Meet Nicole Cotts and her beautiful family. I could just eat them up!  But maybe instead I’ll fix some of her Mandarin Chicken Salad.  Before I reveal the recipe, I want you to get to know her better.

1.  Tell us about yourself.  What are your hobbies, interests?

I think the most important thing about me is I’m a sinner saved by grace.  Nothing beats that!  Next, I’m a wife of 13 years to my wonderful husband.  I’m a mom to three crazy boys, a lab puppy and a cat!  I work part time as an adoption caseworker, providing birth family counseling as well as doing home studies for adoptive families.  I’ve also just started selling Pampered Chef just for fun.  I love to bake, read, write and scrapbook but rarely have time for any of them!

2.  Tell us about your family.  Who are you cooking for these days?

I cook for myself and my husband as well as my three boys ages 9, 7 and almost 2.  I also make all of my puppy’s food as if I don’t have enough to do!

3.  Does your family have any dietary restrictions or fitness goals that affect your meal planning?

I’m a Fit Yummy Mummy so I definitely have to take that into consideration when planning meals and cooking.  I find it’s not that difficult to combine the two, but I do tend to spend more money than I would if I wasn’t trying to eat so much fresh produce.

4.  Are you a cook by the recipe kind of girl or just until it looks right?

I like to have a recipe to help me figure out proportions and give me an idea where to start, but I’m definitely an “until it looks right” kind of cook.  I often leave things out or use what I have on hand when I cook.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t!  I’m not a very creative cook, I’m always looking for recipes on the internet and such that will give me an idea to start with.

5.  What is your favorite kind of food to cook?

I definitely enjoy baking, I love to make desserts!  Definitely my downfall 🙂

6.  What is a budget saving tip you use?

I like to use fresh produce early in the week and canned or frozen later in the week so there’s no waste in produce.  My husband always takes leftovers for lunch which saves a ton and I always freeze leftover breakfast items (pancakes, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, etc.) for him and the kids to grab and go in the mornings.  Then I don’t have to get up to cook for them and he doesn’t eat cereal!  My kids don’t like to wait for me to make them breakfast and I can workout in the morning before my breakfast.  I also like using coupons for things like toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, etc.  I haven’t paid a cent for these things in years!  Then I can use our grocery budget on healthy foods.

7.  If cost was no option, which food would you buy more of?

Nuts.  I love pistachios, pine nuts, almonds, pecans.  You name it!  I’d probably buy all organic chicken, too, but it’s just too expensive for all of us!

8.  Tell us about the recipe and how you came to tweak it.

My aunt sent me this recipe years ago when she worked at a cute little shop/lunch spot.  This was just when fruit in salad started to become really popular (at least in my little world!).  When I first started making it, I think I left the chicken in the pot too long and it always turned out dry.  I now add 2 cans of mandarin orange juice and cook it for less time.  This makes it juicy and so yummy.  Just recently I heard you can put the cooked chicken breasts in the kitchen aid mixer and it shreds it perfectly!  Honestly, the crunchy salad topping makes this salad.  I’m often out of sunflower seeds and make it with just the ramen noodles and almonds or whatever nuts I have on hand.  It’s still really yummy.  My kids love to put their salads together by themselves and they love the addition of the chow mien noodles on top.  I love that we can eat this salad all year long because it uses canned mandarin oranges, but in the summer I often add fresh strawberries to make it extra tasty!  Something else I do that makes this salad seem a little more like a restaurant salad is chop the salad in small strips.  It’s easier to eat looks prettier, too.  I hope you all enjoy it!

Salad Topping

Melt butter on medium heat.  Add sugar and all other ingredients.  Stir constantly until lightly brown.

Poppy Seed Dressing

Mix in blender.  Shake before serving.

Chicken

Put 2 lbs. frozen chicken into a kettle with juice from 1 can mandarin oranges.  Simmer until juice is gone (about 1/2 hour)  Cool and break into small pieces.

Lettuce, crunchy salad topping, chow mien noodles, mandarin oranges, and chicken on top.  Serve with poppy seed dressing.