Wheat Salad
16 oz. cool whip
8 oz. cream cheese
1 large box Instant vanilla pudding
1 cup raw wheat
1 can fruit cocktail, drained (my mom goes for the ‘very cherry’ kind because she likes it more, and she thinks it makes the salad look ‘prettier’)

1. boil the wheat for at least 30 minutes, or until al dente (soft, but still a little crunchy), then drain and cool
2. whip together cool whip and cream cheese
3. make the vanilla pudding according to the instructions on the box, and add to the cool whip and cream cheese mixture
4. add the cooked and cooled wheat
5. add the drained fruit cocktail (very cherry for optimum pretty-ness)
6. mix together well, and enjoy

Green Bean Casserole
16oz corn (you can use canned, just drain all the liquid first)
16 oz. cut and cleaned green beans, blanched and shocked (you can use canned here too, again, just drain the liquid)
1/2 cup chopped celery, small dice (to give the dish a bit of a crunch)
2 tbsp. white onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (this is optional, we never really do this, but mom said that if you do add the green pepper or green chili you can call it southern vegetable casserole, or something)
1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 can cream of celery soup (Campbell’s)
salt and pepper to taste

topping:
Ritz crackers, crumbled with your hands
1/4 cup melted butter (about a 1/2 stick)
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup fried onions (optional)

1. pre heat oven to 350 degrees
2. mix all ingredients together well, and place into a casserole baking dish
3. top with the topping
4. cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 35 minutes at 350, uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes so that the topping can get a little crunchy (for extra crunch on the topping, bake the casserole for 45 minutes uncovered)