You know my sister made a killer crab salad for Mothers Day and birthdays recently. She just gets the shell pasta (I think medium size) and cooks it. Then she adds sliced green onions imitation crab meat chunks and mayo to creaminess or taste. Stirs it all together and Walla---Crab Pasta Salad. You could add or replace the onion for celery. Another of my favorites I make is chicken salad (to spread on bread). Boil some boneless skinless chicken breasts. Cool and shred/chop (I use my pampered chef food chopper). Throw in a bowl. Dice/mince some green pimento stuffed olives and add. Add mayo to taste along with some salt and pepper to taste and mix thoroughly. Walla---and it tasts awesome. No stinky tuna. :-) Hope this helps. And BTW---happy EARLY Birthday!!!!!!
Love, Jules

Out here they serve a lot of a chicken salad that is white breast chicken cut in bite sized chunks, celery, walnuts quartered or pecans,& mayo mixed with bit of milk, served on homemade bread or a good rye or whole wheat! You could keep the chicken salad cool in a cooler along with some nice pieces of a ruffled lettuce(mostly green with red on edges)That is 1 of my favorites! Jan

You are SO sweet ! Your recipes are going right into my
"Awesome food" file ....... and I'm sure I'll be making them soon !!!

PS -- Thanks for the e mail !!! (((((HUGS ))))))

Oh Sunnyca ........ I have to say I've never used walnuts in a salad before . (I 'm probably 50 years behind the times ) I HAVE to try this .

(** Get with it , Toomuch - this is the 21st century ! LOL )

How about just plain egg salad sandwiches to go along with the rest---
Freeze a 9x13 pan of ice for the bottom of your cooler! Put it in a plastic bag (along with some newspapers to absorb the water as it melts).

We make a beef sandwich spread that my family loves. We usually have this after I make a roast for supper. The rest gets chopped in my food processor, then add mayo and a large dollop of sweet pickle relish until it is a good spreading consistency. My family likes it a little on the dry side rather than really wet. You can also add chopped boiled egg. It's usually better the next day after the flavor has time to ripen a little.

Happy Birthday!
Arlene

I have a simple pasta/tuna salad that feeds a lot of people with a small amount of $$$.
I buy 2 boxes of garden rotini(the tri-colored pasta),2 cans of tuna rinsed and well drained, 3 or 4 chopped hard-boiled eggs, about 1/2 cup mayonnaise,salt and pepper.
Boil the pasta,rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process;drain. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together with enough mayonnaise to hold it together. I serve it with captains wafers crackers or saltines.Maybe sprinkle with shredded cheese. I like to sprinkle parmesan on mine sometimes.

I like to make wraps,too. I'll buy the spinach wraps or tortillas, mix up a couple cans of tuna or chicken the way you like it, spread it across a tortilla, sprinkle with shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Roll up firmly, slice into about 1 and 1/2"-to 2" slices. Secure with toothpicks and serve. These are very colorful and pretty on a platter.

I would rather use ham or chicken than tuna.
And sorry Kudzu, but I cannot stand wraps.
Just not my thing, I guess!
I know that a lot of others like them.

EATING OUTSIDE (tee hee here comes smarty pants)

First you spread the ants,
Add a cup of flies,
Whip the mosquitos,
Chop the June bugs,
Taste a nat or two with each bite,
Pull your hair out of your mouth repeatedly,
Bake in the heat,
Sweat is what you use your napkin for,
Do all of the above while trying to find a place to sit.

I'M JUST PLAYING. ME AND PICNICS HAVE NOT ALWAYS GOTTEN ALONG. LOL

I think the chicken salad w/walnuts (although the tuna and beef are scrumptious too) would be great. Chopped ham is good too. You can add chopped olives to any of the above salads. I really want to encourage you about using a "cooler" though. Too many mayonaise ER visits on record to gamble.

Sounds like you are gonna make sure your "double nickle" is filled with fun. You go girl.

I just heard dr OZ's daughter say that wraps have at least twice as many calories as bread!!!!!!

We make a chicken salad @ The Inn thats pretty good. Boil your boneless chicken breasts with some garlic & onion powder in the water. Chop up cooled chicken , add a little mayo & 1 jar sweet peppers chopped up. I use Mt. Olive brand, cos thats what we have round here. Use the "juice" from the sweet peppers to loosen up your salad.Great on bread or crackers....even better next day.
Or try "Sunday Night Dip"..my step-dad used to make this every Sunday night before he passed.
1 small can deviled ham & 1 8 oz pkg of cream cheese....mush cream cheese up with fork, add the deviled ham & mix, mix, mix...looks a little funky first time ya see it, but you"ll get hooked when it goes on a cracker ! And I must add, I would NEVER eat deviled ham on its own..even now, but I love the dip

I forgot to add that the chicken salad above is also good with halved red grapes instead of walnuts!! Be sure to use the seedless ones!! Looks like you have a good variety of things to choose from!! The gals will enjoy it ! I also agree that you never take chicken, tuna, egg dishes or mayo without a cooler! Jan

This is one of my families favorites:

1 pkg bowtie pasta (cook by directions)
1 ripe tomato (diced)
1 cumumber (peeled & diced)
1 can sliced black olives (drained)
1 bottle ranch salad dressing

Mix above ingredients and chill.

This is a lite salad and really refreshing on a hot day.

I forgot to add the best part of the salad, so here it is:

This is one of my families favorites:
1 pkg bowtie pasta (cook by directions)
1 ripe tomato (diced)
1 cumumber (peeled & diced)
1 can sliced black olives (drained)
1 pkg. imitation lobster meat (chunked)
1 pkg. imitation crab meat (chunked)
1 bottle ranch salad dressing

Mix above ingredients and chill.

This is a lite salad and really refreshing on a hot day.

I use 2 pkg. imitation CRAB cuz it seems to have more flavor than the lobster.

Happy Birthday Kathy, hope the day goes just great and here's a couple of recipes that you might like.

The first one I took to an outdoor picnic last summer and it was a big hit. You don't have to worry about it getting rancid in the heat, either.

CORN CHIP CRUNCH

INGREDIENTS

* 2 bags corn chips (8.75 oz.)

* 3 or 4 cups dry roasted peanuts (or any salted nut you prefer)

* 6 cups Golden Grahams cereal

* 1 cup packed brown sugar

* 1 cup dark corn syrup

* 1/2 cup butter

DIRECTIONS

In a large heatproof bowl, combine corn chips, peanuts & Golden Grahams. In a small saucepan, combine the brown sugar, corn syrup and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour over corn chip mixture; toss to coat evenly. Transfer to a greased 15-in. x 11-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 250 degrees F for 45 minutes; stirring every 15 minutes. Spread onto waxed paper; cool. Break apart and store in airtight containers. Sweet and salty, shiny & pretty. Easy and different!

The other recipe is my Tuna Salad. I noticed you might be tired of your version, Kathy. Try this one. A maid for some really rich people gave me this recipe about 35 years ago and I've made mine this way ever since. And I never have any complaints from others either.

Tuna Salad

Several Cans Tuna (drained)
Finely Chopped Celery
Finely Chopped Apple
Chopped Sweet Pickle Cubes (not pickle relish!)
Mayonnaise to taste

The apple gives it the best flavor! Hope you try it.

~tenderlee

I don't eat/make wraps as much as I did when I first had one - but they can be done w/ no mayo. I love them!!! Spread cream cheese over entire surface. It will be the glue to hold the wrap so it won't unwrap. Put your fillings on half of the circle ONLY. What fillings??? Sliced beef, or turkey, or ham. Tomato slices. Red onion stips. Lettuce. Any or all of those things that appeal to your own taste buds. Here was the hidden secret ingredient in mine. Over that initial layer of cream cheese, I spread some spicy hummus on the half that would include the fillings. THEN add the solid stuff.

Begin wrapping on food filled side ....ending with the cream cheese only half. If you haven't tried to cram too much in there, you won't need any toothpicks. Now, I know what I am going to fix for lunch company on Wednesday - yummmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!

Forgot this on the list - sliced cheese. Doing wraps for people ahead of time, though, isn't easy - unless you are dealing with folks whose preferences you know. What IS fun (and not appropriate for your market situation) is to make it like a taco party - "here are the ingredients, let me snow you how to assemble one, and then select what items you like - and make your own". No complaints that way - and have bread on the side for the folks who prefer their calories that way.