Sunday, November 24, 2013

Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Crab

I prepared this appetizer last evening for a party that we co-hosted with six other couples. This was the first time I had prepared this appetizer and thought it to be excellent. It is not something one would prepare often since it is very rich but for the holidays I think it would make for an excellent appetizer.

Hot Spinach-Artichoke Dip with Crab

1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
4 green onions, sliced thinly
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/4 cups (5-ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 (14-ounce) can medium-size artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, carefully picked for shells
Crackers and/or assorted fresh vegetables

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together first 6 ingredients and 1 cup pepper Jack cheese. Fold in spinach and artichokes. Fold in jumbo lump crabmeat. Spoon into a lightly greased 1-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup pepper Jack cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until center is hot and edges are bubbly.  Sprinkle with freshly ground pepper to taste. Serve with crackers and/or assorted vegetables.

Note: This recipe is very good even if you leave out the crab. If you do you should only use 1 cup of Parmesan and 1/2 cup of mayonnaise.

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This went together so quickly. The most time consuming thing was picking through the crab meat but it is soooooooooo worth it. This appetizer is outstanding.


 
 
 
I failed to get a picture after it came out of the oven but I did let it get lightly browned on the top. I served it with toast rounds.
 
 
 
My serving piece is a very old anchor hocking piece that belonged to my mother. I have used it often and what makes it so unusual is that it has a lid and it's own trivet.
 
 
 
If you are looking for a killer appetizer for the holidays this one fits the bill. However, I am very fortunate to live near the Gulf coast of Florida and fresh crab is readily available. It is worth the effort to find fresh crab. This is an amazing recipe and one I will use again and again for special occasions.
 



I hope you will try this recipe and if you do I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

This Little One is growing

I never want to push the growing and ever changes of a new baby but want to savor each and every moment. This little one was so tiny when she was born. She was taken three weeks early and as that is not so unusual, babies come in the world who do very well so much earlier that their expected due date. This one is our seventh grand child and as a grandmother is getting older, I worried more about this one. She is healthy, beautiful, has two loving parents, a big sister who adores her and  extended family of aunts, uncles and her other loving grand parents, Nana and Grand Papa.

She is now two months old, cooing and smiling when coheresed and just a fun age. Mommy is still sleep deprived but that goes with the territory. My most recent grand daughter and probably my last grand. It's been a wild ride at times but one I would never miss. I cherish each and every moment with each of my grand children. I just feel so very blessed to have this time with my grand children. My own mother died at an early age and she did not have the advantage of really getting to know and enjoying each grand child that she had. I hope I have learned from that in that time is marching on and I cherish each and every moment that I have with them. Who knows what tomorrow brings. Live today as if there is no tomorrow.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

More photos of Little Turner

A few weeks ago we welcomed our newest grand child . She is our seventh and probably our last . We are so thrilled to have Turner Elizabeth , the second little girl for my daughter and son in law . Turner has a two year old "BIG" sister too .

 
This particular day was a family celebration , Grand Dad's birthday . The whole family came to share in the celebration . He particularly enjoyed holding Little Turner . The name Turner is a family name , my mother in laws maiden name . I thought it would be hard to get used to the name for a little girl but I have found that it fits .
 

She is so tiny , only six pounds when she was born but is now up to seven pounds . She was born three weeks early and she is such a good baby . She just eats and sleeps and has brought so much JOY to all of our lives .

 
When they are at our home I rarely get to hold Little Turner . "BIG" sister gets most of my attention and she should be wearing a sign saying , "Watch me closely" . As I said , she is two . As you can see , she is singing and clapping while our dog is howling . Makes for  never a dull moment .
 

Grandchildren

by Earline Brasher
 
Sometimes I really do wonder ,
Why they are called grand ?
Then I know A Loving Grandmother ,
Can always fully understand .
You get that important phone call ,
You have waited for so long ,
Excitement really kicks in ,
As you arrive and rush down the hall .
You see that precious baby ,
Gender really doesn't matter at all ,
It brings back many memories ,
Of when your children were so small .
You congratulate the parents ,
As you see mother and baby are o.k. ,
You know without a doubt ,
This was done in own God's way .
Many sacrifices made along the way ,
Are very much worthwhile ,
When you see that sweet little face ,
And that bright cheery smile .
Time rocks on as they grow and grow ,
Then comes their future , rushing too and fro ,
They will always be our babies ,
If anyone should ask ,
They are all very Special ,
From the first one to the last !!!!

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Simple but Delicious Appetizers



A few months ago I had a wine and appetizer function at my home on a Sunday afternoon . I prepared a lot of simply delicious appetizers and wanted to share some of the recipes .

It was a beautiful day and the appetizers were served in my dining room buffet style . I always open the French doors that leads out to the screened porch when the weather is just right and it also leads to my patio for a lovely garden experience . This was one of those delightful days when I could do that . Right now with our heat and humidity that is not possible but soon hopefully when the autumn breezes begin I will once again be able to utilize entertaining in this way .

 
I love having the option of this flow for entertaining . As you can see I have appetizer plates ready to fill with some scrumptious appetizers .
 
 
This is one of my favorites and one that even my grand children just love . I am careful not to put too much horseradish when serving to the grand's . I love the fact that this recipe does not use tahini but horseradish instead . It is a delicious hummus and my all time favorite .
 
Sun-Dried Tomato Hummus
 
1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese
1 ounce sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil, minced
1/4 cup sliced green onion (white and pale green parts only), sliced thin
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth . Check taste and add additional salt , pepper and horseradish, to taste .
 
My Notes: I almost always add more sun-dried tomatoes and if the consistency needs to be moistened I add some of the olive oil from the sun-dried tomatoes . I usually do have to add additional salt . 
 
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Another favorite appetizer of mine is Ina Garten's Roasted Shrimp . We are so fortunate here in our area close to the Gulf of Mexico to have plentiful shrimp year round and I dearly love them . This is the recipe that appears in Ina Garten's book , Barefoot Contessa, Back to Basics .
 
 
 
Roasted Shrimp Cocktail
 
For the shrimp
 
2 pounds (12 to 15 count) shrimp (I use extra large)
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 
For the sauce
 
1/2 cup Heinz chili sauce
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
 
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees .
 
Peel and devein the shrimp , leaving the tails on . Place them on a sheet pan with the olive oil , salt , and pepper and spread them in one layer . Roast for 8 to 10 minutes , just until pink and firm and cooked through . Set aside to cool .
 
For the sauce, combine the chili sauce , ketchup , horseradish , lemon juice , Worcestershire sauce , and Tabasco . Serve as a dip with the shrimp .
 
My Notes: I always use a salt that is not as fine as kosher but is a sea salt when using on seafood . It is a French Herbed Salt. I use to be able to get it here locally but now I have to order it on Amazon and I do order it , I am never without it . It is wonderful .
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This company also makes a Gardener's Salt that I am never without . I use it when salting pasta and most vegetables that I prepare . The dried herbs work perfectly with veggies as does the Fisherman's Salt , it works perfectly with any seafood . The dried herbs in the Fisherman's Salt are Marjoram , Fennel , Thyme , Savory , and Sage . It is a delightful mix of herbs with the Sea Sal t. Another thing I wanted to mention, using the chili sauce makes this sauce a little different and this is my go to recipe all the time for seafood .
 
The other appetizer I would like to share with you is a recipe that was originally posted on a food message board by a dear friend . I have made this recipe many times and I am always asked for the recipe . It is delightful and very addictive not to mention that it makes for a pretty presentation .
 
 
 
Roasted Corn and Black Bean Salsa
 
1 pound package frozen niblet corn, thawed
3 tablespoons oil, (canola or olive oil)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon cumin powder
6 tablespoons fresh lime juice
5 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1/2 cup chopped red onion
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 large ripened avocados, chopped
 
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss corn with 3 tablespoons oil on a baking sheet . Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until golden brown stirring frequently . Cool completely .
 
Combine salt, cumin, lime juice, oil and vinegar . Shake well in a jar .
 
In a large bowl, combine the rest of the chopped ingredients . Add beans and corn. Add avocado, and dressing last and toss gently . 
 
Refrigerate for up to 6 hours. Serve the same day you make it .
 
Serves 16 easily!
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I did serve other appetizers but these three were my favorites that I wanted to share . I also love having the option to open my French doors in my dining room which leads to the screened porch and serve wine and champagne from there .
 
The screened porch then opens up to my patio and garden area which makes for a lovely place to entertain when the weather is co-operative .
I am sharing this post at Michael Lees blogging party, Foodie Friday . You can see other wonderful recipes shared by clicking HERE . I hope you enjoy your weekend and I hope you will try some of these delicious but yet simple appetizers .



Friday, August 23, 2013

Our newest Grand Baby

Yesterday our daughter , our youngest , gifted us with a new Grand Baby . This is our seventh , my daughter's second . She also has a little girl that is two years old and she now has a baby sister . They wanted to be surprised and it was definitely a surprise because everyone thought it would be a little boy . She is healthy and gorgeous and that is the ONLY thing that matters . My daughter had to have a C-section and they took the baby three weeks before the actual due date because mommy had developed some health issues but everyone is just fine , mommy and baby .

Please welcome our newest grand baby , Turner Elizabeth . The name Turner is a family name , it was my mother in laws maiden name .

 
I'm sure you know that other pictures will follow soon . The two year old is staying with me . This morning she is at her play group but before I pick her up this afternoon I am headed up to the hospital to take some more pictures .
 
I hope each of you have a wonderful weekend .
 
Carolyn

Friday, August 9, 2013

Reprise~South of the Border Squash

Recently I saw on one of my favorite blogs, Lindaraxa , a recipe using Summer Squash , Cheesy Summer Squash Casserole .  I thought it would be a good time to reprint  this recipe that has been a family favorite of ours for years using yellow squash . I most often prepare this recipe during the holidays but there is no reason not to prepare it anytime especially when yellow squash is so plentiful during the summer . It is a most unusual recipe for yellow squash and men just love it even if they don't usually eat yellow squash .



South of the Border Squash Casserole
 Serves 6


1 cup chopped onion
2 to 2 1/2 pounds yellow squash, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 4-ounce can chopped green chilies
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pepper to taste
1 ½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 egg
1 cup cottage cheese, small curd
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 375 degrees . Butter a 9x13 inch pan or 2-quart casserole dish . In a skillet , sauté onion and squash in butter until tender . Stir in chilies , flour , salt and pepper . Pour into casserole . Sprinkle Monterey Jack cheese on top . Stir together the egg , cottage cheese , and parsley . Spread this mixture over the Monterey Jack cheese .
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese . Bake for 25 to 30 minutes .

My Notes : The cottage cheese mixture is a little difficult to spread but be patient , it will spread over the entire pan . Depending on the oven it sometimes needs to be cooked a little longer . A nice light browning on the top .


I use a 12-inch sauté pan to sauté the squash and onions .

 
It goes together very quickly and can be put together the day before to this point and ready to pop in the oven when needed . I always use parsley from my herb garden and it gives a nice green color to the dish and also a special freshness .
 
 
 
Try this one , I am quite certain you will come to love it as well . A different take on most Yellow Squash casserole's .
 
I am sharing this recipe at Michael Lee's blogging party, Foodie Friday . You can see other shared recipes by clicking HERE .
 
 
Enjoy your weekend !
 

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Penne Alla Betsy

We are so fortunate living close to the Gulf Coast that we always have delicious fresh caught shrimp year round . I do love shrimp and when I saw on Ree Drummond 's program, The Pioneer Woman when she prepared this dish I thought it sounded really good . I do love a good pasta dish as well so I knew it had to be good with two of my favorites , shrimp and pasta .

Ree named this recipe Penne Alla Betsy because the recipe was given to her by a dear friend . She printed the recipe in her first cookbook .





Penne Alla Betsy

1 pound penne pasta
1 pound large shrimp
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine (optional)
One 14.5-ounce tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
Milk for thinning
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 basil leaves, cut in chiffonade
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil . Cook the penne until al dente (firm yet tender) . Drain and set aside .

Begin by peeling and deveining the shrimp and rinsing them under cold water .

In a small skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil . When the pan is hot, add the shrimp . Stir and cook on both sides until it is just starting to turn opaque, about 2 minutes . Remove to a plate and allow to cool slightly .

Next , finely chop the onion. In a large skillet over medium heat add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil . Add the garlic and onion . Stir to combine and cook , stirring occasionally , until the onion is translucent , about 3 minutes . Pour the wine into the pan . Stir and allow it to evaporate, about 45 seconds . Pour in the tomato sauce and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low . Pour in the cream and stir well to combine ; reduce the heat to simmer .

Add the shrimp to the sauce and stir gently to combine .

My Notes : I added to the sauce about 3/4 cups of freshly grated Parmesan cheese . Also , after adding the shrimp and pasta I placed the entire mixture into a 13 X 9 serving dish , topped it with a little more Parmesan cheese and placed it in a 350 degree oven just until it browned a little on top . I also think the white wine is essential to this dish . I did not cook the onion and garlic at the same time but let the onion cook for a little while first and then added the garlic for the last couple of minutes so as not to let the garlic burn . I cooked the dish all in the same sauce pan , a 10-inch deep saucepan . I wanted to have the flavor from cooking the shrimp that I thought would add so much to it and it did .

 
I thought this was an amazingly delicious dish and one I will prepare over and over again .
 
 
If I were to rewrite this recipe with just a couple of minor changes I would simply call it Shrimp and Pasta with Béchamel Sauce . It was sooooooooo yummy .
 
 
 Pared with a simple Mixed Green Salad it made for an excellent summer dinner . It isn't exactly light in calories but it does not taste so very heavy and another plus was that it went together effortlessly but yet delicious .




I hope you will try this recipe , you won't be disappointed .

I am linking this post to Foodie Friday, you can click HERE to see other wonderful recipes shared .

Sunday, July 28, 2013

A Minor Kitchen Change

Sometimes even the most minor of changes can make such a difference and that was the case with my new addition to my kitchen . A local gift shop was having a sale on most of their Mackenzie Child "stuff" . I had been in there just a few days earlier looking for a gift for a friend but couldn't help but browse through some of these beautiful things that were on sale .

Yesterday after pondering over it for a while I decided I had to go back and wanted a new tea kettle and a new container to hold all of my cooking utensils . This is the before .

I have had the green Le Crueset tea kettle forever as well as the utensil container . I didn't really NEED to replace them but was ready for a change . I have also for many years admired the Mackenzie Childs "stuff" .
 
Here's what I bought . My new floral tea kettle and holding all my cooking utensils a hand painted flower pot which is perfect since I keep so many cooking tools for quick reach . I didn't want them matching but coordinating .
 


The colors work perfectly in my kitchen and I swear it makes better tea . I just love the crystal knob on top of the lid especially since I use crystal knobs on most of the cabinet doors in my kitchen . I am particularly fond of floral's as well .
 

The flower pot , not necessarily to be used as a utensil holder but it works for me . I can have loads of utensils in this container .

Change is a good thing even if they are very minor . I smile each time I walk through my kitchen and I think adds a little whimsy to my kitchen .


After sharing my minor kitchen changes I felt this over whelming need to also share some new photos of my grand daughter . This past week I kept one of my grand daughters while my daughter had to go to the Dr . She is expecting in September and this will be our seventh grand child . I took advantage of the opportunity to get some photos of my little grand daughter .

 
She was wearing her new dress that I had just bought her .
 
 
 

I keep lots and lots of toys at my house for the grand's but her favorite is this doll and the doll must have a stroller , which she does . She strolls this baby doll all over the house and as you can imagine we are talking up the soon to be arrival of a new brother or sister , they want to be surprised .
I hope each of you have enjoyed your weekend and the new week to come . I am sharing this post for Met Monday hosted by Susan at Between Naps on the Porch




Thursday, July 18, 2013

COWGIRL QUICHE

Yesterday I made a new quiche recipe that was absolutely amazing . Probably not on anyone's diet list but this recipe was worth going off a diet even for one piece . I think this recipe is the absolute BEST quiche recipe I have ever eaten and I have eaten in a lot of French restaurants .

Believe it or not it came from the Pioneer Woman's , Ree Drummond's cookbook . I say it like that because although I have both of her cookbooks I rarely cook from them . I happen to see her prepare this on one of her programs and it sounded delicious so I decided to try it myself . For the crust I used Ina Garten's Perfect Pie Crust recipe that was printed in her Family Style cookbook . It's my favorite so I didn't want to change but it is very similar to the recipe that Ree recommends .

Ina's Perfect Pie Crust

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) very cold unsalted butter
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening
6 to 8 tablespoons (about 1/2 cup) ice water

Dice the butter and return it to the refrigerator while you prepare the flour mixture . Place the flour, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse a few times to mix . Add the butter and shortening. Pulse 8 to 12 times, until the butter is the size of peas . With the machine running, pour the ice water down the feed tube and pulse the machine until the dough begins to form a ball . Dump out on a floured board and roll into a ball . Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes .

Cut the dough in half . Roll each piece on a well-floured board into a circle, rolling from the center to the edge, turning and flouring the dough to make sure it doesn't stick to the board . Fold the dough in half, place in a pie pan, and unfold to fit the pan. Repeat with the top crust .

Note: I only used half of this dough recipe but the other half freezes well. It will freeze for up to six months . I also have a very large marble slab for rolling out pastry dough . It's heavy but very useful when rolling out dough because it is a natural surface and stays very cold which is important .



This recipe comes from Ree Drummond's first cookbook, Pioneer Woman Cooks , Food From My Frontier .

Cowgirl Quiche

16 ounces white mushrooms , washed and sliced
2 leeks
2 tablespoons butter
8 eggs
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
Salt and black pepper to taste
 8 thin slices prosciutto (or any good ham)
1 recipe Pam's Pie crust, enough for a deep pie dish or tart pan

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F .

Place the mushrooms on a large baking sheet . Roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes , or until golden brown . Remove from the oven and set aside .

Meanwhile , slice off the tops and bottoms of the leeks and cut them in half lengthwise . Slice each in half thinly .Soak the leeks in cold water for about 10 minutes to remove any grit or dirt .

In a large skillet over medium heat , sauté the leeks in the butter until golden brown and beginning to caramelize , 8 to 10 minutes . Set aside .

For the quiche base , add the eggs and cream to a medium bowl . Whisk them to combine . Stir in the leeks , mushrooms , grated cheese , salt and pepper . Add the prosciutto .The mixture should be very thick ! Pour it into the pie shell , then cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent it from getting too brown on top . Bake for 45 minutes , then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes . Remove it from the oven and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving .

My Notes: This recipe really needs a 10-inch deep dish fluted pan with a removable bottom. I did not have one but instead used my fluted pie plate, it was not deep enough to hold all of the filling . I also used cremini mushrooms since I think they have so much more flavor and used an imported gruyere cheese instead of Swiss for the same reason and I prefer gruyere . You also have to be careful about how much salt you add since the prosciutto is very salty but yet sooooooooo delicious .

 
I always love using leeks in any recipe . They are much milder than onions but yet so flavorful .
 
 
Baby Portobello's or Cremeni mushrooms, they have so much more flavor than white button mushrooms . Having roasted them brings out even more flavor .
 
 
This was a little labor intensive but well worth it. It was absolutely delicious.
 
 
I loved the use of the prosciutto but it is very salty so you must be careful when adding salt . I don't like anything overly salted .
 
 
I did not get a photo of this wonderful quiche after it came out of the oven but it does brown nicely. My daughter arrived just after I brought it out of the oven with my grand daughter and they both stayed for dinner and were anxious to try it since it smelled heavenly while cooking . My two year old grand daughter LOVED it and I served her some blueberries with it fresh from our farm . She was a happy girl . What remained after my husband , my daughter , and myself had some served with a simple side salad , the rest went home with my daughter for her husband's dinner . I was told today that he too absolutely LOVED it .
 
I also set it on a sheet pan in case it spilled over while cooking . This was a huge hit with my family and I will prepare this recipe over and over again . I highly recommend it !!!!!

I am sharing this post at Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday . There are always excellent recipes shared on this blog and you can click HERE to see them .






Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Computer issues

Having computer problems and can't post from my iPad, no photos on my iPad. Now I know I should transfer some photos to my iPad or just take some photos with my iPad. My computer totally crashed so I hope my Tekkie can retrieve my photos. In the meantime I am taking lots of pics for future posts. Hopefully I will get it back soon.

Carolyn

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Shrimp and Pasta Salad

This was a new recipe that I have tried recently. Actually, I most often love any kind of pasta salad but this was amazing. Loved, loved, loved it. The best thing about it was that Mr. Picky Eater liked it too.

The recipe comes from a cookbook by Johnnie Gabriel, Cooking in The South. She owns a deli and restaurant in the Atlanta area and I have found it to be an excellent book. I have enjoyed cooking from this book especially this recipe. It is a keeper!!!!



Shrimp Pasta Salad

1 (1-pound) box macaroni shells
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Spanish olive oil
6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
3 to 5 pounds medium shrimp, cooked and peeled
1 (6-ounce) jar pimentos, drained
2 medium Kosher dill pickles, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped black olives
Garlic salt, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook the pasta until tender according to the package directions. Drain and cool. In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, mayonnaise, and olive oil. In a large bowl combine the chopped eggs, pasta, shrimp, pimentos, pickles, and onion. Add the mayonnaise mixture to the macaroni mixture and toss well. Season with garlic salt, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The boiled chopped eggs make this dish.

Makes 8 to 10 servings

* If you use shrimp larger than medium, chop the shrimp into bite-size pieces.

My Notes: I used dill relish instead of cutting up dill pickles, about 2 tablespoons. The shrimp I sautéed in a tablespoon of butter, they were peeled, deveined with tales removed and I used medium shrimp and only about 2 pounds. After sautéing them in butter I cut them into bite sized pieces. I also added 4 stalks of heart of celery finely chopped. I can't eat a shrimp salad without celery in it.?????

 
This was the most amazing pasta salad I have ever made and I do LOVE a great pasta salad.
 

Served on a bed of fresh baby greens with a side salad of Heirloom Baby Tomatoes with a drizzle of Basil infused Olive Oil with a splash of French Sea Salt, Wellllllllllllll, it doesn't get any better than that.

This is a light Summer dinner but oh so very good.
 
 
Try this, you will not be disappointed. I know I am so fortunate to have fresh shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico year round but even frozen shrimp from the grocery would be great in this recipe.
 
 
I am sharing this post at Foodie Friday. To see other amazing recipes click on to Foodie Friday.