The women of St. Paul’s AME, from left, Shelby King, Ernestine East, Celia Gwyn, Willie McLeod, Roslyn Moore and Shana Moore stand behind their spread of salads for the church’s fundraiser on Saturday.

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There were a variety of savor salads including a corn salad, a bean salad and a Hawaiian Chicken Salad.

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Shelby King made this seven layer salad.

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Along with salad, deviled eggs and fruit were offered to guests.

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One of the most popular salads was the Hawaiian Chicken Salad that includes mandarin oranges, pineapple, grapes and almonds.

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Strawberry Pretzel Salad, left, and a Blueberry Salad were among the 30 salads.

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The Church pastor Willis Camp III won a prize for the most original hat. He covered his straw hat with a variety of men’s bow ties.

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Ernestine East won a prize for her unusual hat of buttons and bows.

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Those attending the salad luncheon fundraiser on a recent Saturday at St. Paul AME Church enjoyed sampling from the 30 some homemade salads made and served. And while eating the delicious salads prepared by the ladies and some of the gentlemen, the group had fun checking out the hats worn by the committee members and others present for the occasion. The hats, of all color, shapes and sizes, were judged during the event and prizes presented to the winners, church pastor Willis Camp III and Ernestine East.

Celia Gwyn, president of the Stewardess Board, was assisted by those on the planning committee event. Shelby King said proceeds from the luncheon will be used by the church. She helped collect the recipes used for making the salads and passed them along for everyone to enjoy. The salads are wonderful for a hot summer day.

This salad is great served on croissants or on a bed of lettuce. It also makes a nice appetizer served in miniature phyllo shells.

Hawaiian Chicken Salad

(Celia Gwyn)

4 cups cubed cooked chicken breasts (4 large breasts)

2 cups diced celery

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sliced almonds

2 (11-oz.) cans Mandarin oranges, drained

1 (20-oz.) can pineapple tidbits, drained

1 pound seedless green grapes, cut in half

In a large bowl, combine the chicken, celery, mayonnaise and almonds and mix well. Gently fold in the oranges, pineapple and grapes. Serves 8 to 10.

STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

(Celia Gwyn)

2 cups crushed pretzels

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) melted butter

3 tablespoons, plus 3/4 cup sugar

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese

1 (8-oz.) carton Cool Whip

2 (3-oz.) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix

2 cups boiling water

2 (10-oz.) packages frozen strawberries

1 small can crushed pineapple

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter and 3 tablespoons sugar. Press this mixture into a 9x13-inch pan. Bake for 7 minutes and set aside to cool. Beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar. Fold in the Cool Whip and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled. Dissolve the gelatin dessert mix in the boiling water; cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream-cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.

SHRIMP SALAD

(Kathi Lightfoot)

2 pounds medium (or larger) shrimp, cooked, peeled and deveined

3 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 medium bell pepper, chopped

1/4 medium red pepper, chopped

1/4 medium yellow pepper, chopped

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup mayonnaise

Come shrimp with next seven ingredients, mix well. Stir in lemon juice. Add mayonnaise. Chill at least one hour. Can be served on a bed of lettuce, garnished with grape tomatoes.

Kathi prefers to steam the shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning. They can also be boiled.

LIME SHERBET SALAD

(Kathi Lighthouse)

1 (8-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 (3-oz.) package lime flavored gelatin

1 cup lime sherbet

1 fresh pear, peeled and diced

1 cup chopped pecans

Drain pineapple, reserve juice. Add enough water to juice to make 1 cup liquid. Bring juice to a boil; add gelatin stirring to dissolve. Stir in sherbet. Add pineapple, pear and pecans. Mix well and pour into a lightly oiled 6-cup mold. Chill until set. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

SEVEN LAYER SALAD

(Shelby King)

1 medium head lettuce, shredded (abut 6 cups)

1 cup coarsely chopped celery

1 cup chopped green pepper

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped onion

1 cup cooked green peas

1 to 1 1/2 cups Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

8 strips bacon, cooked, drained and crumbled

Arrange lettuce in bottom of deep bowl. In layers, add celery, green pepper, onion and peas. Do not toss. Spread mayonnaise evenly over layer of peas. Sprinkle with sugar and cheese. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Sprinkle bacon over salad before serving. Makes 10 to 12 servings.

BLUEBERRY SALAD

(Shelby King)

1 (6-oz.) package cherry Jell-O

2 cups boiling water

1 (22-oz.) can Blueberry Pie Filling

1 (8 1/4-oz.) can crushed pineapple

1 cup chopped pecans

Dissolve Jell-O in hot water. Add other ingredients. Chill until firm in a 9x13-inch dish.

Topping:

1 (8-oz.) package carton Cool Whip

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese

Whip cream cheese and Cool Whip. Add nuts. Spread on top of chilled salad. Serves 16.

BLACKEYED PEA SALAD

(William Larkins)

2 cans blackeyed peas (drained and washed)

1 small onion, chopped

1 small green peppers, chopped

1 small red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup parsley flakes

4 stalks celery, chopped

1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Mix all vegetables with Italian Dressing and let stand in refrigerator at least four hours before serving (overnight is best).

CRANBERRY SALAD

(Jo Ann Larkins)

1 (6-oz.) box cherry jar cranberry Jell-O

1 1/2 cups boiling water

1 can Ocean Spray Whole Cranberry Sauce

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (15-oz.) can undrained crushed pineapple (in heavy syrup is best)

Dissolve Jell-O in boiling water. Cool slightly. Add remaining ingredients. Chill until firm.

Topping:

Beat together: 8 ounces cream cheese, 8 ounces sour cream, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring.

Spread on top of congealed salad and sprinkle with pecans.

GREEN PEA SALAD

(Jo Ann Larkins)

1 can LeSeur early green peas

2 hard boiled eggs,chopped fine

1 small onion, diced fine

1/2 cup sharp Cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Pinch of black pepper

Mix peas, chopped eggs, cheese, onions and mayonnaise. Chill. Sprinkle bacon at the last minute.

COPPER PENNIES

(Brenda Gwyn-Soanes)

Sauce:

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon Worchestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 (10 3.4-oz) Tomato Soup

Vegetables:

2 pounds carrots, peeled, cooked and sliced

1 medium onion

1 green pepper, chopped

Combine the sugar, vinegar, oil, mustard, Worchestershire sauce, salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add soup. Mix the carrots, onion and bell pepper together in a large glass dish; pour the sauce over the vegetables; stir gently to combine and refrigerate overnight. This salad will keep several weeks in the refrigerator.

TACO SALAD

(Brenda Gwyn-Soanes)

1 small bag corn chips, crushed

Head of lettuce, shredded

Medium onion, diced

2 to 3 tomatoes, diced

1 (16-oz.) can kidney beans

12 ounces Cheddar cheese, grated

Kraft Catalina dressing

1 pound ground beef

1 (8-oz.) tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

Brown ground beef and onions, drain. Stir in tomato sauce, chili powder and garlic salt. Cook over low heat until dry. Remove and set aside until cool. After cooling, add beans, combine. Combine all ingredients 15 minutes prior to serving.

Contact Eleanor Powell at epowell@heartlandpublications.com or call 719-1933.