Most Requested Recipes

Here are 3 of my favorite recipes that other people love too.  I would normally include a photo with each one, because I'm all about the photos, right?  But I've feeling lazy about picture taking lately, and taking food photos means cleaning up my kitchen, making the food, and well... it's just too hot right now to care that much!

Salsa
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 small can diced green chilies
1 small can El Pato (found in mex food isle)
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
juice of one lime
1 large scoop of garlic (from the jar)
1/4-1/3 c sugar
a pinch of salt
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  I like my salsa less chunky, so I generally take half the bowl, dump it into my blender and liquify it.  Then I mix it back in with the chunky stuff for the perfect consistancy.  Sugar is my secret ingredient in salsa.  El Pato is Sheri's. (I hope she doesn't mind me sharing her secret ingredient.)   She makes amazing salsa too, and mentioned that she adds this stuff, so we gave it a try, and we love how it made our salsa taste!  :)

Broccoli Tortellini Salad
20 ounces cheese filled tortellini (I use the kind you find in the refrigerator section)
3 heads of broccoli, cut into florets (don't use the stems)
6 slices of bacon (I like the precooked kind... just nuke and crumble)
1 c sunflower seeds
1 c craisins
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup sugar
2 t cider vinegar
Cook and crumble the bacon.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and cook tortellini, al dente.  (1-2 minutes less than package indicates.)  Remove tortellini from boiling water, rinse with cold water and set aside to cool.  Bring the pot back to a boil and dump in the broccoli.  Boil for one minute, just until tender, drain.  Mix mayo, sugar and vinegar to create the dressing.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss the dressing over the top.

Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 egg
2 1/4 flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 cups chocolate chips
Cream together sugars, butter and egg.  Add dry ingredients, mix well.  Add chocolate chips.  Bake at 375 for 7-8 minutes.