School is about to begin after what seems a really short summer break, so you need to remember the rules of driving in school zones. If you come up on a school bus and the lights are flashing, STOP! Do not pass a school bus that is loading or unloading students. Those flashing lights and that stop sign are a sure indicator that the bus is doing something important; it is either picking up children before school or delivering them home after school. Always remember children don’t always look where they are going or what they are doing, so we, as adults have to be more aware of what are is going on, even if it is something unexpected.
Please, do not forget that 20MPH is the speed limit in and around schools. The school speed limit on Windy Knoll exists from Park St. to just past Fay Ave. It is very well marked. On Hwy. 173, the speed limit is 30 MPH when the lights are flashing.
If you see children riding bicycles, slow down, they don’t always look before crossing streets or coming out from behind parked cars. And, last, but no means least, always make sure everyone in the car is wearing their seat belt and small children are restrained according to their weight or height.
Here are a couple of light summer-time salads for you to try!
Light Chicken Salad
3 or 4 chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped
2/3 cup finely diced celery
1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds
Enough light mayonnaise to moisten
Cook chicken breasts in water seasoned with salt and a small amount of onion and celery, cool until you can handle the meat, remove skin and bones and cut into small pieces.
Wash the apple, and cut it up, and add to the chicken, add remaining ingredients along with enough light mayonnaise to moisten. Serve with crackers, Melba toast or bread rounds.
Cinco de Mayo Chicken Salad
3 cups cooked, diced chicken,
4 sliced green onions, including tops, ( 2 sliced green onions or 1½ Tbs. chopped sweet onion)
½ cup diced green bell pepper, (¼ C.)
1 avocado diced and tossed with lemon juice to prevent discoloration, (1/2 avocado)
½ cup bottled chili sauce (Hunt’s, DelMonte)*, (¼ C.)
4 tablespoons mild picante sauce, (2 Tbs.)
½ teaspoon dry mustard, (¼ tsp.)
½ teaspoon black pepper, (¼ tsp.)
1 teaspoon chili powder, (½ tsp.)
Combine chicken, onions, bell pepper and avocado in mixing bowl. Combine chili sauce, picante sauce, dry mustard, black pepper and chili powder in a bowl and mix well. Pour over chicken mixture until coated thoroughly. Serve with tortilla chips. Garnish with additional avocados if desired. *This is found in the aisle with the ketchup and the store brand (if they have one) is OK also. (Measurements in ( ) are for ½ recipe).
Tortilla Snacks
7 or 8 large “Burrito” size flour tortillas*
1 container vegetable flavored cream cheese (8-oz), or use 1 block cream cheese seasoned with 1 to 2 teaspoons onion flakes, 1 to 2 tbs finely minced bell pepper, parsley flakes or finely minced fresh parsley and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 carton (8-oz) sour cream
Spinach leaves (flat leaf spinach is easiest to work with
10 or 12 shaved ham slices, or very thinly sliced ham slices from deli
2 or 3 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced lengthwise and drained
1 avocado, peeled, thinly sliced and dipped in lemon juice to keep it from darkening
1 package (12-oz) bacon, diced, fried and drained well]
1 package (8-oz, 2 cups) shredded sharp cheddar cheese, Colby/Jack cheese or pepper/Jack cheese
Place cream cheese in a bowl (add seasonings if used) and beat until smooth, add sour cream and mix together until well blended.
Place a flour tortilla on a flat surface and spread some of the above mixture evenly to about 1-inch from bottom edge. Top with spinach leaves to cover mixture, then top the spinach with the sliced ham. About 1½-inches down, place a row of tomatoes; top them with the thinly sliced avocado, crumbled bacon and then some of the cheese. Roll up and place seam side down on a plate, and continue making until ingredients are used. Chill thoroughly, slice into 1 to 1½-inches to serve. *You can use regular sized flour tortillas, but they are more difficult to roll.
7-layer Taco Salad
1 package tortilla chips
4 cups shredded lettuce
1 cup finely diced tomato
½ cup sliced green onions with tops
1 small can sliced ripe olives, well drained
1 pound ground meat, cooked and drained well*
1 can Ranch Style beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup Kraft ‘Salsa’ Ranch dressing OR 1 cup Kraft Catalina dressing
1 to 1½ cups shredded cheddar, American or Colby-Jack cheese
Coarsely crush tortilla chips and set aside. In a large bowl, layer the ingredients in the order listed. Top with dressing and sprinkle with cheese. Immediately before serving, top with crushed chips, toss lightly and serve. *Ground beef, turkey, or chicken can be used