More good stuff. Thank you everyone. Blizlady, Not sure what the origins of this salad is but my beloved Mom made it for as far back as I can remember; I think my my Grandmother made it too. This is a very basic recipe that highlights the freshness of the ingredients. You may be disappointed to learn that it doesn't call for mayo, but I urge you to give it a try. The flavors are fresh and bright. It is not Christmas Eve without it and everyone looks forward to it. The measurements are only a guess, it really is done to taste. Mom's Shrimp Salad 3-4 lbs jumbo boiled shrimp*, cut into 4 pieces crosswise. 4-5 stalks celery, sliced about 1/4" thick (on a slight bias). Cut the wider part of the stalk into two pieces lengthwise before slicing. 2-3 garlic cloves, minced (I used a garlic press) Juice of 1 - 1 1/2 lemons Good quality extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt Toss shrimp, celery, garlic together. Add lemon juice and drizzle a few tablespoons olive oil. Lightly salt,toss. Serve chilled or room temp. *I buy the 4lb bags of shrimo at Costco, the ones that are by the fresh fish and sometimes sold at the kiosk. They are already deveined and cleaned; one only has to defrost (I defrost them in cool water) and remove the shells. To a pot of water I add lemon slices, pepper corns, bayleaf, and any other herb or spice I feel like including (coriander is good too). Once at a boil, I add some salt. Add shrimp and wait until pot returns to a boil. Check for doneness every so often. Once done, drain in colander and rinse with cold water. To trim shrimp, remove the 'beard' (its the overcooked flap of overcooked shrimp where the head was), and pull off the strips that looked ragged along each side of the slit. The cats are treated to these scraps. Sue

I use Zesty Italian dressing. Pasta, onions, green pepper, red pepper, black olives, green olives, good pepperoni, shredded parmasan cheese, and whatever else you like, but don't forget to add the salad seasoning. Add at least half a bottle! It is not pasta salad without it. It is found in the spice section of the grocery. Add the cheese last. Use the Zesty Italian dressing until it looks the right consistency, may have to add a little more before serving.

Here is another recipe I have used for many years; it always gets rave reviews. To my way of thinking, this is one of those recipes that tastes like you have spent hours preparing the dish from scratch. Toasted Almond Pudding 1 stick margarine -- melted and cooled 1 cup flour 7 ounce can coconut 1 cup blanched-slivered almonds 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 3.4 oz boxes French vanilla instant pudding 2 cups milk 8 ounce tub Cool Whip® Mix margarine, coconut, flour, brown sugar, and almonds together. Put in a large jelly roll pan or a large cookie sheet with very shallow sides. Bake at 325 degrees, stirring frequently, until mixture is brown. Cool and reserve some for topping. Mix together vanilla pudding, milk, and cool whip; chill. Spread toasted almond/coconut mixture evenly in bottom of 9 X 13 glass dish. With a light touch spread the pudding mixture evenly over the almond/coconut mixture. Sprinkle the top with reserved almond/coconut mixture. Refrigerate. NOTE: I have used this recipe for many years and have learned that browning the coconut mixture at 325 degrees is just too hot of an oven. I heat the oven to 325, then turn it down to 300 degrees. You do have to watch and stir very frequently.

I have not tried this recipe yet, just got it from a friend. However, it sounds delicious so thought I would share. 7 Layer Pasta Salad Source: http://www.deepsouthdish.com/2013/08/7-layer-pasta-salad.html DRESSING: 1 package dry Ranch salad dressing mix 1 cup real mayonnaise 1 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 2 teaspoons granulated sugar 1/8 cup sliced green onion 1/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (1/4 to 1/2 to taste), optional Freshly cracked black pepper to taste SALAD: 2 cups fresh chopped broccoli 1/4 pound farfalle bowtie pasta (about 2 cups dry) 2 cups thinly shredded lettuce 2 cups chopped cooked chicken, smoked ham or turkey 1 cup frozen green peas -- thawed 1 large slicing tomato -- seeded and diced 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese GARNISH: 2 slices bacon -- cooked and crumbled 1 tablespoon sliced green onion Mix the salad dressing ingredients and set aside. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add plenty of salt. Add the raw broccoli, return to a boil and let cook for about a minute. Remove and plunge the broccoli into iced water to stop the cooking process, but reserve the water for cooking the pasta. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to the package directions. Drain and rinse pasta with cold water to stop the cooking process; set aside until cooled and no longer steaming. When ready to prepare the salad, toss the pasta with 2 tablespoons of the dressing mix. To layer, add lettuce to the bottom of a clear bowl approximately 3 quarts in size, and top with layers of the meat, broccoli, pasta, peas, tomatoes and the cheese. Pour the remaining dressing on top and if serving right away, sprinkle the top with the chopped bacon and 1 tablespoon of sliced green onions. Toss before serving. May also prepare, cover and refrigerate up to 6 hours. Bring to room temperature and wait to add garnishes before serving. Serves 8 Cook's Notes: Substitute 2 cups of a bottled Ranch or other flavored dressing if desired. May also use different pasta shapes or cooked cheese tortellini, and substitute thawed, frozen broccoli in place of the fresh. Substitute other cooked proteins, such as seafood. Additional suggestions for layers: Sliced or chopped red or sweet onion, sliced or chopped red, green or yellow bell peppers, drained, chopped pimentos or roasted red peppers, sliced or roughly chopped boiled eggs, sliced black or green olives, chopped avocado that has been tossed in fresh lime juice, well drained and chopped marinated artichoke hearts, fresh pan sauteed or steamed chopped asparagus, or a variety of canned beans that have been drained and rinsed are all good choices.