Caramel Corn Pops

I LOVE these! And they are so, so easy. (And they are much easier on the teeth than popcorn!)







1 - 8 oz. bag of "Barrel O' Fun Corn Pops (in the chip department)

1/2 c. butter (1 stick)

1/2 c. corn syrup

1 c. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

Boil butter, corn syrup and brown sugar for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add soda - stir to cause foaming. Pour over pops. (add cashews or peanuts if you like)

I omitted the next step:

( put it in the oven at 250 for 45 minutes stirring every 10 minutes. Pour onto wax paper. Break apart)

Peanut Butter Apple Dip

If you already like peanut butter on your apples, you'll probably love adding cool whip to it. If you don't like peanut butter on your apples, try this anyways - it's easy! Plus, school is starting and the kids need something yummy when they get home.

Amy and her kids loved it the other week when they were here. Our kids were trying to eat the dip all by itself as well.

Peanut Butter Apple Dip

1/4 C. peanut butter
1 1/2 C. Cool Whip

Grab a spoon and mix it well! If you want more peanut butter, feel free to play around with this recipe until it is the consistency that you like.

Mall Pretzels!!!

Today Erin and Sadie were at my house for an "overnighter" and we decided that we wanted to make something together. So, mostly since I've been craving them like crazy, we decided to try a recipe for those wonderfully soft, chewy, flavorful big pretzels that you can buy for about $5.00 at any mall. Fortunately, these didn't cost anywhere near that much. They were absolutely wonderful! They tasted EXACTLY like the ones at the mall, and, if I may be so bold, almost better!!! ;) The outside was brown and crispy, but the inside was soft and chewy. Definitely a keeper!!!

There were a couple of different things we would have done differently with the recipe, had I actually been smart enough to listen to my mom's opinion. This recipe calls for too much flour. When we had finished mixing it up, we had a mound of dough that was thick, stiff, and frankly impossible to work with. So, we ended up adding a little bit of water to it, and it was fine after that.

Another problem was that the pretzels stuck horribly to the parchment paper, surprisingly. I would recommend just spraying the cookie sheet with Pam. Also, we didn't have Bread Flour, so we used regular flour but added 3/4 of a tablespoon of Gluten to it, and it worked fine. We sprinkled the pretzels with salt on some and cinnamon sugar on others.

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast(about 2.25 tsp.)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup bread flour
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
2 tablespoons baking soda
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons coarse kosher salt



DIRECTIONS
In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast, brown sugar and salt in 1 1/2 cups warm water. Stir in flour, and knead dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover, and let rise for one hour.
Combine 2 cups warm water and baking soda in an 8 inch square pan.
After dough has risen, cut into 12 pieces. Roll each piece into a 3 foot rope, pencil thin or thinner. Twist into a pretzel shape, and dip into the baking soda solution. Place on parchment covered cookie sheets, and let rise 15 to 20 minutes.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with coarse salt, garlic salt or cinnamon sugar.

One with lotsa cinnamon sugar!!!!

Cannon's piece sign...

Hearts

Summer Treat

Here is something fun to make with the kids this summer. Mine had a lot of fun helping me make these - measuring milk, cool whip, and crushing the oreos were easy jobs for them. I saw this recipe in my free Kraft food & family magazine.

Cookies & Creme Pudding Pops

1 pkg (3.9 oz) Chocolate Instant Pudding
2 cups cold milk
6 oreo cookies
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip

Beat pudding and cold milk. Place cookies in ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin. Stir cookies and cool whip into pudding. Spoon into small paper or plastic cups. Insert a wooden stick or plastic spoon into each for a handle. Freeze 5 hrs or until firm.
Tip: To remove cup, put the bottom and sides under warm water. I just turned the faucet on hot - they came off easily.

Sweets

Look at this corn-on-the-cob! Last night our hilarious friends, Deanna and Cheryl, made these and brought them over. I had never seen cupcakes decorated to look like this before. They used jelly beans, laffy taffy for butter, and made dark sugar sprinkles to look like pepper. I think the kids are eating them right now as I type!




Next, just an idea for a yummy brownie. I sprinkled a 1/2 cup of toffee bits and some chopped pecans over the top of the brownie batter. Next time I would use 3/4 or 1 cup of toffee bits.

Easter Cream Puffs

One Easter tradition that we have at my house is making these cream puffs the Saturday night before Easter Sunday. They are then ready on Easter and are very Yummy! I love how the recipe ties in with Easter, and I can't wait to make them tomorrow night again! The direction's aren't really that long, it just explains the parallels with Easter. They are really easy and WONDERFUL for the kids to help make!

Here's the recipe:

Easter Cream Puffs
¼ tsp. vinegar
½ cup margarine
1 cup water
1 cup flour
¼ tsp. salt
4 eggs
Pastry filling

Let children smell vinegar. Explain that when Jesus was on the cross, he was given vinegar to drink. Add ¼ tsp. to a 2-quart saucepan. Mix together water and salt. This represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Add to saucepan. Add the margarine and heat mixture until it boils. Remove from heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously. The color white represents the purity of those whose sins have been cleansed through the atonement of Christ. Preheat the oven to 375°. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, until smooth. The eggs represent life. Jesus gave his life that we might live. Using a large spoon and rubber spatula, drop onto cookie sheets in 12 large mounds. Each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus was laid. Bake for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and cut a slit in the side of each puff. After Jesus had died, the soldiers took a spear and pierced his side. Put the puffs back in the oven to dry, then turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door. Jesus' tomb was also sealed. Go to BED. They may feel sad to leave the cream puffs in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were also in despair when Jesus' was gone. The next morning,(possibly Easter morning) open the door and give everyone a cream puff. Slice the top open and notice that they are hollow inside. On the first Easter, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb empty! Fill with your favorite flavor of pudding or custard and enjoy!

sorry, no picture, I haven't made them yet!

Vanishing Breakfast Rolls (or afterschool snack)

These were yummy!!! My kids were in heaven. And even better-they were easy. My friend, Melissa stopped by and ate a cold leftover that was sitting out on the counter. She liked it cold, too. These were hard to stop eating. The marshmallow melts all inside, so the middle is hollow.

I got this recipe from My Sisters' Cucina.

2 pkgs Refridgerated Biscuits (10 rolls per pack)

Marshmallows,

Big or Mini

3 Tbsp Butter, melted

Cinnamon & Sugar mix (1/2 cup sugar to 1/2 tsp cinnamon)

Seperate biscuits and smash down with the palm of your hand. If you have big marshmallows you are ready to roll marshmallow in butter, then into cinnamon & sugar. If you have mini marshmallows take a handful and roll them into a ball with your hands, then roll in butter and cinnamon & sugar. Place one buttery, cinnamon & sugar marshmallow on each flattened biscuit and wrap biscuit around and pinch to seal. Place in sprayed cupcake pan seam side down and bake at the degrees according to biscuit package directions. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and serve.

Microwave Chocolate Cake

I can't say this is a super-delicious chocolate cake, so why am I posting it? Because it is a kid-friendly recipe! My kids had a blast making this and they were so proud. I found this recipe somewhere on the internet and had to try it. It's hard letting my kids help me in the kitchen -- I try to be patient, but sometimes... Anyways, since this was a little cake for the kids I relaxed and let them take over (except for the egg, I couldn't bring myself to let them crack it). The first time we tried it one of my daughters had a friend over who was turning 4 that day, so they got to make a birthday cake. They were so excited they forgot to ask for frosting -- hooray!

5 Minute Chocolate Mug Cake

4 Tbsp flour
4 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking cocoa
1 egg
3 Tbsp milk
3 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp sour cream (if you have any on hand--the original recipe didn't call for this, but I added it to make the cake a little more moist)
3 Tbsp chocolate chips (they all sunk to the bottom but were still tasty)

Add dry ingredients to a large mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil, mix well. Stir in chocolate chips. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes. Allow to cool for a little while, and then tip it out onto a plate. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on top if you want, or frost it.

Fudge-Quick and easy

This fudge is so yummy. It's addicting! You can make lots of different kinds by changing up the combination of frosting and chips. I used peanut butter chips and butter cream frosting. It was delicious. I also used milk chocolate chips and coconut pecan frosting. This one tasted like Almond Joy.

Other great combos:
chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting
mint chocolate chips and chocolate frosting
peanut butter chips and chocolate frosting
white chocolate chips and vanilla frosting.

Use your imagination and get some good combinations!!!

1 bag of chocolate chips
1 can of frosting
1 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt



Melt chips in microwave, 30 second at a time, stirring after every 30 seconds. When they are melted, stir in frosting, vanilla and salt. Press into a square baking pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer or freeze for a quicker set. You can line your pan with wax paper or parchment paper for easy removal of the fudge. Cut into squares and serve. Try not to eat it all!!!

Easy Bake Recipes

We don't have an easy bake oven at our house, but I know my sister-in-law does so I was happy when I found these recipes that are probably a lot cheaper than buying easy bake mixes. So click here if you need these recipes for your kids.

Popcorn With Almond Bark

Madelyn made us a wonderful New Year's Eve treat today (recipe from Amy). My mom was here and kept snitching some (supposably she doesn't eat sugar...), but she couldn't resist this one!

Here's what Madelyn did:

• Pop 2 bags of microwave popcorn (she used the light butter kind)
• Melt 4 squares of almond bark or white chocolate (you can always add more or less depending on how you like it)
  
• Pour over popcorn, add sprinkles, and stir

I LOVE this popcorn. Thanks Madelyn!

Curly Dogs

This is a really simple thing to make for lunch.

Hot dogs

Rhodes frozen rolls (you need one rolls for each hot dog)

Unthaw the rolls until they are still a little cold. I put mine in a plastic bag in the microwave for about a minute. Then roll out into a "snake" and wrap around the hot dog. Place on a cookie sheet that is sprayed and bake for 20 min. and 350.

Messy Kid Recipe - Smores!

First of all, I want to say I've had fun making recipes from this blog: Dorito Chicken, Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, Peach Pie, No-Bake Cookies -- looks like I have a sugar addiction. I have also used the meal planner/grocery list thing - thanks Tawnya. Thanks for all the fun recipes! I plan on using more of them soon.

I had some kids over the other day for a rotating preschool we are doing. The letter we were working on is "C" and the theme I chose to do was camping. I found this easy idea online for making Smores. Just thought it would be fun for those of you with kiddos. You'll love having chocolate on their hands and shirts when they're done.

Ingredients:

chocolate frosting

marshmallow cream

graham crackers

popsicle sticks for spreading

Spread chocolate frosting on one graham cracker, marshmallow cream on the other, and slap them together.

SO Simple Pizza!

Ok guys fair warning, this is almost as easy as cold cereal for dinner, nothin fancy! Most of you have probably even had it but it's new to me. And if you haven't made these you should because they are SO easy, yummy and can be pretty healthy, or not, whatever you prefer!

Tortillas (White or whole wheat work)

Pizza sauce (I made my own tonight because we didn't have any)

Cheese (I used Monterrey jack but of course mozzarella is best)

Toppings (I had onions and bell peppers so that's what I used this time)

You just put tortillas on a cookie sheet, spread with pizza sauce, cheese then your toppings. I put ours in the oven at 400 degrees until the cheese was bubbly and the edges were crisp.

(I've never made them this way but I'll bet it would be good to make a BBQ chicken pizza this way too!)