Cookout Recipes

My arm is still itchy and feels like a bruise where the idiot wasp got me.  I told my sister to torture it for me when she catches it.

I forgot to get a final pic of the ceiling tiles I painted for a local eatery, but this was taken the day before completion.  I fixed his hat to be a sombrero.  Here, it's more Asian than Mexican.  I also put the details in the roses before handing these in.

Today I made some sides for a cookout and started transplanting seedlings.  What I think is spinach is doing AMAZING!

My favorite cookout recipe: Pasta Salad!

Two boxes of tri-color rotini pasta, cooked according to box directions
One cucumber diced
Two roma tomatoes diced
Half an onion diced
Can of black olives diced
Jar of green olices diced
2 cup bag of shredded cheddar cheese
2 bottles of Italian dressing

I add the cheese LAST because the warm pasta will melt it.  Also, I add one bottle of dressing to let it soak in and the second I will add just before serving so it has a nice coat.  It was pretty cheap since I got everything from Walmart.

Then, I made the Carrot Salad.  For this I bought:

Bag of carrots

Box of raisins

Can of pineapple

I send the  carrots through a food processor but you can save time (just not money) by buying it already shredded.  Super simple, mix ingredients to your liking

And of course, the Southern Favorite of Banana Pudding, Hooray!

Bananas

Nilla Wafer Cookies

Vanilla Pudding

Milk

Prepare your pudding according to box instructions

Slice yer bananas

Begin lining your casserole dish

I do round side down so you get a nice flat surface for the banana to sit upon.

Now after you've covered the bottom of your dish, add a thin layer of pudding:

 I use the back of the spoon to smooth it out being careful not to disturb my first layer.

Then you start another layer of cookies and 'naners on top of this.  When you do your second layer, you can do the sides as well but using only cookies.  

.

You continue to do this until you have filled your dish or run out of ingredients.  I used two big boxes of pudding, a box of cookies, and three bananas

For the finishing layer, I just did a layer of bananas yet neglected to photograph it.  At the moment I am in my room nursing a belly ache from eating so many of the ingredients of all my masterpieces.  Gotta get better before the main event!