Chicken Salad Sandwich

4 c chicken, cubed
3/4 c mayo
1/2-3/4 c sour cream depending on how saucy you want it)
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp seasoning salt
1 c diced celery
3 green onions, diced
1 c chopped pecans
1 1/2 c craisins
1 c diced apple

Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, paprika, and seasoning salt. Add remaining ingredients and allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors have time to combine. You can also wait and add the pecans right before serving so they have more crunch.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2-3 cups of powdered sugar (to taste)
1 teaspoon vanilla

With an electric mixer, mix the butter and cream cheese together for about 3 minutes on a medium speed until very smooth.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom of the bowl.

Add the vanilla and mix a few seconds.  Slowly add the powdered sugar.  Keep adding until you get the desired sweetness and thickness.

I find if you are going to piping with this recipe it is best to refrigerate it for a few hours first.  I generally make it first thing in the morning and stick in the fridge until I'm ready to use it!  I always get complemented on this frosting.  I like it with a strong cream cheese taste, so I generally only add about 2 cups of powdered sugar.

Variations:

If I'm using this recipe for a Carrot cake I will add some freshly ground ginger to it.

Add some scrapings from a vanilla bean is great for a Red Velvet cake!

Add some grated for dried coconut to it for a Coconut cake!

P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Oil
2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Cup Water Chestnuts
2/3 Cup Mushrooms
3 tbsp. chopped onions
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
4-5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce:

1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Ketchup
1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil

Stir Fry Sauce: 


2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar

Directions:


Make the special sauce by dissolving the sugar in the water in a small bowl.  Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice and sesame oil.  Mix well and refrigerate this sauce until you’re ready.  Depending on how much sauce you like this may be WAY too much.  So, if you are not a "saucy" person, then you may want to 1/2 the Special Sauce recipe.

Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.  Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until done. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.  Keep oil in the pan and keep hot.  As chicken cools, mince waterchestnuts and mustrooms to about the size of small peas.  Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.  When chicken is cool, mince it as the mushrooms and water chestnuts are.  With the pan still on high heat, add another tbsp. of vegetable oil.  Add chicken, garlic, onions, waterchestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.  Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple of minutes then serve it in the lettuce leaves.  Next time I may just chop up Romaine lettuce in a bowl and serve over the top of it.

Top with the special sauce.

Kool Aid Playdough

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup salt
2 packages unsweetened Kool-Aid Mix (you can use one package, but by using two you get a darker color and sweeter smell)
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 Tablespoons oil

1. Mix flour, salt and Kool-Aid well in a large bowl.
2. Add boiling water and oil and then mix with a wooden spoon until it sticks together.
3. When cooled and you can handle the dough mix the rest by hand blending all the color in so it is a nice even color