Yummy Carmel Corn

This make a yummy crunchy- sticky treat!  Great to bag up and share for holidays.

6 Quarts popped popcorn (2 bags microwave natural)
1 Cup mixed nuts
2 Cups brown sugar
1/2 Cup lt. karo syrup
2 sticks butter or margarine
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 250'
Pop popcorn and remove old maids.  Spread out on cookie sheets or roasting pan.
Add nuts

Melt butter, add brown sugar, salt and karo syrup. Stirring constantly over med-high heat bring to boil.
let boil 5 minutes without stirring
Remove from heat and add soda and vanilla.
pour over popcorn, stirring to coat.  Bake for 45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes!
YUMMY!

Fruit Kabobs

We have been making these all summer. I usually just put an assortment of fruit out and let the kids create. They also like to add in one large marshmallow as well. They are a fun, healthy snack that my kids love!

Black Bean Pot Stickers

Black Bean Filling for Pot Stickers
*measurements are approx.

1 can black beans drained
Minced onion 1/2 to 1 cup depending on how much you like
2 cloves of garlic minced
fresh or powdered ginger to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
tablespoon of sesame seeds
tablespoon of soy sauce
Sesame or Olive oil
Won Ton Wrappers

Cook the onions, garlic and ginger in oil until the onions are translucent. Add the can of beans, lemon juice, sesame seeds and soy sauce. Cooked till heated thru.

Place a spoonful in your favorite won ton wrap, pinch closed, cook and serve.

* we fried them, but on the won ton wrap wrapper all recipes provided were baked in the oven. so we'll try that next time to see the difference.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

Pop two bags of popcorn, and pour them into a brown grocery sack.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the following, melt for two minutes and then stir:

1 stick butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. Karo syrup

After stirring, melt for 2 more minutes. Then mix in 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Stir well until it fluffs. Pour mixture over popped popcorn into the brown grocery sack, and shake.

Fold over top of bag, place in microwave and cook for 90 seconds.

Take out and shake again (or stir)

Cook for another 45 seconds in the microwave.

Then cool on wax paper.

Super Power Muffins

These are easy, freeze well and the kids really like them... so they are great when we are running late for school (and they even have some nutritional value!).

1 C brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 C peanut butter
1 smashed banana
1/2 C of applesauce
1 egg
1 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients well and set aside. Blend everything else and then sift in the dry ingredients. Bake in a muffin tin for 15-18 minutes.

I stole it from a comment on a blog... so I don't know who to credit for the recipe.

Oatmeal Berry Bars

I got this from Family Fun Magazine...and a BUNCH of cheap blueberries at Costco...so I had to try it. They are SOOOOO good! I also liked that they weren't horrible for you either!


Oatmeal Berry Bars

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:


Crust and Topping:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
2 1/2 cups quick-cook oats
2 tablespoons apple or orange juice

Filling:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups (18 ounces) fresh blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


1. Heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan.
2. Add the flour, light brown sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine, then add the butter and pulse five or six more times until coarse crumbs form. Add the oats and pulse two or three more times. I don't have a food processer, so I used my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer....worked great...just had to mix it longer.
3. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and set it aside. Add the juice to the remaining mixture and pulse three or four times until it's just moistened. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.
4. For the filling, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Add the fruit and lemon juice and gently toss the mixture using a rubber spatula until the fruit is coated. Distribute the filling over the crust.
5. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the filling. Bake the dish until the top is golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours, then cut the sheet into 16 bars. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Nutritional InformationPer serving (1 bar):Calories 199Total Fat 7 g (10% DV) Saturated Fat 4 g (21% DV) Cholesterol 15 mg (5% DV) Sodium 92 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate 33 g (11% DV) Fiber 3 g (12% DV) Sugars 16 gProtein 3 g (6% DV)Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Frozen Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tablespoon water
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Stir in the vanilla, water, flour, chocolate chips,
and walnuts, if desired, and mix until well blended. (Mixture will look granulated until rolled together.) Roll dough into bite-sized balls or use a small ice cream scoop. Place on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Store balls in resealable plastic bags in the freezer.

**I had to freeze them on a plate, since a cookie sheet doesn't fit in my freezer. I covered the plate with suran wrap and then placed a sheet of suran wrap over the cookies as they froze.

Recipe was originally found on: Allrecipes.com

Easter bird nests

Im sure you've seen these, but I thought it was a fun idea, and my kids had lots of fun making them to take to their teachers for Easter. I think we will make more for their teachers at church too.

Make Rice Krispy treats as usual, but while warm shape them into nests using cupcake tins as molds. When they've cooled add the eggs and your done. (we prefer the cadbury mini chocolate eggs- yummy)

Fruit Dip

Combine:
1 -8oz. pkg. Cream cheese
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. white sugar
-Mix until smooth.

Add:
1/2 bag Heath toffee chips

Refrigerate & dip to your heart's content.

Chex Carmel Corn

This one is super easy and very yummy! Have your kids help mix it up.

4 1/2 Cups Corn OR Rice Chex cereal


4 cups popped popcorn (remove old maids)


1/2 Cup honey roasted peanuts (if desired)





1/4 Cup butter or margarine


1/3 cup packed brown sugar


2 Tbs. light corn syrup


1/4 tsp. vanilla





1. In a large microwave bowl, mix cereal, popcorn & peanuts.





2. In a medium microwave bowl, microwave butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and vanilla uncovered on High about 2 minutes or until mixture is boiling, stirring after 1 minute. Pour over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly coated.





3. Microwave uncovered on High another 4-5 minutes, stirring after every minute. Spread on wax paper to cool. Store in airtight container.