A SINCERE "THANK YOU" & a recipe or two!.....

Once again "thank you" to all of our lovely friends who took part in our "let's go on VACATION" idea! It was a day of "whirlwind traveling" that took us all to some of the most amazing destinations ever! The day turned out to be the perfect solution for anyone wanting a change of scenery!
Last evening, Mallory, Holly & I were sitting comparing our thoughts on how it had all gone...& unanimously wel were shocked to realize we truly did feel we had experienced something "new", we had our "break"... & now felt better resuming our everyday lives!!! This idea may be one we will need to repeat in the future???...Yes?.....Your thoughts?


And now for today,... being home & getting back to my normal little life! A few weekends ago, I tested out a couple new recipes that I am pleased to say were huge "successes"!!! With being Friday morning & on the "cusp" of a relaxing weekend at home..I thought I would post them both for you to possibly try & enjoy! ......Both are from the book "Get-Togethers with the Gooseberry Patch"....the first is "Chunky Chicken Salad with Smoked Gouda" & the other is "Triple Cheese Tart"....Both are just fresh & summery recipes that I know your family will enjoy!......So friends,...stay home, cook, eat & enjoy!..............Love, Heidi

CHUNKY CHICKEN SALAD with SMOKED GOUDA

* 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breasts ( to save time, I used the breast meat off two store-bought rotisserie chickens)
* 1/8 t. salt
* 1/4 t. pepper
* 8 cups spinach
* 3/4 cup red pepper
* 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced
* 1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced in rings
* 1 1/2 cups apple, cored & thinly sliced
* 3/4 cup honey-mustard salad dressing, ....(more or less according to you personal taste)
* 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese ( or Jarlsberg), shredded
* 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Sprinkle chicken with salt & pepper...Arrange on a broiler pan coated with non-stick spray; broil 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Let cool. Cut or tear chicken into bite-sized pieces...(personally I like to tear the chicken into pieces, very "earthy & casual" & so much more appetizing than cubes!)....Combine chicken, spinach, red pepper, celery, onion & apple in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad & toss well. Sprinkle with cheese & almonds. Serves 6.

* NOTE: I added the cheese & almonds to the other ingredients first, then tossed with dressing! I wanted to incorporate it all with the dressing! Yum!

TRIPLE CHEESE TART:

* piecrust ( home made, frozen, packaged...whatever you prefer!...I used frozen)
* 1/2 cup pecans, toasted
* 2-3oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
* 1/2 cup half & half
* 2 eggs, beaten
* 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
* 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained 7 chopped
* 1/4 cup green onions, chopped
* 1/2 shredded Swiss cheese
* 1 t. Worchestershire sauce

Bake piecrust for approx. 16-18 minutes or until golden brown. Place pecans on bottom of crust: set aside. Beat cream cheese at medium speed in a large mixing bowl for 1-2 minutes, until creamy. Add "half-and half" & eggs; mix well. Stir in blue cheese, tomatoes, onion, Swiss cheese & Worchestershire sauce. Pour into crust; bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Cut into wedges & serve. Serves 6-8.