Coleslaw (Or, as some write it, "Cole Slaw")

"Skinny" the above combination 

of goodness and get this:

This is now my favorite Coleslaw recipe.

I found this recipe for Coleslaw, and it is now a favorite of ours.  

Backing up a bit, a lot of Wisconsinites consider Friday to be "Fish Fry Day/Night" (it's sort of like our own special weekly HOLIDAY)!  Yes, for many, it is THAT special!  And,... one of the main "options" (sides) often  offered with the fish fry meal is Coleslaw.  I can eat almost any Cole Slaw, but that isn't true for my husband.  He doesn't like Coleslaw to have a strong "BITE" to it.

This recipe is different.  It is "mellow", yet flavorful.  Some say this is the recipe most similar to the Coleslaw that was or is (?) served at Chick-fil-A®---  I do not know about that because I do not live close to one of their restaurants.  For all I know, this could be a recipe from some cook who knew how to put just the right ingredients together (that wouldn't be me!). 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Bags (10 oz. each) of finely shredded cabbage and chopped to about 1/4" pieces.  (Instead of buying the bags, I used one small head of cabbage, removed and discarded the core, and "grated" chunks of cabbage in my food processor.  Doing it this way, I ended up with an extra 4 oz., but that didn't matter.)
• 1/2 cup of finely chopped carrots (I first grated these, too, with my food processor and then, using the swirly blade in the food processor, I made the grated pieces a little bit smaller.)
• 4 teaspoons red apple cider vinegar (plain white vinegar will work, too)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mayonnaise  (I used the Hellmann's® brand.)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Whisk vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt together until sugar is dissolved. 
2. Add mayonnaise and whisk to mix. 
3. Add cabbage and carrots. Mix to combine.
4. Chill until serving time. 
5. Refrigerate any left-over slaw.

Fudge Stripe Cookies - Fruit Salad (AKA Mandarin Orange Salad)

   

My only assignment for our family's 

Thanksgiving Day dinner was to find 

and make a "fluffy salad".  (EASY!)

  

Remembering a salad my oldest daughter 

made in the past, I asked her

about it.  

Its name is 

Fudge Stripe Cookie Salad.

This was made so quickly. 

For sure, it wasn't hard to EAT!!!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups buttermilk.
• 2 of 3.5 oz. boxes of Instant Vanilla Pudding mix.
• 1 of 16 oz. size container of frozen whipped topping, thawed. (I used the Cool Whip brand.)
• 2 of 15 oz. cans Mandarin Oranges, well drained.  
• 1 of 15 oz. can of Fruit Cocktail, well drained.
• 1 of 20 oz. can of Pineapple Tidbits, well drained.
• 1 of 11-12 oz. pkg. of Fudge Stripes Cookies, crack each (except one) into about 5-6 pieces. Mine were Keebler brand cookies.

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and instant pudding mix until thickened.  (If it gets "lumpy", whip to smoothness with a handheld electric mixer before moving on.)
2. Fold in the whipped topping.
3. Fold in the well-drained Mandarin Oranges, Fruit Cocktail, and Pineapple Tidbits.  Cover and refrigerate until serving time.
4. Just before serving, fold in the cracked cookie pieces; put into serving bowl
5.  Decorate top with the one whole cookie, and some of the cracked cookie pieces.

RHUBARB CUSTARD BARS*

PREP; 25 MIN. + CHILLING + BAKE: 50 MIN. + MAKES: 3 DOZEN

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST--

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup cold butter

FILLING--

2 cups sugar

7 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 large eggs, beaten

5 cups finely chopped fresh, or frozen rhubarb that's been thawed and drained

TOPPING-- (I do NOT make and add this to the bars-- I say they are good "as is".)

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 cup heavy cream, whipped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a bowl, combine flour and sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs (I used the food processor for this).   Press into a greased 9x13" baking pan/dish.  Bake at 350-degrees for 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, combine sugar and flour in a bowl.  Whisk in cream and eggs.  Stir in rhubarb.  Pour over baked crust.  Bake at 350-degrees for 40-45 minutes OR until the custard is set.  Cool.
3. For topping (If you choose to add it)--  Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; fold in whipped cream.  Spread over the top.  Cover and chill.  Cut into bars.  Store in the refrigerator.

Per Bar:  198 cal., 11 g fat (7 g sat. fat), 52 mg chol., 70 mg. sodium, 23 g carb., 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.* Once I tried these creamy bars, I had to make them for family and friends.  the fruit and custard layers inspire people to go find rhubarb-- Shari Roach, South Milwaukee, WI (Taste of Home, April/May 1998 Issue.)