PEANUT BUTTER POPCORN

about 4 quarts of cooked popcorn

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

5 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. salt (not needed if using microwave popcorn)

1 tsp. vanilla1 cup peanut butter

1-2 cups milk chocolate chips

Mix the syrup, sugars and butter in a sauce pan. Stir while the butter melts and bring to a boil. Boil exactly one minute. Remove from heat. Add peanut butter, salt and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and toss gently until mixed well. Once it's mixed will, toss in the chocolate chips and stir again. MMMM! ENJOY!

Darcy's Peanut Butter Balls

Today's bit of love comes in the form of a recipe of the most favorite treat at last night's ward party. Darcy was kind enough to run home and get me the recipe for my blog today. I walked around the entire building with a few on a plate, asking, "Did you make these?" And the most frequent answer was, "No, but I want to know who did!" So here's Darcy's very nummy and simple treat.

1/4 cup melted butter or margerine

1 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix all together and make into balls. Chill, then dip each ball into melted chocolate or melted chocolate chips. They freeze well.

However, last night, Darcy had made spread them onto a cookie sheet then frosted them with the melted chocolate. Then, she drizzled or used a frosting tube of white frosting over the chocolate. They were very thin (about as thick as an oreo, maybe) and the little tiny white swirls all over them looked so festive. She'd cut them into about 1 1/2 " squares and had them on a platter. They looked so dang cute and delicate! I wish I'd taken a picture. Seriously, the hit treat of the evening! I'll make them and photograph them asap! Enjoy!

7 layer bars

This has to be my all time favorite treat. I remember the first time that I had them in 1969! It was Christmas-time and my Aunt Maxine brought them to a family party! I was in love them and am even more today. Actually, I mean that literally because I made them yesterday and by default (using what I had to work with before going grocery shopping), I made them better than ever! The Heath Bar bits were the secret! NUMMMMMMMM!

Crush one package of graham crackers to crumbs. (about 1 1/2 cups)

Melt 1/2 cup butter and pour over the crumbs in a 9x13 glass baking dish.

Mix the crumbs and spread to make a crust, pressing down with a fork.

Layer:

1 cup milk chocolate chips.

1 cup Heath Bar Tidbits (available near chocolate chips in the baking aisle.)

1 cup crushed pecans

1 cup shredded coconut

Pour 1 can of sweetened condensed milk over the crust.

Bake at 350 degrees until the coconut is toasted slightly brown. (about 20-25 minutes)
Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature. ENJOY!

Caramel Fruit Dip

This fruit dip is absolutely sinful! You'll love it!

1 8-oz. package cream cheese (light cream cheese works)
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
Toffee bits

Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature or seften for a few seconds in the microwave. Using an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla. Just before you serve, stir in about 1/2 a bag of toffee bits. Serve with fresh apples, bananas and strawberries. MMMM! Enjoy! (I should add... just double the batch or you'll end up making it twice!)

April's Easter Bunny S'mores

My good friend, April, makes the best roast beef I've ever tasted! I've also had a few other treats of hers at Bunco and each have been fabulous. However, she claims not to be a cook. On Easter, she brought me this darling treat and it really made my day! I told her that I'd had several requests for the recipe after posting a photo of it on my daily blog. She said, "Oh good! This will be the only chance I ever have of making your cooking blog!" Hardly, but here it is. It was adorable and quite tasty!

1 sleeve of graham crackers
1/3 cup brown sugar

7-8 marshmallow peeps

1 1/2 cups Easter colored M&M's

Crush your graham crackers to crumbs and mix with the brown sugar. Layer the crumbs in the bottom of a 1 quart jar. Next, pour the M&M's over the crumb mixture. Then, place your bunnies standing up and facing out on inside of jar. Press them against the glass but don't squash them. Attach a gift card that says:.

EASTER BUNNY S'MORES

1. Empty the jar contents into a
bowl. Snip the bunnies into bits with
kitchen sheers or cut up with a knife.
Return the bunny bits to the mixture. Mix
well.
2. Melt 1/2 cup butter; add 1 teaspoon
vanilla. Pour this over the dry ingredients,
mixing well. Pat into a greased 9"
square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 15
minutes. Cool and cut into bars.
(Makes 9 to 12 bars.)
*Option - leave bunnies
whole; combine remaining
ingredients and place
the bunnies on top; then
bake as directed.

Personally, after making them, I'd just more like 1/3 cup of butter instead. I liked it better the second day than I did right out of the oven. So, I suggest cooling before serving. It was MOST tasty! Enjoy!

ROCKY ROAD

This quick and easy old fashioned treat is much simpler than Grannie made! I'm not a big marshmallow fan but this recipe is one you can't stop at one little bite! Make it when you have lots of company or you'll eat the whole pan yourself!

1 bag of Hershey's Milk Chocolate Chips

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

2 Tbsp. Butter

1 - 1 1/2 cups salted peanuts

1 - 1 1/2 cups cashews

1 10 oz. bag mini-marshmallows

Heat all except the marshmallows in a large bowl in the microwave until barely melted. Do not overcook! Stir in the bag of mini-marshmallows. Pour into a buttered 9x13 pan or Tupperware. Chill, cut into squares. Walk an extra mile tomorrow! Enjoy!

Lovable but Lethal Pecan Rolls!

These are unbelievably wonderful! And I believe, if you share them with someone you love, the fat grams and calories all disappear when you invert them in the pan! If you really want to kill someone with love, spread a layer of cream cheese frosting over top just before serving! Doug would describe these as "lethal". But... oh, sooooooooooooo good!

1 cup crushed pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Using a 12 muffin pan, put 2 teaspoons of brown sugar, 2 teaspoons of butter and cover the bottom of each muffin cup with pecans.

2 cups bisquick

2/3 cup smashed bananas

1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix well and knead. Roll into a rectangle on a floury counter top. Spread 2 more tablespoons of melted butter across the roll. Spread 1/2 cup of caramel topping evenly over that. (You can use the kind you dip apples in or ice cream topping or about 16 caramels, melted with 2-3 tablespoons of evaporated milk .) Sprinkle with more brown sugar (about another 1/4 cup). Roll it tightly and slice into 12 pieces. Place each piece into the muffin tins on top of the butter/nut mixture. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. Do not overbake! Remove from the oven and flip the pan upside down onto a cookie sheet or foil covered counter. Leave upside down for about 2 minutes so that the butter mixture settles into the roll. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Crunchy Lemon Bars

I was re-gifted a cook book over the holidays that I've fallen in love with! Here's an example of why! These tasty treats taste a bit like traditional lemon bars, but have the added texture, which we loved!

1 cup uncooked quick oats

1 cup flour

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter

1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind

Preheat oven to 350°. (325°, if using a glass dish.) In a medium bowl, combine oats, flour, coconut, nuts, sugar, baking powder and melted butter. Set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice and rind. Pat half the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of a 9x9" baking pan. (I doubled the recipe and used a jelly roll pan.) In a medium bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk mixture on top and then sprinkle with the remaining crumbs. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool thoroughly before cutting. Enjoy!

Natalie's Killer Chex Mix!

Seriously, this is the killer treat of all time! I only wish that I could say that it's fat free but with a pound of butter, I'm thinking not. Oh well. Life's too short not to spurge on the diet end every once and a while!

For a huge huge batch.

1 small box of Rice Chex

1 small box corn Chex

3 cups coconut

2 cups cashews or slivered almonds

1 cup craisins (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt:

1 pound butter

2 cups Karo syrup

2 cups sugar.

Bring to a rolling boil and let it continue to boil for three minutes. Remove from heat and add:

2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. baking soda

Pour over the chex mix. Toss and mix really well. Store in sealed container after completely cooled. (This fills the big Tupperware Fix and Mix Bowl.) Walk or swim five extra miles today and tomorrow and the rest of the week even though it was gone the first day! Enjoy!

The Sky's the Limit Popcorn

The photo above is from Super Bowl Sunday last year. Jamie made the Reeses version and the Oreo version of this popcorn. This recipe is fun because it's so versatile! Add the candy or cookies of your choice. I've had Reeses Peanutbutter Cups (my personal favorite) and Junior Mints and Hershey's kisses. You name it!

In a large bowl, mix:

2 bags of microwave popcorn (I use about 12 cups of homemade)

1 bag of mini-marshmallows

In a pan, add:

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup Karo Syrup

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.

Chop candybars or pour in you choice of candy. Some options:

• about 8 regular size Reeses Peanut butter cups


• about 40 Hershey's kisses (I used Mint Truffle last night and they were a hit!)


• 1 theater size box of Junior Mints


• about 30 Oreo cookies crushed


• a package of Chips Ahoy cookies, crushed


• get original, try something you love!

Add the candy or cookies to the popcorn. Pour the hot syrup over the popcorn. Put into a well-buttered 9x13" pan and cut like Rice Krispie treats or toss in a large bowl and serve with a scoop or spoon. Enjoy!

Norma's Doughnuts!

After hearing about her tradition, we began our own this year, by gathering together with friends and making donuts by the masses. It was too much fun! I got the recipe from my sweet friend, Norma, who is in her 90s! She's an amazing woman and I'm tickled to have a special recipe from her files!

1 cup shortening (I used butter flavored)

2 Tbsp. yeast dissolved in 1/2 cup warm water

5 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. salt

1/2 tsp lemon extract

2 cups mashed potatoes (she recommends making them from instant potatoes)

4 cups luke warm milk

5 pounds of flour (about 10 cups)

Scald milk with shortening, add salt, sugar and enough flour to the batter about the consistency of cake batter. Add the potatoes, beaten eggs and dissolved yeast, extract and enough flour to make a soft dough. Let raise twice and roll out flat. Cut into donut shapes. Let raise until light and fluffy (about fifteen more minutes.) Cook in hot oil (375°), turning as they become golden brown. Glaze or frost or dip in cinnamon sugar, plain sugar or powdered sugar. Enjoy!

A few tips:

• each batch makes about 60ish doughnuts


• we doubled the batch last night and used one gallon of Wesson Oil


• from the rolling out to eating point, it took one hour


• don't forget to cook the doughnut holes, toss them into a zip-lock bag of sugar and shake.


• Store them tightly once completely cooled


• Share some with a neighbor or friend!

Five Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

My friend, Sandy, sent this recipe in an email and I raced straight to the kitchen to try it! It got mixed reviews, but how dangerous is that to know that you are only five minutes away from a hot piece of chocolate cake at any time!

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips

a small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Pour in the milk and oil and add the egg and mix thoroughly. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. (Personally, at this point, next time I make it, I'd swirl in a bit of Caramel Ice Cream topping to make it a bit moister. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts (high). The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. (It really could serve two because it's quite rich!) Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Balls

These are so quick and easy and unfortunately, I could eat the entire pan! Very very tasty. It's a quick and easy way to make your own "Reese's Peanut butter Cups". I've tried lots of recipes for these, but this one is my favorite!

1 cup butter

4 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups peanut butter (I use chunky Adams Natural)

1 bag milk chocolate chips

Melt the butter and peanut butter in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and stir until mixed well. It will be a very thick consistency, almost a ball. Remove from heat. Roll the "dough" into teaspoon size balls. Cool for about fifteen minutes in the refrigerator. In your microwave, melt the chocolate chips. SLOWLY! Thirty seconds and remove from the microwave and stir, then thirty seconds more and again until they are creamy. Do not overcook the chips or they will crystallize and be of no use. Place a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Using a fork or spoon, roll the balls into the melted chocolate chips until completely covered. Place them on the wax paper and chill. Enjoy!!

Denise's Gooey Brown Balls

This is Denise's special treat every season. I'm not that big of a heavy chocolate fan, but everyone that is, loves these!

3 Giant Hershey bars

12 oz. cool whip

Vanilla wafers (1/2 box) very finely crushed or graham crackers

Crust the cookies first. Melt the candybars in a bowl in the microwave, but do NOT make them too hot. Once the chocolate is warm enough to melt, stir it until smooth. Fold in the Cool Whip gently. Using a large melonballer, scoop the mix forming a ball and dip into the crumbs and roll them, totally covering the chocolate with the crumbs. (They will be sticky.) Place in a Tupperware or other airtight container. This can also be rolled in coconut or finely crushed candy canes or Oreos. Store tightly closed. They firm up if stored in the refrigerator. Denise always says, "They don't always look that pretty, but, they are sooooooooooo goooooood!"

Carol's Soda Cracker Toffee!

Honestly, I get mad at Carol whenever she makes this because it's one of those "can't stop eating it until it's gone" type recipes! I prefer this to real toffee because you don't need dental work after you eat it. It's quick and easy to make and honestly, it's to die for!

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place one sleeve of saltine crackers, plus a few more to cover the entire bottom of the pan. *Do not crumble the crackers, place them whole.

In a pan, melt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Once it's melted, stir for three minutes. Pour the sauce over the crackers. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven. Pour one package of chocolate chips (Carol uses half semi-sweet and half milk chocolate chips) over the baked layers. Wait 30 seconds. Spread the chocolate to cover the pan. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Place in the refrigerator for one hour. Remove and then break into bite-size pieces. Store in a sealed container, "If it lasts that long!", says Carol, when she gave me the recipe! Enjoy!

Note: Carol also uses Andes Mints Peppermint or Mint Chocolate Chips or Toffee Bits in place of the chocolate chips.

Almond Bites

Mom discovered a freebie cookbook near the Hersheys display in a grocery store last week and brought it home to me. It was filled with some pretty fun treats but this one spoke to me immediately. I used almond Kisses instead of regular Hersheys Kisses but wow! These were great! They were simple to make, once I figured that I had to have my hands buttered while making them. I'll be honest here... the recipe only makes about 12-14 treats, so you may want to double or triple it to make it worth your time to make them. Did I mention "WOW!"?

About 14 Hershey Kisses

3/4 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup powdered sugar

3-4 tbsp. light corn syrup

1.2 tsp. almond extract

granulated sugar

Remove the wrappers from the kisses. Stir together in a small bowl the almonds and powdered sugar. In a cup, mix the Karo and almond extract. (The recipe actually called for 1 Tbsp. of Karo, but it took almost 4 before the mix held together.) Pour the syrup mixture over the almond mixture and stir until completely blended. With well-buttered hands, shape at least 1 tsp. of this mixture around each Kiss into a ball. Roll in sugar. Store in an airtight container. The recipe also suggested that you add red or green food coloring to your sugar but I thought that they looked better natural. Enjoy!

Dorothy's Pretzel Snacks

This is a favorite recipe in our neck of the woods and so simple. It's quick to put together with hardly any mess!

50 pretzels

50 bags of Rollo Candies

M&Ms (the holiday colored ones are fun when you make them in any season!)

Place pretzels on a cookie sheet or jelly-roll pan that is lined with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 250°. Place a rollo on each pretzel. Heat in oven for about 4 minutes, just long enough to get the Rollo soft. Remove from oven. Gently press an M&M on top. Let cool and they will harden quickly.

I'm going to make these with pecans or cashews instead of M&Ms for the next gathering that I have! Can't wait! If you've not had them, pick up the three ingredients today and try them! Enjoy!

the battle of the Caramel Corns

Connie and I go the rounds on this one because until I tried hers, I always thought that I made the best caramel corn in the world! Doug loves mine because it's baked and not so sticky. I now love Connie's because it's ooey and gooey and very simple to make! So, here's both our recipes! The photo is of Connie's. Mine looks like Cracker Jacks when I bake it. Below is another version of mine and it's out of this world delish! It's alway a perfect little holiday neighbor or office gift! (I'll try to remember to photograph it when I make some in the upcoming weeks.)

Connie's Caramel Corn

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup Karo syrup

1/2 cup butter

Place in large saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Boil five minutes. Stir in one can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour over 4 bags of microwave popcorn.

My Caramel Corn

Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large saucepan. Stir in:

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tsp. salt

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add:

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

Bake at 250° on a greased cookie sheet or jelly roll pan for one hour, stirring every fifteen minutes. Remove from heat and it will cool crunchy.

OR ~ and oh, is this a great OR!!!

Do not bake. Mix the caramel corn and, while still warm, toss in a bag of milk chocolate chips and 1 small can of cashews or pecans or peanuts. Toss well. Once cool, dish into large cellophane bags and tie with raffia or ribbon, add a cute tag and you've got a very tasty, cute gift that will be talked about for a long time!

Note: This recipe is finger licking good! Prepare to gain five pounds before the batch has disappeared or put on your walking shoes and walk a few extra miles for the next few days! Enjoy!