Chicken BLT Salad

 Salads & Summer are the perfect combination.  A crisp cool salad is the perfect way to enjoy a meal on a hot day.  I like salads that are hearty enough to pass as the main dish.  Which is why I love this salad... & the fact that it has bacon... & blue cheese.  This salad is filling, tasty, & super easy to make.  You can even cook the chicken & bacon in the morning & throw it in the fridge.  That way in the heat of the day when it's time for you to make dinner you don't have to turn on your stove.  This one is also a crowd pleaser, satisfying a wide range of taste pallets. And did I mention that it has bacon in it?!
Ingredients
6 slices bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
2 cups chicken cooked & cut up (about 1 inch chunks)
1 cup halved Cherub, Cherry, or other small tomato
4 ounces blue cheese
2 Romaine lettuce hearts chopped

Directions
Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy.  Remove bacon from pan & set on paper towel to drain.  Make sure chicken & bacon are cooled to at least room temperature before assembling salad.  Gently toss bacon, chicken, tomatoes, & lettuce.  Crumble Blue cheese on top & gently toss again.  Drizzle with Ranch dressing & serve.  Enjoy!

Side dish idea: fresh fruit & a good bread

Easter Dinner: Veggie

Does anyone else always have carrots at Easter dinner?  It seems every year we do.  It must have something to do with correlation to the Easter Bunny... because bunnies eat carrots.  Hello... is this thing on?  Or maybe just because they taste good & there is no weird subconscious tie to the Easter Bunny.

Anywho... this is one of my favorite ways to make cooked carrots:
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
6 large carrots
dill
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Wash & peel carrots.

Cut carrots in half, then cut cut length wise to to 3 or 4 sections, or about 1/4 inch thick as pictured.  Fill a large saucepan with about 1/2 inch of water.  Heat until boiling & add carrots.  Cover and cook about 3 minutes, just until they are barely tender.  Meanwhile put butter on a large baking sheet & set in the oven until butter is completely melted.  Remove from oven.  Drain blanched carrots & place the carrots to the baking sheet.  Gently turn carrots to coat in melted butter.  Place in the oven for about 10-15, or until carrots start to turn light brown.  Remove from oven & sprinkle dill on the top.  Serve immediately.

Happy Easter dinner preparing!