Winter Fruit Salad with Lemon Poppyseed Dressing

Wonderful salad for  family gatherings, carry-ins, or the holiday season.

      ½ cup white sugar

½ cup lemon juice

2 teaspoons diced onion

1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard

½ teaspoon salt

2/3 cup vegetable oil

      1 tablespoon poppy seeds

       1/2  small red onion, sliced thin (optional)

1 head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces (or mixed or red leaf)

4 ounces Feta or Swiss Cheese

1 cup cashews or pecans (roasted is best, sugared is even better!)

¼ cup dried cranberries

1 apple - peeled, cored and diced

1 pear - peeled, cored and sliced

In a blender or food processor, or with a hand mixer, combine sugar, lemon juice, onion, mustard, and salt. Process until well blended. With machine still running, add oil in a slow, steady stream until mixture is thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds, and process just a few seconds more to mix.

In a large serving bowl, toss together the romaine lettuce, shredded Swiss cheese, cashews, dried cranberries, apple, and pear. Pour dressing over salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

Easy and Simple Saucy Potatoes in Slow Cooker

4 cans ( 15 ounces each )sliced white potatoes , drained


2 cans condensed cream of celery soup , undiluted

2 cups sour cream

10 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

6 green onions , thinly sliced

Place potatoes in slow cooker.
Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over the potatoes and mix well.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours.

The Works Baked Potato Salad

Yes, I know this sounds like a heart attack on a plate but some things in life are worth the risk......... this is one of them.


6 medium baking potatoes (about 2 pounds)
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
8 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Scrub potatoes thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Spray potatoes with vegetable oil using Kitchen Spritzer. Prick potatoes with Hold 'N Slice™. Bake 50-60 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream and mayonnaise in small Colander Bowl. Chop bacon, red onion and celery using Food Chopper; add to sour cream mixture. Stir in salt and black pepper; cover with Small Lid. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Remove potatoes from oven; cool completely. Coarsely chop potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in large Colander Bowl; fold in sour cream mixture. Cover with large Lid. Refrigerate 4-6 hours or overnight. Garnish with sliced green onions and cheddar cheese, if desired.

Yield: 12 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 310, Total Fat 21 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 35 mg, Carbohydrate 21 g, Protein 8 g, Sodium 580 mg, Fiber 2 g