This past weekend we visited my parents, and my mom prepared a new salad recipe she said we just had to try. “It’s got corn bread and beans and tomatoes. You’ll love it!” she said.

And love it we did!

So of course, I had to share it with all of you. This salad is a nice change from the typical lettuce/pasta/potato salad categories—it’s a unique dish that will be at home on many shower menus.

It’s got corn bread and beans and tomatoes. You’ll love it! (My mom said so.)

Southwest Fiesta Salad

This salad requires lots of prep work…but it’s worth it, I promise! Remember this recipe calls for a fairly long refrigeration period before serving (2-8 hours)—plan ahead to be sure you leave ample time for the flavors to mingle.

 1 cup sour cream

1 cup salsa

2 medium (2 cups) tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1 cup chopped green pepper

½ cup chopped red onion

1 T chopped fresh cilantro

4 cups crumbled corn bread

2 (15 oz) cans corn, drained

1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained

8 oz shredded cheddar cheese (or your favorite)

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream and salsa, set aside. Combine the chopped tomatoes, peppers, onion, and cilantro, set aside. Combine the corn and beans, set aside. In a 9×13 baking dish, spread 2 cups of crumbled corn bread. Top that with half of the corn/bean mixture, and half of the cheese. Next, evenly distribute half of the tomato mixture over the cheese. Repeat the layers with the remaining corn bread, corn/bean mixture, and cheese—saving the remaining tomato mixture for the end! Spread the sour cream/salsa mixture over the cheese, and then top it all with the remaining tomato mixture. Cover and refrigerate the salad for at least 2-8 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

That nip in the air (and the giant cooking pumpkin sitting on my counter) are telling me it’s Autumn. And therefore it’s time for pumpkin bars! So lets get to it, shall we? This is a classic pumpkin bar recipe, just like your grandma used to make. It’s simple to prepare, and the bars always disappear quickly from their pan. Your shower guests will rave, and you’ll be a hero. I promise.

Happy Autumn!

Classic Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

4 eggs

1 cup oil

2 cups (15 oz) pureed pumpkin

2 cups sugar

Frosting:

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese

6 T butter, softened

1 ¾ cup powdered sugar

1 tsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease (or spray with cooking spray) a jelly roll pan, and set it aside. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the first five ingredients and set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs then stir in the oil, pumpkin puree, and sugar; mix well. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and stir until just-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake at 350ºF for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack while you prepare the frosting.

With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth, then add the milk and vanilla to the bowl. With the mixer on low, beat in the powdered sugar bit by bit until it’s all combined, adding a bit more milk if needed to achieve your desired consistency. 

When the bars are completely cool, spread on the frosting and serve. Store these covered in the refrigerator if you’re going to be keeping them more than a day or two. 

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

These pretzels fall very close to the Seasoned Crackers I shared a few months back—they’re completely unhealthy, and completely addicting! However, I find leaving around little bowls of simple snacks like these to be absolutely crucial to creating a comfy-cozy shower atmosphere…so I figure you can never have too many “munchy” recipes to choose from. 

These pretzels always go over very well with the gentlemen, making them practically a requirement at couple’s showers. (And the fact that I’m sharing this recipe just as football season is beginning is no accident…just saying.) 

Buttery Ranch Pretzels
NOTE: This recipe requires the pretzels to sit overnight before you serve them. Plan accordingly—no last minute preparation with this one!

1 envelope dry ranch dressing mix
1 (8 oz) bottle Orville Redenbacher’s Popping and Topping Oil
2 (16 oz) packages small twist pretzels

Combine the ranch dressing mix and oil by stirring together well, set aside. Put the pretzels in a large, lidded container or in a paper bag placed inside of a plastic bag. Pour the dressing/oil mixture over the pretzels, cover, and shake well to coat all the pretzels. Let them sit overnight, stirring or shaking them regularly, until all of the seasoned oil is absorbed.

Devour. (Enjoy!)

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

A few months ago, I tasted a wheat berry salad at a local restaurant, and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. The chewy texture of wheat berries, the sweet tang of cranberries, the bite of a vinegar dressing…I was in heaven. It was good, people. If you’ve never had the pleasure of devouring a wheat berry salad, I’d suggest you quickly move the experience to the top of your list. 

Of course, with the taste of that salad fresh in my memory, I figured I ought to add a wheat berry salad recipe to my own repertoire. I waded through many similar recipes, but I couldn’t find one that was on-par with the yummy salad I’d been day dreaming about. And so, finally, with you all in mind (as well as my own taste buds), I set out to create my own crave-worthy version of the elusive wheat berry salad recipe. 

You’re welcome.

Cranberry Wheat Berry Salad

Wheat berries are simply the entire (hulled) wheat kernel (whole grains, yay!); cooked until they’re soft but still a bit chewy, they impart an interesting—and yummy—texture to a salad that’s a nice break from the ordinary. Add this salad to your next shower menu…your guests will be begging for the recipe (and the leftovers!)

2 cups hard red winter wheat berries

10 cups water, salted

1 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup minced onion

½ cup sunflower seeds

1/8–1/4 cup minced fresh herbs (parsley, chives, basil, etc.—whatever’s fresh)

¼ cup raspberry vinegar (or your favorite vinegar)

2 T good extra virgin olive oil

2 T sugar (or your favorite sweetener)

1–2 tsp salt

Black pepper to taste

Optional: ½ cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or almonds

In a large pot, boil the wheat berries in the salted water until they’re soft but still a bit chewy, about 60 minutes. Drain the wheat berries and transfer them to a large bowl. To the bowl, add the cranberries, onion, sunflower seeds, herbs, and the nuts if you’re including them. Stir to combine everything. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar and salt in the vinegar and oil then pour it over the salad. Stir well to be sure everything’s coated in dressing, then add black pepper and/or more salt to taste. Let the salad sit, covered, for at least 30 minutes before serving—the longer it sits, the better it tastes! Serve this salad either chilled or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

For my daughter’s birthday party, rather than making a big cake, I made cupcakes—one batch of vanilla cakes, and one batch of chocolate cakes—and I left them all bare! I arranged the cupcakes on two pedestal cake plates and decorated them a bit with some paper leaves arranged to make the cakes look like flowers.

THEN! I let the kiddos go wild, frosting and decorating their own cupcakes. As I expected, this was a hit with the children…but I was surprised to see just how much the adults loved decorating their cupcakes too. I made plenty of extra cakes, so everyone felt free to go back for seconds (or thirds or fourths…), and most of the adults embraced that opportunity as they experimented to find their favorite, most delicious combinations of frostings and toppings.

I was thrilled to see how well this idea went over with all the guests at our party, and I plan to do it again in the future. However, I think this could be a hit at occasions other than a kid’s birthday party—of course, I immediately thought of baby showers, and more specifically couple’s showers.

When you offer guests the opportunity to top their own cupcakes, it becomes “an activity” that most everyone enjoys…which can be difficult to come by for couple’s showers. I’d suggest, if you’re planning a shower for both Mama- and Daddy-to-be, you consider dropping one of your games, and offer them cupcakes instead!

 Cupcake Topping Ideas

Here’s the list of toppings I offered at my daughter’s party, but really, this list could be infinite—use your imagination and see what creative toppings you can come up with!

• Chocolate Frosting

• Whipped Cream

• Seedless Raspberry Jam

• Chopped Toasted Almonds

• Toasted Coconut

• Sprinkles!

• Diced Kiwi and Strawberries

• Sundrop Candies (like M&Ms)

• Peanut Butter Chips

• Mini Chocolate Chips

 Happy Decorating!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

This salad is a favorite in my family, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. There are many variations on this salad floating around out there, and it’s likely your family has it’s own version. However, for us it’s such a staple—at showers, picnics, dinners, you name it!—that I thought I’d share it with you all, on the off-chance that you’ve never had the pleasure of tasting it!

Bok Choy Salad

This salad calls for full heads of both Bok Choy and leaf lettuce—it makes a LOT of salad. If you’re short on time (or just don’t feel like chopping), or wish to make a half-batch of this salad, you can substitute bags of classic salad mix (with lettuce, carrots, and cabbage) for the Bok Choy and lettuce. Use 32oz of mix for a half-batch of salad, or 64oz for the full recipe.

1 head Bok Choy, washed and chopped

1 head Lettuce, washed and chopped

8-10 scallions, washed and chopped

2 pkgs ramen noodles

2 oz sesame seeds

2 cups slivered almonds

4 T butter

Dressing:

¼ cup red wine vinegar

½ cup sugar

¾ cup oil (your favorite for dressings)

2 T soy sauce

In a LARGE bowl, combine the Bok Choy, lettuce, and scallions, set aside, or store covered in the refrigerator. In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Break apart the ramen noodles into small pieces, leaving some larger hunks (about the size of a lima bean), save the flavor packet for another use. Add the ramen noodles, sesame seeds, and slivered almonds to the skillet, and sauté them in the melted butter until they’re golden brown. Set them aside on a paper towel to cool, and then store them in an air-tight container until you’re ready to use them. While the ramen topping is cooking, combine the dressing ingredients in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil and cook until the sugar dissolves. Cool the dressing and then store it in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. 

When you are ready to serve the salad, combine the lettuces, the ramen topping, and the dressing in a LARGE bowl. Toss the salad until everything is coated well in dressing. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

I’ve shared many delicious food recipes with you, but I’ve just realized I’ve yet to offer you something to drink! Let’s rectify that, shall we?

Here’s a good, old-fashioned, standard punch recipe—no frills, no frou-frou ingredients, just a straight-up delicious party beverage. It will do your punch bowl proud.

Party Punch

1 (12 oz) can frozen Orange Juice concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen Fruit Punch concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen Lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 (12 oz) can frozen Raspberry Juice concentrate, thawed
1 (2-liter) bottle ginger ale (or club soda)

In a large container (or two pitchers, divided) combine the juices with 8 cans of water. This mixture can be refrigerated until you’re ready to serve your punch. To serve, fill your punch bowl half-way full with the juice mixture, and fill the remaining half with ginger ale. Stir to combine, and add ice or an ice ring if you’d like.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

My daughter turned four a few weeks ago, and she requested a garden party to celebrate the event. My menu-planning mind immediately switched into tea party mode and I started dreaming of delicate finger sandwiches and petit fours…and then I remembered half of our guest list were men who probably would be less-than-thrilled to see platters of teeny-tiny fancy food, delicious or not.

I had to find a happy medium. My goal was to offer some substantial snacks, while staying true to my bite-sized, simple finger food, original vision. I finally settled on a few different varieties of tortilla wrap sandwiches, sliced into (not too) thin rounds. These ham, spinach, and herbed cheese wraps were a big hit! They’re stuffed with plenty of ham and cheese so they’re satisfying, and I tucked some delicate green spinach leaves inside and cut the slices on the diagonal so I still ended up with a beautiful platter to fulfill my “fancy” vision.

Ham and Spinach Rolls

Of course, these rolls are highly adaptable—swap any of the components for your favorite ingredients. Have fun being creative…you guests will love you for it! The cheese I use here is found near the deli in most major grocery stores, but you can certainly make your own version using any soft cheese and your favorite herbs and seasonings.

 1 package 8-inch tortillas (I like whole wheat because they add a bit of sweetness)
1 lb deli ham, sliced thin (I used applewood smoked—yummy!)
1 package Original (Garlic and Herb) Boursin Cheese
2-3 cups washed baby spinach leaves, stems removed

Spread a thin layer of cheese on a tortilla. Layer on 2-3 slices of ham, overlapping to add some bulk to the wrap, leaving a small (1/2-inch) sliver of cheese exposed along one edge to help seal the wrap when you roll it up. Add a layer of spinach leaves, completely covering the ham. Roll the tortilla up, beginning on the side opposite from the exposed cheese. Roll the tortilla fairly tightly and set it aside, seam side down, to rest while you prepare the remaining tortillas.

Continue assembling the tortillas until you’ve used all your ham and cheese (you should have enough for 6-8 tortillas.) At this point, you can store the tortillas in the refrigerator until you are ready to place them on your platter—they’ll keep overnight, but I wouldn’t store them much longer than that or you risk the tortillas becoming soggy.

When you’re ready to serve the wraps, cut each slice at a 45º angle, “discarding” the ends (By discarding, I mean “eat them for lunch.”). I cut them about ¾-inch thick—you should cut them to your desired size. Then: devour!

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

I think it’s fairly widely accepted that bacon is pretty great. Really, what can’t be made better by adding bacon? And yet, believe it or not, there exists a recipe that makes bacon even better! This is definitely a “special occasion” recipe—you don’t want to be eating this every week or anything (Or maybe you do. Your call.), but for an event like a baby shower, these caramelized bacon twists are just the little something your menu might need!

Caramelized Bacon Twists

I have served these twists both on buttered croissants with turkey and a lettuce leaf and at brunch alongside quiche and potatoes—either of which are perfect pairings, in my opinion. There are never any leftover bacon twists!

1 pound sliced bacon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 350º F, and line a 15×10x1-inch baking dish with foil (Very important! Trust me!) Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a gallon-size ziplock bag and set aside. Cut each bacon strip in half widthwise. Place the bacon strips in the bag with the sugar mixture and shake until all the strips are evenly covered with sugar. (You can do this ahead of time and let the bacon sit in the sugar mixture in the fridge. It will get a bit runny/wet, but will also be nicely marinated.) Twist each strip as you remove it from bag, and place them on the prepared pan. Bake at 350º F for 15-20 minutes or until crisp (watch closely, they can burn quickly.) Serve immediately; or cool and then freeze them in an airtight container for up to 1 month.

 Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger

It’s strawberry season! Hooray! I’m a big fan of berries, and I think strawberries top my list (particularly if they’re involved in some sort of shortcake/whipped cream concoction…). They’re so versatile—they can be incorporated into everything from a yummy spinach salad to creamy strawberry soup to sparkling beverages to a simple dip in chocolate. If you’re hosting a baby shower this summer, be sure to incorporate this delicious fruit into your menu…even if it’s just by offering a bowl of fresh juicy whole berries.

This delicious recipe is a perfect way to showcase the gorgeous strawberries to be found this time of year. A take on strawberry cheese cake, these “one-bite” morsels are pretty much perfect as is…or you can gild the lily (highly recommended) by dusting the filled berries with graham cracker crumbs or grated dark chocolate. Or dip them in chocolate! Or place them on small baked rounds of delicate puff pastry! Or…you get the picture. 

Stuffed Strawberries

1 pint fresh strawberries

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

½ cup powdered sugar

1-2 tsp pure vanilla extract (or almond extract)

Wash strawberries well and lay them out to dry. Meanwhile, combine the remaining ingredients with a mixer or a food processor until its smooth. Place it either into a piping bag with a large tip (a star tip is pretty!) or into a plastic sandwich bag with the corner cut off. Refrigerate the filling while you prepare the strawberries.

To assemble, cut the tops off your strawberries so you can stand them upright on the cut side. (Alternately, if your strawberries have pretty stems and leaves, or if you plan to dip them, leave the tops on and just lay them on their sides after they’ve been filled.) To open up the inside of the strawberries for filling, cut either a small wedge shape out of the tip of each berry, or make two intersecting (criss-cross) cuts from the tip to about ¾ of the way toward the now-bottom of the berry and gently fan the sections out a bit to create a pocket for the filling. Squeeze some filling into each strawberry, ending with a pretty dollop on top of the berry, and place them on a platter.

Cut berries tend to weep a bit of juice, so if you’d like to fill them way ahead of time, I’d suggest storing them in a paper towel-lined cake pan and then transferring them to your platter when you’re ready to serve them.

Enjoy!

Posted by Shannon, a Dot-arilla Blogger