Watergate Salad

WATERGATE (PISTACHIO) SALAD

I grew up eating this at church and family pot-luck dinners. It's one of my favorites and it has a lot of sweet memories to go along with it!

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1 sm. box instant pistachio pudding mix
1 (12 oz.) Cool Whip
1 sm. can crushed pineapple
1 heaping c. miniature marshmallows
3/4 c. chopped nuts (I prefer pecans)

Combine pudding mix and Cool Whip. Pour pineapple and pineapple juice over mixture. Combine. Add other ingredients and mix together. Cover. Refrigerate until serving.

Shamrock Stained Glass Cookies

Put the crushed candy pieces in the middle.




picture of the back


Here's a picture of my first attempt. I wanted one shamrock inside another one. It was much harder than the circles because the length from the inside out was shorter and they easily fell apart. The one small Shamrock inside a circle worked much better!

Shamrock Stained Glass Cookies

Ingredients & Supplies Needed:

6 c. flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 c. butter
2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
1 tube of Betty Crocker Decorating Gel Green Icing
1 small jar Cake Mate green Decorating Decors sugars
30 Brach's Star Brites Spearmint candies
mini Shamrock cookie cutter

Directions:

1. Cream butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix dry ingredients and add to butter mixture.
4. Mix well.
5. Chill for 1 to 2 hours.
6. Roll to desired thickness. Form a ball and then flatten. Use mini Shamrock cookie cutter in the middle. Take out center piece. Add crushed spearmint candy pieces in the middle of the cookie.
7. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges and candy completely melted in center.
8. Once cooled, add icing and decorating sugar.

Garlic Knots

Garlic Knots

Here's a great recipe to go along with any type of Italian meal!
First make your dough. This is the same dough recipe I use for my pizzas.

Ingredients for dough

* 1 cup warm water
* 1 tsp. sugar
* 1 1/4-oz. packet active dry yeast
* 3 tbsp. olive oil, plus extra for coating
* 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
* 1 tsp. salt

Ingredients for butter mixture topping
The proportions I enjoy are 1 tbsp. minced garlic mixed with 1/2 stick of butter. Then add salt as needed.
* garlic (fresh or minced)
* 1 or 2 sticks of butter (depending on how many garlic knots you want to make)
* salt

Instructions

1. Place 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar until dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast onto the surface of the water. Let the yeast float there for 1 minute, then stir it into the water. Let the yeast "proof" for 10 minutes. It should bubble a bit; if it doesn't, the yeast is outdated and inactive.
2. Pour the yeast mixture into a large bowl, then stir in the remaining water, and add the olive oil, flour and salt. With a wooden spoon, mix the dough until it forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 10 minutes, or until it is smooth and elastic.

Coat the inside of a large glass or ceramic bowl with olive oil. Press the ball of dough into the bottom of the bowl, then flip the dough over so the oiled side is on top. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, then let the dough rise in a warm place until it has doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours. Makes 1 1/2 pounds of dough.

After the dough has risen, knead the dough again. Then break off small pieces and roll into a snake. Tie those pieces into knots. Bake at 450 degrees until slightly brown on top. Take it out of the oven and then pour butter mixture on top. Enjoy!!!

Need help with the process? I found this great video tutorial.
http://www.ehow.com/video_2340972_bake-knot-rolls.html