Maraconi Salad

Great summer salad.  Perfect for picnics, pot lucks, and with any kind of grilling.  Makes a lot, but it's so good I could eat the whole thing.

Ingredients
1 pound salad macaroni, cooked and rinsed under cold water
3/4 cup dices celery
2 small cans sliced black olives (I always add more)
6 hard boiled eggs - diced (prepare enough ahead of time that the eggs are cold
1 cup chopped green onions (whole onion and stem)
1 cup mayonnaise (add more to liking, and after it has been refrigerated for a few days to re-moisten)
Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

Preparation

1. Cook macaroni ahead of time and allow to sit in refrigerator to cool.
2. Combine all ingredients and season to taste.
3. Try to add mayonnaise as close to serving as possible.
4. Keep refrigerated.

California Fiesta Dip

This is our family's twist on the traditional 7 layer dip.  The avocado mixture and the sour cream mixture make this stand out from the bland taste of a lot of 7 layer dips.  It is my staple appetizer/potluck dish and it gets rave reviews every time.  I have the recipe committed to memory, but I figured it's definitely a family favorite and worthy of publication.

Ingredients
3 medium sized avocados
2 table spoons lemon (or lime) juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 package of taco seasoning mix (McCormick's, NOT French's)
3 (8 oz) cans of refried beans (any type is ok)
1 large bunch green onions, sliced
3 medium sized tomatoes, seeded and chopped
Sliced black olives (As many as you want.  The recipe calls for a 4 oz. can, but I love olives, so I go for the biggest can of sliced olives)
Approx. 8 ounces cheddar cheese, or to desired cheesiness

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, mash avocado, juice, salt and pepper (you can add garlic powder if desired).
2. In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, and taco seasoning mix and stir until smooth.
3. Spread bean dip on a large shallow serving platter, pushing up on sides to form thicker border at edge of platter.
4. Top with avocado mixture, spreading to pushed up area of bean dip.  Push avocado mixture up against the bean dip to form a border of bean dip and avocado.
5. Top with sour cream mixture, forming border as with beans and avocado.
6. Sprinkle center of sour cream mixture with chopped tomatoes, olives, and onions.  Cover with grated cheese.
7. Serve with tortilla chips.

**To make this more of a meal, you can get ground beef, cook with the other 1/2 of the taco seasoning packet, and layer above the sour cream mixture and before tomatoes.