$5.95 total cost ~ Marianne's Famous Chicken Salad

This week I was really missing my family. Maybe it was the sunny, warming weather, or the upcoming holiday, but I wanted to be in Florida, out by my Dad's pool, chatting with my stepmom Marianne and laughing with my family. Based on that (and my crazy hectic parent-teacher conference schedule) I planned to pick up a rotisserie chicken on the way home Friday. Not because I love roast chicken so much, but because I had a plan for the leftovers!

Marianne's Famous Chicken Salad ~ $5.95 total cost
2 cups chopped cooked chicken (1/3 a rotisserie chicken, $2.00)
1 cup halved seedless grapes (1/4 lb. $0.25)
11 ounces mandarin oranges, drained ($1.00)
1 cup chopped celery ($0.25)
1/2 cup sliced almonds ($1.00)
1/4 cup T. Marzetti's Poppyseed Dressing ($1.25)
1/4 cup mayonnaise ($0.10)
2 tbsp sliced green onion ($0.10)

1. Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix dressing, mayonnaise, and green onions in a bowl. Add to chicken mixture, stirring gently.
3. Refrigerate several hours. Toss lightly before serving. Serve over lettuce, with crackers, on toast, or all by itself!

The Verdict
I don't know how many servings this makes. I just know we all love it here and it doesn't last long!

Alison's Aloha Bread

My high school friend Alison said "It's called Aloha bread because it's gone in seconds!" I liked that so much I named the recipe after her!

Alison's Aloha Bread
2 and 3/4 cups flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups sugar
1 tsp salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp coconut extract
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/2 cup coconut
2 mashed bananas

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two loaf pans. Mix first 4 ingredients in a bowl by hand.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir until well blended.
3. Pour into prepared loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Makes 2 loaves of 8 servings each.

The Verdict
This is so moist and delicious, it's more like a cake than a quick bread. Josh likes it with cream cheese, I like it with butter, Jim likes it plain, and Julia likes it in her hair, on her face, on the floor... this one is definitely a hit. I wrap the second loaf tightly in plastic wrap and then foil to freeze it for a later date. Thaw it out and it's ready to slice!

Aunt Lina's Banana Bread

I'm not sure who Aunt Lina actually is. If you come from a big Italian family, anyone of your generation is your cousin and anyone of your parents' generation is your aunt or uncle, regardless of their actual relation to you (or lack thereof!) So finding a recipe in my mother's scrawled handwriting titled "Aunt Lina's Banana Bread" only tells me that someone my grandmother's age gave this to her. No recipe I've ever gotten from a grandmother has ever been bad! And I had some superripe bananas to use up!

Aunt Lina's Banana Bread
5 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 and 1/2 cups)
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom only of loaf pan.
2. Beat butter with electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add sugars and beat well. Add egg, egg whites, and vanilla, beat until well blended. Add banana and beat on high for 30 seconds.
3. Combine dry ingredients (except nuts) in a bowl. Add half the flour mixture to better mixture and beat. Add milk and beat. Add rest of flour mixture and beat well. Add walnuts if desired and mix well.
4. Pour batter evenly into prepared pan. Tap twice on counter to make sure it is even. Bake until brown and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
5. Cool in pan on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack. Wrap well and let sit overnight for best flavor.

The Verdict
It was delicious, it was hearty, it was... gone in two days. Success!