Moms Chinese Chichen Salad

This is one of my favorite dinners that my mom makes. I love the way all of it just taste so perfect together. She always makes everything she makes look so easy. I think we take for granted all the time that our moms took just to make us a meal. It starts from coming up with the idea to putting it on the table. There are so many steps involved. This is part of the love of a mother. Each day you plan a meal, prepare a meal, and serve that meal without so much as a thank you. Usually it is followed by whining about why they don't like the meal. But we do it because we love them and really for no other reason. So here is to you mom. Thank you for all those times you made me dinner. I love you too.

I didn't know until I started making it how much preparation it took. First off this is definitely a meal you won't just have the ingredients in your pantry. So you will have to head to the grocery store. I think the hardest things for me to find were the wontons(in my store it is in the produce department by the bagged salads) and the Maifun rice sticks(down the Asia isle). The rest is all stuff you already know. Once you have that part done the rest is easy. And really if you haven't ever deep fried Maifun rice sticks you must try that part. It was a lot of fun. I hope you will try this one. It really is delicious.

Marinate for at least 4 hours
2 chicken breasts cubed
1/3 cup soy sauce
3T. sugar
Pour all this in a fry pan sprayed with Pam and cook together on medium heat until chicken is no longer pink. Personally I like to cook until it starts to caramelize.
Let cool.

1 head of lettuce ( like to use half a green leaf lettuce and half iceberg lettuce.)
3-4 stocks chopped green onion
2 T sesame seeds (optional)
2 ounces of Won TOns cut into strips and deep fried
2 ounces of Maifun rice sticks deep fried
1 can Mandarin oranges (optional)

Dressing:
2 T Sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
3 T red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup salad oil

Mix dressing and top salad just before serving. Enjoy!

Pizza Dough

I was at the pool today and my darling neighbor told me that I need to make a new post. I agree with her. It really has been a slow summer. I will try to be better.

I have been making this for about 4 years now. My friend Joy gave me this recipe and it quickly became a family favorite. I love it. My kids love it. I mean really who doesn't love pizza. We were eating it a lot and I had to lay off the breads for awhile so I kind of forgot about it. I love making if for Friday night dinner. The kids always think they are getting a fantastic treat. Plus it is fairly easy. I don't think I say that enough on this blog. It is getting old. Maybe I should come up with more words for easy. It is fairly simple. There that is better. So this pizza is so yummy that I can't even get a picture before my hubby breaks off a piece of crust. I told all the kids to back off and didn't remember to tell him. Who can blame him. It was literally calling his name.
2 cups warm water
1 T. yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
About 6 cups of flour
Corn meal for sprinkling pan

Mix water, sugar, and yeast. Allow the yeast to bubble. Then add remaining ingredients. Add one cup of flour at a time. Mix. Add another cup of flour until dough is soft. Allow to rise until doule in size. Roll dough out into a rectangle. Oil the baking sheet and sprinkle corn meal over the oil. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes. Bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add toppings. Bake until cheese is melted.
This recipe makes 1 baking sheet and 1 9x13 pan/large round pie plate. Enjoy!

Combination Toppings:
sauce in a jar
Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan and/or cheddar
pepperoni
mushrooms
sausage
onions
green peppers

Chicken Alfredo Pizza Toppings
Alfrado sauce see recipe
garlic cooked chicken
mozzarella and Parmesan
bacon
tomatoes
green onions
mushrooms