.

spoon beef/sauce mixture on top of lettuce in large bowl or on serving platter, top with tomatoes, onions, cheese...

Serve immediately and ENJOY!

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It's not cool but it's super fast so you don't have to stand over the stove long nor do you have to heat the house by turning on the oven.

Spinach & Tomato Pasta
(Super Fast & easy!) 15 min. max

Spiral Pasta (wheat, if you can find it)
Bag of Fresh Spinach
Cherry Tomatoes (cut into halves)
Minced Garlic (2 cloves)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (approx. 2 tbsp)
Salt & Pepper

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in skillet
Add minced garlic. Sautee approx. 1 min.
Add spinach. Once spinach has wilted by half, add tomatoes(as little or as much as you like)
Cook until spinach is completely wilted & tomatoes are heated through.
Drain cooked pasta and add to skillet. Toss & serve warm.

For additional flavor add 1 tsp of pepper flakes to heated oil and serve with shredded parmesan cheese.

ENJOY!

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Hi R.,
Try going to foodnetwork.com - they have lots of great recipes Also, kraft.com has recipes and a free newsletter that you can sign up for with more recipes.

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We like to have BLATs(Bacon, lettuce, avocado, & tomato) sandwiches and on hot days.

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Hi Rhanda, I have some middle eastern cucamber salad, with yougert .garlic,olive oil ,it is refreshing,healthy and filling,and easy to make,just chop the cu into small peice maybe one english cu dash of salt one cup plain yougert mix it together add some olive oil andsome dry mint about one tsp of it should be good I hope that you will like it .if you need more recipe I will give you more enjoy G.

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Go to www.twosistersgourmet.com/web/tbarbieri and hit the Recipe box. There are tons of recipes that can spice up your summer meals. You can order products online and have them sent directly to you. The great thing is, these products have no preservatives and they are delicious. I can also recommend some recipes. my home email is ____@____.com

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Hi R.,

Can I have your e-mail address and I will forward some summer recipes to you. I have some on the computer but others I will have to type out. Please let me know if you like spicy or mild recipes too. Here is a great one that has been a big hit at most BBQ's. Jalapeno peppers sliced down the side (squeeze the top of the pepper and bottom like a coin purse) and cleaned out the best you can ( I use a 1/8 teaspoon), stuff the peppers with shredded mexican cheese blend or cream cheese, wrap with a piece of bacon (cover up the slice and wrap around with remaining), put a toothpick through the bacon to hold in place, cook on the grill until bacon is slightly crisp. WARNING:Some of the peppers are still hot even though you have removed all the seeds.

I have a great coleslaw, baked bean, layered bean dip and other recipes that I've been trying. My e-mail is ____@____.com me know if there is anything your family is allergic too or doesn't like and I'll forward recipes as I try them. I like foods that are easy to make with great flavor.

L. Frost

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Hi R.,
Here's an idea I didn't see among your other replies. (I think I will print them, so many sound good!)

Try a simple spinach salad, with fruit (blueberries, or cut strawberries or mangoes are good) and some sweetened nuts with a sweeter dressing like poppyseed or citrus.

Have a great summer
B.

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We have pasta salad a ton during the summer, and it's SUPER easy...Curly pasta, red onion, bell pepper (I like red and yellow), black olives, and cubed chicken if you want a bigger meal out of it. Toss it with Berensteins (I'm not sure on the spelling) Italian dressing, and refrigerate...it's best cold. It's amazing how good this is for being so simple.

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i love cabbage salads with a dressing comprised of fresh basil, apple juice, and a touch of oil blended in a blender/processor then tossed into finely shredded cabbage-even add some grated carrots-it is so simple and refreshing!

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I use the BBQ a lot during the hot season. I also make lots of salads--shrimp, chicken, taco, etc. You can also put lots of things on a stick kabob style.

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RICE SALAD:

My mom used to make rice salad. It's really easy. cook 2 boxes of Fried Rice Rice-a-Roni according to package. Cool in a bowl. Add two cans of sliced black olives, two jars of marinated artichoke hearts (chopped), one can of sliced water chestnuts (chopped), and mayo. It's probably about 3/4 C mayo, but I just put in enough to make it to my liking. I also add a little of the juice from the marinated artichoke hearts for extra flavor. Let it sit in the fridge for a couple of hours before serving. This is extra good after being in the fridge for at least a day.

PASTA SALAD:
I am not a huge fan of pasta salad, but the one recipe that I like uses tri color corkscrew pasta, chopped red onion, sliced black olives (or green if you like), cubed mozzarella, cubed salami, grape tomatoes cut in half, and a bottle of Berenstein's Cheese Fantastico Dressing.

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I fix a greek pasta salad that everyone loves. Use whatever pasta you want, add chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers, green onions, black olives, basil, oregano, feta cheese, olive oil, and lemon juice. I sometimes add a little balsamic vinegar just for a little different flavor. Let it sit for at least a couple of hours or preferably overnight. Add the feta cheese right before serving.

Enjoy!

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Sure can. It's simple too.

1 to 1 1/2 c couscous
1 c water
1 large cucumber
salt & pepper to taste
Lemon to taste
A dash of a zested lemon

Bring water to a boil, add couscous, boil for about a minute or two; remove from heat.

While water is boiling, peal and cut up cucumber into bit sizes, add about 1/4 cup lemon juice, salt & paper to taste, zest in some lemon.

Fluff cousous, add to cucumber mixture, chill for about 2 hours. Serve over a bed of lettuce or alone.

Enjoy.
T.

PS - do it fruit too. Couscous is versital.

1 mom found this helpful

A favorite of ours is chinese chicken salad from La Bou bakery. And I love Apple- chicken salad.
Cook 4 good sized chicken breast in the crock pot or boil them. Dice them into bite size pieces.6 to 8 Apples of any variety. I use a mix of granny smith, red, gala,and fuji.
Chop 2 stalks of celery, 3 or 4 green onions, and add mayo just enough to lightly coat. Makes enough for 4 to 6 people.

I make a tomato salad with Montery jack cheese and fresh sweet basil. Cut up 4 to 6 tomatos. Cube up Montery Jack cheese into small cubes. I use fresh sweet basil, tear 5 or 6 leaves. For the dressing I add balsamic vinegar, and olive oil.

I also make a pasta salad with rainbo rotini. Boil the rotini until it's tender. I put sliced black and green olives, cubed Montery jack cheese, sliced green onion,And mix in Italian dressing.
You can interchage the ingredients of these to suit personal tastes.

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It's not nearly as hot where I am as where you are. I don't know where you are, but I am on the North Coast and we don't get as much heat as I would love. We have had record breaking temps though, so I know what you mean.
You can try shrimp salads and sourdough bread. Fruit salads are alway great. And my kids love cucumbers. I have a friend who lives where it hits triple digits and she cooks everything on the grill outside. It's too hot to cook in the house. Melons and fruit, cheese and pickle platters are always great. My kids think it's a treat to have that instead of the usual "dinner" stuff.
My little boy loves making sun tea so we always have that. I know it's been hot, and I am recovering from a broken leg, but I am not complaining one single bit. I wish it would stay this way all summer for us. Thankfully, we have friends we can go stay with when the weather is cruddy here and hotter than a fire cracker there.

When I was little, my mom used to slice cucumbers and onions in a bowl and let them soak in vinegar and a little sugar. My sister and I could not stay out of it, we loved it so much. Home-made deli style sandwiches can be really fun to make and have some of your potato or mac salad on the side.

Enjoy the heat. It will be winter again before we know it.

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Here's my favorite quick & easy summer meal for those "way too hot to cook" days: I pick a "fun" pasta - maybe fusilli or another interesting shape - boil it and then rinse it in cold water. I take a frozen veggie mix -- pick one with beans in it like the Mexican one with black beans -- steam it in the microwave and toss it with the pasta and some grated parmesan for added flavor. The beans and cheese add protein, but I will also keep packages of the pre-cooked, pre-chopped chicken strips in the fridge to toss in for variety. I love the one dish meals when it's hot and the kids really love this one.

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How about what I call "Mexican Cold Slaw" or "Italian Cold Slaw" or whatever you want to call it.

Chop up a large head of cabbage. Add a large can of tomatos, a large can of diced green chilis, some chopped onion, and a bottle of Italian Dressing. Let it chill for a while. It gets even better with each day it is left over -- if there is any left over. You can even add to it the next day or so... ENJOY

Let me know how you like it.

Grandma Frog
____@____.com

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Hi R.,
Here are two of my families favorites... Caramel Apple Salad, put a container of coolwhip in a bowl, add instant butterscotch pudding (powder) about half a package or more to taste. cut up three to four granny smith apples and add to mixture. Cut up snicker bars and add on top or mix in and add on top for garnish. Kids especially love this one.

Oriental noodle salad. pour one bag of coleslaw salad (without the dressing) in a bowl. in a 2 cup glass measuring container put 1/3 cup sugar, add 1/3 cup vinegar, stir, add the seasoning packet from a package of Oriental ramen noodle soup. Add 1/3 cup of olive oil, mix well, pour over coleslaw. mix in a package of sliced almonds and crush the ramen noodles up and mix them in, very good on summer days!
Enjoy,
H.

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I recently found a macaroni salad online, I have tried it a few times and it has gone over well.

Take macaroni pasta, boil it until tender, drain the water.
Next mix in diced black olives, celery, onions if you like, and the recipe calls for diced Spam, but I have also used cold, diced chicken in place of the Spam. Add Ranch Dressing until salad is moist, mix all together..and there you have it.

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Chinese chicken salad (or sub tofu for chicken) with cabbage, peanuts(or other nut if there's an allergy, like almonds) green onion, a little rice vinegar, soy sauce, and rice noodles. YUM. There are easy recipes all over the place.

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You can actually put a spin on your taco salad by making a taco pasta salad. Use replace the beans and the shell with pasta (preferrably whole wheat). Shred the lettuce and dice the tomatoes. Grate up some jalapeno if your family can handle it! Ground turkey (or if you eat beef you could put beef on there).

A spin on your coleslaw.. make a broccoli slaw (they sell the slaw greens in the packaged lettuce section at most grocery stores now). Add in raisins or cranberries, walnuts, diced green apples and I like the champagne pear vinagrette from Trader Joes for the dressing. But you can make the basic coleslaw dressing if you want.

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PASTA SALAD

1 bag spiral multi colored pasta
1 can chopped olives
1 jar artichoke hearts marinated
1 bottle Italian dressing
1 cup parmesan cheese

Cook pasta, drain and rinse.
Combine all other ingrediants in large bowl , mix in pasta and put in fridge for 30 minutes. Eat and enjoy

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Hi R., Southern Living at HOME has some great cookbooks for quick meals, lots of different salad and pasta recipes. You can go to southernlivingathome.com/danacarey and look at the online catalog.

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My family enjoys pasta salad. Made with colored pasta shells. Take a bottle of spicy italian dressing mix with cooked pasta immediately after cooking, and draining, while hot. Cool in refregerator all day. Great cold with any meat

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My family loves the "Suddenly Salad" Classic by Betty Crocker. I typically add in cherry tomatoes, sliced black olives, diced zucchini (raw) and mozzarella cheese stick slices. Really, you could add in anything you like or even make it from scratch with pasta and your favorite Italian dressing. I only buy the box because my family usually doesn't eat much Italian dressing. Right now at WalMart, it is two boxes for $2, which is a VERY good deal!

I'll post again if I think of something else...I have been looking through the hot weather recipes myself. :D

--C.

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I have a great recipe that's a hit with everyone in my family! You take left over chicken and slice or shred it into strips. Take part of it, for the grownups who like a little spice, and sprinkle with hot sauce..making them sort of buffalo strips...then assemble in a flour tortilla the strips of chicken, strips of raw carrot, cucumber, cilantro, tomatoes, red or yellow peppers (optional) and top with ranch dressing and grated cheese, wrap like a burritto and serve! Since you are using left over cold chicken and you never heat the rest of the ingrediants it is a great dinner idea or picnic idea for these hot days of summer. It's a favorite with everyone I've ever introduced it to! Enjoy!

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I have two suggestions.

I make a grilled deli beef or turkey sandwiches during the summer months. Buy deli thin sliced beef, chicken turkey, or whatever meat you like. I also buy shepherd's bread or some other exotic style of breads and a good cheese like provoline. Other additives can be purple onion, tomato grilled onions or mushroom.

The sandwich is made like a grilled cheese, only with lots of extras. So butter the outside of the bread, insert the ingredients, grill and serve. This is a family favorite.

Another family fav, which is only allowed once a month during the summer. It has to reach in the 105 + degree mark to be eligible for this "dinner".

It is a build your own ice cream sundae. Set up ice cream toppings in bowls. I slice up good summer fruits like peaches,nectarines, strawberries, pineapple, ect. Then add a selection of nuts. You can make homemade ice cream or use store bought, with a variety of flavors. Chocolate syrup isn't optional at our house, but that doesn't mean that it has to be mandatory at yours. LOL.

My husband was working nights when I started this family tradition. My sons are now grown and they still want the ice cream dinner once or twice during the summer. Once my husband switched his work schedule to days he discovered our summer dinner secret. He now the one that suggests the ice cream dinner.

Another option is to have your main meal during during lunch, then eat a light meal in the evening when it is so hot.

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Hi R. - I have a great recipe for Pasta Salad. I get the colored spiral noodles, and cook them, after they have cooled, I add a small bag of thawed frozen peas, a can of kidney beans, a small can of sliced olives, 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese, and Italian salad dressing! It is a great refreshing salad, and it is so easy! I have other recipes also, if you want to send me a message, I will send you more! I am imagining that you will be getting a large response to this! Have a great day!

1 mom found this helpful

I know this isn't healthy, but one of my favorite memories as a kid was the one day a year (when it was over 100) and we would have banana splits.
We also use to have crab salads on hot days. My mom would use the caned crab meat and add eggs and tomatoes and we were all pretty happy.
Good topic!!

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Hi R.,
I make a pasta salad with rotini and artichoke hearts, also some garbanzo or kidney beans and veggies (olives work well, too) with an Italian Dressing. You can also add salami and cheese to make it an AntiPasto Salad. Hope this helps.
Patti B.

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R.,
I'm so glad you asked for recipes because I need some new ones myself!! I have a good one for you too.

Pesto pasta salald
Boil one bag of any type of macaroni noodle
One box of Armanino Pesto (freezer section)
1/2 cup mayo
diced celery and onion (how ever much you like)
diced red and yellow bell pepper (nice color)
diced grilled chicken
parmisan cheese
salt and pepper

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