Summer Chicken Salads

I was looking on Becky Higgins' Recipe Blog today and found this Chicken and Grape Salad recipe. It reminded me how much I love my Mother-In-Laws recipe for this too. So, I pulled out both recipes this afternoon and fused them to our favorite parts of both.

First, I will add the way I made mine tonight:

Margaret's Hybrid Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts, cooked & chopped

16 oz. pasta shells, cooked

4 stalks celery

chopped 2 c. grapes, halved

1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

1 c. mayonnaise (maybe a touch more)

1 1/2 to 3 tsp curry powder (to taste)

1/8 tsp lemon pepper (to taste)

1/2 tsp garlic salt (to taste)

Directions:

Mix mayo, garlic salt, curry powder, and lemon pepper to taste.

Add celery, grapes, chicken, slivered almonds, and pasta.

Mix well and serve with other summer goodies like corn on the cob.

Note: When I make it next time, I plan to switch the almonds for walnuts because it's tastier to me. I also would like to add some waterchestnuts for crunch.

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Here is my mother-in-law's recipe, which does not have the pasta in it, but it's SO good served on croissant rolls!

Ludene's Chicken Salad Recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken Breasts
Mayonnaise
Garlic Salt or Powder
Curry Powder
Onion

Lemon Juice
Lemon Pepper
Celery, chopped
Waterchestnuts
Walnuts, optional
Grapes

Directions:

Bake chicken breasts. Cool and cut.

Mix Mayo, Lemon juice, garlic salt or powder, curry, onion, lemon pepper to taste.

Chop celery, water chestnuts, (walnuts).

Add grapes.

Mix all!

Note: Serve in croissant rolls.

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Do you have any variations on this? I'd love your ideas.

Or, do you have any other summer favorite recipes to share?

If you try these recipes, please leave me a comment and let me know what you think!

How to get Vegetables in Your Kids

So, I'd love to hear what your tricks are for getting vegetables, or "green light" foods (as Dr. Sears calls them), in your kids.

I have a few staple ways. My kids will eat broccoli, zucchini, and sometimes baby carrots if they are steamed. But the key for us is shredded Parmesan (the kind you buy in a tub). They love it sprinkled over the top. So, I can throw veggies in my rice cooker/steamer thing... and make rice too and that seems to work here and there.

I read in a magazine recently that one mom has her kids see which vegetable is crunchier...and she encourages crunching sounds.

Can't wait to hear your ideas!
Margaret