Panera's Fuji Apple Chicken Salad

     A few weeks ago my husband and I stopped at Panera Bread for lunch.  I was shocked when my husband ordered a salad.  As we were sitting there eating, we started to talk about how much we like Panera, but we couldn't afford to eat there everyday for lunch, as it appeared that's what many of the people who were on their lunch hour were doing.  He mentioned how much he liked the salad, but that he wasn't willing to pay over $8 for it on a regular basis.  I wasn't sure if I heard him correctly, did he just say he liked the salad?!  It is near impossible to get him on board when I make only a salad for dinner, so my brain drifted from our conversation to me wondering how I could re-create the salad at home.  He mentioned that he really liked the white balsamic vinaigrette (OK, so those weren't the words he used!) dressing that was on the salad.  When I got home I of course searched for a recipe for the dressing, but what I found was one better.  You can actually buy the dressing for this and several other Panera salads at Super Target!  So I headed over to Super Target and picked up a bottle.  Since then we have had the salad several nights for dinner.  And, when I was at Super Target last week, the dressing was on sale, so it looks like we will be having this for dinner several more times!

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped (or spring mix)
½ lb. chicken breasts, cooked and sliced thin
1/8 cup gorgonzola cheese crumbles
1 oz. pecans, chopped (about 20 halves)
apple chips or fresh sliced apples (my husband uses the chips, I like fresh apples)
¼ cup Panera Fuji Apple salad dressing (available at Super Target)
tomatoes and onions, chopped (optional)

     Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss with dressing.  Enjoy!

Nutritional information per serving: 400 calories, 25 grams of fat, 19 grams of carbohydrates, 29 grams of protein, 5 grams of fiber.

Candy Apple Salad

I have made this recipe once before and thought it was the perfect balance between chocolate and fruit.  I also thought it was the perfect choice for a dessert while we were home visiting my parents, since they don't have air conditioning and wouldn't let me use the oven!  It only takes a few minutes to whip up, which allowed for plenty of time to hang out with family.

8 oz. container of cool whip
3.4 oz. box of instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk
15 fun size Snickers
5-8 granny smith apples

     Place candy in the freezer for about an hour.  This will make it easier to cut and keep it from melting.  Meanwhile, mix the milk and pudding mix together in a medium bowl.  Place in the fridge until the candy is ready to cut.  Chop the apples into bite size pieces.  Chop the snickers into small pieces.  Fold cool whip, Snickers, and apples into the pudding mixture.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Makes 10 servings.

Nutritional information per serving; 238 calories, 6 grams of fat, 43 carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, 3 grams of fiber. **Calculations are based on fat free cool whip and skim milk.**

Fruit Salsa

     This is one of the first things I ever pinned on pinterest, and finally I have gotten around to making it!  In this case, better late than never because this stuff is delicious!  I made this with the intention of eating it for dessert tonight, but since the french onion soup recipe I attempted to make was garbage disposal worthy, I ate this for dinner instead!

3 kiwis, diced
2 golden delicious apples, peeled, cored, and diced
16 oz. strawberries, diced
8 oz. raspberries, cut into halves
½ tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. fruit preserves (I used raspberry, but strawberry would be good too)

     Cut up all the fruit and gently combine in a bowl.  Stir in the sugars and fruit preserves.  Serve with Stacy's Cinnamon Sugar Pita Chips (pictured to the right).

Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

     I had never made oatmeal in the crockpot before, but when I found this recipe from The Yummy Life I decided to give it a try.  It hardly required any work, like all good crockpot recipes.  In the evening before heading to bed I stuck all the ingredients in the crockpot and when I woke up in the morning, voila!

2 apples, peeled and chopped in ½ inch pieces
1½ cups milk
1½ cups water
1 cup uncooked steel-cut oats
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1½ tbsp. butter, cut into 5 small pieces
½ tsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp. ground flax seed (optional)
¼ tsp. salt
raisins

     Coat the crockpot very generously with cooking spray.  Add all ingredients to the crockpot except the raisins.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  Makes about 5 servings.
     If you have leftover you can refrigerate and reheat later.  To reheat, add about 1/3 cup of milk to a bowl of oatmeal and reheat for 2 minutes, stirring after the first minute.

Myrtle Orloff's Appleanna Bread

     I love banana bread, but "appleanna" bread is even more delicious!  This is a recipe that I stole from my mom's collection.  I'm not really sure who Myrtle Orloff is, but one this is for sure...this woman can bake!

½ cup shortening, plus 1 tbsp.
1 ½ cups sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
2 very ripe bananas
2 cups apples, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract

     Preheat oven to 350º.  Grease and flour a 9 inch loaf pan with the 1 tbsp. of shortening.  Cream together shortening and sugar until light; add eggs.  Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt then beat together with the shortening mixture.  Stir in the mashed bananas, apples, and vanilla extract.  Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about an hour, or until a knife inserted into the middle comes out clean.