Foil-Wrapped Barbecued Chicken

"My hubby learned how to make this chicken by watching his Dad at the grill.  It's an easy way to barbecue chicken and ensures that the center of the chicken gets cooked completely and stays juicy and tender.  What a great trick!" 

Chicken pieces, desired amount
salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, desired amounts
your favorite barbecue sauce

Tear off a large piece of Heavy-duty aluminum foil.  Place chicken in the center of the foil.  Sprinkle both sides of chicken with seasonings and brush with barbecue sauce.  Fold foil around chicken to make a sealed packet.  Place foil packet onto grill and cook until juices run clear and internal temperature of the chicken reaches 170 degrees.  Remove chicken from foil and place back onto the grill.  Cook chicken on both sides, basting with additional barbecue sauce, until chicken is browned and barbecue sauce is caramelized.  ENJOY!

Fruity Frog Eye Salad

"My Grandma makes frog eye salad for many of our family get-togethers.  I recently made her recipe for the first time for a birthday barbecue and I used fruit-flavored mini marshmallows to add a little bit of color and extra fruitiness.  It turned out so yummy and was a hit at the party!"   

Pasta

1 cup Acini di Pepe pasta (from 12 ounce package)*

1 Tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

1/8 teaspoon salt

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add pasta, oil and salt.  Cook for 12 minutes.  Drain and cool.

Fruit

1 (15 ounce) can mandarin oranges, drained and juice reserved

1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained and juice reserved

1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks or tidbits, drained and juice reserved

Drain the fruit well, reserving the juice, which will be used in the custard (recipe follows).

Custard

2 cups of juice, reserved from fruit in above step

2/3 cup sugar

4 Tablespoons flour

2 eggs

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

In a saucepan, whisk together fruit juice, sugar, flour, eggs and salt.  Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.  Remove from the heat and stir in lemon juice.  Set aside to cool.

To Assemble Salad:

In a large bowl, combine pasta and fruit.  Add custard and stir until well combined.  REFRIGERATE OVERNIGHT. 

Right before serving, stir in the following:

1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed

3 cups vanilla or fruit-flavored miniature marshmallows

Mix well and serve.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

*TIP:  Acini di Pepe is a very small round pasta that can usually be found on the top shelf on the pasta aisle of your grocery store.    



Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls

"I love when my Mom makes these yummy bars!  The cheesecake filling is so delicious and the cinnamon sugar topping adds just the right sweetness to the crescent roll crust.  I know that your family will love them too!"    

2 cans (8 ounces each) Pillsbury Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 egg yolk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In an ungreased 9x13 pan, spread 1 can of crescent rolls, sealing perforations to form bottom crust.  Cream together cream cheese, egg yolk, sugar and vanilla.  Spread mixture over crust.  Lay second can of crescent rolls over the top of cream cheese layer to form top crust.  Sprinkle with Cinnamon-Sugar Topping (recipe follows).

Cinnamon-Sugar Topping  
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over top crust.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes*.  Allow to cool and refrigerate.  Cut into squares and serve.  Refrigerate any leftovers.

*TIP:  My Mom recommends that you begin checking the bars after 20 minutes of baking to ensure that they don't get too browned.