50+ Lifestyles

Salad in a Jar

Not only does SALAD IN A JAR save space in your fridge, it also reduces food waste. How you arrange the ingredients is the key to keeping it fresh.

THE ARRANGEMENT from BOTTOM to TOP: Dressing, Shredded cheese, Shredded carrots, Cherry tomatoes Sunflower seeds Hard boiled eggs Baby spinach

---

DIRECTIONS 1) Arrange ingredients in a large mason jar 2) Store in fridge for up to a week 3) When ready to eat: shake jar, place on a plate, and eat! You can make any arrangement you want… you can add red onion, cucumbers, radishes, peppers, blueberries, raisins. Always remember to put the dressing at the bottom; the vegetables with moisture; nuts and berries; and with the lettuce at the top—a MUST. As long as the dressing does not touch the greens this will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Cinnamon Roll Cake

• 5 granny smith apples
• 2 cans cinnamon rolls
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

---

Preheat oven to 350°F  and spray a pie dish with nonstick oil.

Peel, core and cut the apples into thin slices and place in a bowl.

Add sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch to apples and stir.

Cut each cinnamon roll in half and roll out with flour until thin.

Layer the bottom of the pie dish with the flattened cinnamon rolls to create a bottom crust.

Add the apples and layer the rest of the rolls on top to create a closed crust, pinch any holes together with your fingers.

Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes uncovered.

Allow the pie to cool and drizzle with icing.

Ella’s note: I want to try this with peaches, either canned or fresh.

Layered Taco Salad

• 1 lb extra lean ground beef
• 1 small can green chilies, undrained
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, outer leaves removed (all other lettuces will wilt)
• 1 packet taco seasoning mix (or a mixture of cumin, chili powder and garlic powder)
• 1 cup ranch sour cream mayonnaise, divided (recipe below)
• 1 (15 oz.) can of your favorite beans, rinsed & drained very well
• 1/2 can (about 7 oz.) sweet corn, drained very well
• 1/2 cup chopped purple or green onion + more for top
• 8 oz. of your favorite tomato salsa
• 8 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 (3.8 oz.) can sliced black olives, drained very well
• 1/2 lb. bacon, fried until crispy, cooled completely, and crumbled
• 2 jalapeno peppers, sliced
• 1 Roma tomato, seeds removed, chopped
• ripe avocado chunks, (optional)
• tortilla chips for topping

---

Cook the ground beef, canned chilies and taco seasoning in a skillet until beef is brown all the way through and the liquid from the chilies has evaporated. Place in refrigerator and allow to chill until completely cold. Then, place in an even layer on the bottom of a 9×13 glass cake pan. Top with a double layer of crisp, iceberg lettuce leaves (half the head), 1/2 cup of the ranch sour cream mayonnaise smoothed into an even layer, beans, corn, onion, another double layer of lettuce (press down gently after placing the lettuce,) the other 1/2 cup of ranch sour cream mayo, salsa, cheese, olives, bacon, jalapenos, tomato and a little more purple onion. Place cover or foil on cake pan and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours before slicing into pieces, crunching tortilla chips over the top, and serving. Feel free to top this with avocado chunks, extra tomato chunks, and your favorite hot sauce too!

For the ranch sour cream mayonnaise:

• 3/4  cup real mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup full fat sour cream
• 3 to 6 Tablespoons dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix (Can use homemade or Hidden Valley)
• add gradually, according to individual taste

Homemade Ant Killer

• 1 C warm water
• 1/2 C sugar
• 2 teaspoons Borax (That 20 Mule Team laundry aid)

Dissolve powders in the water. Soak some cotton balls in the solution and place near the ant trails. You will immediately see a feeding frenzy… but the next morning, they are all gone. This is sticky, so if  you want to place on a saucer or something, it might help for clean up.

---

Insects do not like peppermint oil. Put a few drops of oil on a cotton ball and place on windowsills. Put a drop or two behind your ears or on your wrists and ankles. This will keep bugs at bay. I also just heard on the Today show that you can take the juice from a lime, put in a spray bottle and spray the crevices in your kitchen. This will keep ants away.

[Ella can be contacted at ellaweeza@yahoo.com or Ella ñ 50+ Lifestyles, 804 W Lombard Street, Davenport, IA, 52804]