I have two recipes for you today. One is a healthy yummy summer salad and the other is a sinfully delicious chocolate dessert.

Asian Summer Salad
I had the blessed opportunity to bring dinner to a dear friend of mine and knew I wanted to make the Chicken Lettuce Wraps. But I didn't know what to make for a side dish. I asked around for advice, and decided on this noodle salad from The Pampered Chef. Prep time was very easy. Chopping up the veggies while boiling the pasta is the only thing that took time. Just make sure to give it enough time to marinate.

Salad:
8 oz. vermicelli pasta (an extra thin spaghetti - angel hair works well too)
3/4 cup julienne-cut carrots
3/4 cup julienne-cut zucchini
3/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup sliced green onions
3/4 pound deli roast turkey or chicken breast, cut 1/2 inch thick

Dressing:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 T rice vinegar
3 T soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh gingerroot
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 cup chopped peanuts or cashews
chopped fresh cilantro

Cook and drain pasta according to directions and set aside. Meanwhile, cut, julienne, and chop vegetables and deli meat. Add to pasta. Combine dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss well. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour to allow flavors to blend. Garnish with chopped nuts and cilantro. Serve cold or warm.

Chocolate Pudding Dessert
Next up is a family favorite and very easy to make. It is often my "go-to" recipe of desserts. Simple, impressive, inexpensive, and delicious. I made it for Father's Day this year and had many people ask me about it on Facebook. So I decided to put it up here. I usually make it with chocolate pudding, but it's also great with lemon or butterscotch pudding. Pick one and tell me which flavor you used!

Crust:
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cubes butter
2/3 cup chopped nuts (I like to use pecans)

White Layer:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
1/2 container of cool whip (reserve other half for top layer)

Pudding Layer:
2 3 oz pkg of instant pudding (chocolate, lemon, or butterscotch)
3 cups milk

Combine crust ingredients and mix to form pie crust. Press into 9x13 pan. Bake at 325 for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, cool completely, and set aside. Beat together sugar and cream cheese until fluffy. Add the half cool whip. Spread over cooled crust. Make up pudding using 3 cups of milk. Spread pudding over the cream cheese layer. Spread remaining cool whip over the pudding layer. Sprinkle with additional chopped nuts, if desired. Chill several hours or overnight.

Yup, its that time of year again. We cook dozens and dozens of eggs for our children to color, but do we stop to think who is going to EAT all those eggs? If you're like me, not until after they are all cooked. And you may think boiling an egg is easy, but that's where you'd be wrong! Don't you hate it when half of them burst or crack? So I've done a little research and came up with some tips for successful boils and in a few days I'll post some recipes so you know what to do with all those beautifully colored eggs.

Tips on boiling eggs:
First of all, fresh eggs are very hard to peel – if you bought your eggs yesterday they are too fresh, last weeks eggs would be better. If you need to make hard cooked eggs tomorrow but only have fresh eggs, leave the eggs out at room temperature for 24 hours. To prevent eggs from cracking while cooking: pierce large end with a needle before placing them in the water, this will also make them easier to peel.
How to boil your eggs: Actually, you don't “boil” them at all – is a misnomer. Boiling them makes them rubbery and gives them a greyish/green color. Instead, follow this method:
1.Place eggs in single layer in saucepan. Add a splash of vinegar
2.Cover with at least one inch of cold water over tops of shells.
3.Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil over medium heat.
4.As soon as the water comes to a full boil, remove from heat and let stand.
5.Large soft-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 1 to 4 minutes, depending on your tastes.
6.Large hard-cooked eggs: let stand in hot water 15 to 17 minutes.
7.When cooked to desired level, drain off hot water.
8.Immediately cover with cold water and add a few ice cubes.



Making Deviled Eggs? Remember this tip: when you buy fresh eggs (because honestly, who knows a week ahead of time that you're going to need to hard-boil eggs?), turn them UPSIDE DOWN on the counter over night. If you do this, your yolks will always be perfectly centered, thus allowing you to make deviled eggs that don't suck.

And the last (but not least ) tip of the day: An egg ages equally in one day at room temperature, in one week on the fridge door, and in two weeks in the back of the bottom shelf.
I will make a post later about using up those cooked eggs. If you have a favorite recipe you'd like me to use, please send it to me or leave a comment for me to contact you. Some idea's I'm already thinking of include Egg Salad Sandwiches, Aunt Pam's Potato Salad, and Deviled Eggs (of course!). Until then...happy coloring!