Chewy Caramel Corn

This is my favorite caramel corn recipe that I have used for decades. I have tried many other recipes but this one wins out everytime.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb bag brown sugar
1 square butter
1 cup White Karo syrup
1 can Ego brand condensed milk

Cook brown sugar, butter, karo syrup to soft ball stage. Medium boil for 5 minutes then do the cold water test. Should be soft ball stage when you pour a tiny amount in a cup of cold water. Form a ball with fingers, if soft then take off stove. Stir in Condensed milk, bring to boil again and cook for 3 more minutes. Pour over 2 large bowls of popped corn. Stir until all covered.

SCREAMING YELLOW ZONKERS

This is a sweet butter glaze that is so yummy. Very addicting so BEWARE!

INGREDIENTS

I lb butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup white karo syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda

Pop 1 1/2 cups popcorn. Makes a very large bowl full ( large tupperware bowl). Sometimes I get more and put in another bowl.
I divide the popped corn in 2 separate bowl (large). Makes it eaiser to stir when the topping in on.
Bring to a boil all ingredients except soda. Boil exactly 5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in soda. It will foam up. Pour over pop corn and stir to cover all the popped corn.

BACAN WRAPS

INGREDIENTS
1 lb. bacon  (lean)
Bag of pitted dates
Bag or jar of smoked almonds

Cut each strip of bacon into 3rds,  NOT length wise, Depending how long the strips are, 3rds is good. Needs to fit around the fig.
Place 0ne almond on the hole of each date. Wrap bacon around and secure with a toothpick.
Line a cookie sheep with foil. Place bacon wraps on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 til bacon is done. Remove and place on paper towel to absorb any grease. Serve.
Depending on how many you want to make is how much bacon, almonds and figs to buy.
Made around 40

MILE HIGH YOGART BROWNIES

INGREDIENTS
This recipe is for a 8X8 square pan. I doubled the recipe and put in a 9X13

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup plain low-fat yogart
3 eggs
1 stick butter
3 squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Frosting
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup plain low-fat yogart

Heatyour oven to 350
Lightly grease and flour pan
In a large mixing bowl combine sugar, eggs butter, 1 cup yogart, melted baking choc. and vanilla. Beat with electric beater on medium until well blended.
Add
Flour, baking powder, soda, salt. Beat at low speed until blended.
Spread mixture evenly in pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely

In sauce pan melt chips over low heat, stirring, or microwave til melted. Add 1/4 cup yogart. Stir until smooth. Frost brownies. Makes 12 med. 16 small
In 9X13 makes 24 brownies

GERMAN PANCAKE

NEW YEARS DAY BREAKFAST

INGREDIENTS
6 EGGS
1 CUP MILK
1 CUP FLOUR

Beat all ingredients together with electric beater 2 minutes.
Melt 6 Tlb butter and pour in bottom of a 9X13 pyrex dish. Pour egg mixture over butter.
Put in preheated oven 425 degrees for 20 minutes. As it cooks it puffs up very high. When you take it out of the oven it will settle just a bit.
Serve with raspberries that are thawed. Sprinkle raspberries with sugar to sweeten. Put over pancake and sprinkle with powder sugar.
Serve with fresh peaches in summer months
Serve with syrup
Serve with strawberries thawed and sweetened with sugar. Put over pancake and sprinkle with powder sugar.
Top with whipped cream...optional.

VEGETABLE DIP

This dip is my all time Favorite Vegetable Dip
INGREDIENTS

1 cup Best Foods Mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Bon Appetit seasoning
1-2 teaspoons Dill Weed

Mix altogether and let set to blend flavor for several minutes.
Good with all vegetables

PINEAPPLE PECAN CHEESE BALL

I made this cheese ball last year to give to my neighbors. I made them into the shape of logs and gave a roll of crackers with it. I wrapped the cheese logs in plastic wrap and put them in a celephane bags and tied them with cute Christmas ribbon. I had lots of compliments. Hope you enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS
1 8 oz. softened cream cheese
1 small can crushed pineapple in sweetened juice, drained
2 green onions chopped fine with part of the green.
1 cup chopped pecans (can use walnuts)

Mix together all but nuts.Make a ball shape with hands and roll in chopped nuts. Chill for several hours. Serve with crackers.

BETTER THAN SEX CUPCAKES

My neice Katie made these delicious cupcakes for Thanksgiving. They are very rich but yummy. The best part is how easy they are to make.

INGREDIENTS
1 German Chocolate Cake mix
Mix as directed and bake cupcakes
When cooled. Poke a hole in the center oc each cupcake. Fairly large, like the size of a dime.
Fill center of each cupcake with Caramel Ice Cream topping.
Spray the top of each cup cake with whipped cream and sprinkle with toffee chips. DIG IN FOLKS
Make for a cute center piece for your party table.

COCONUT BREAD

I was introduced to this wonderful bread by a friend, Cheryl who is a fabulous cook. We use to exchange recipes all the time when our kids were little and we were neighbors. Since we have moved away from each other and all of our kids have grown  I hadn't talked to her for a couple of years. A few weeks ago I was going through an old cook book and found this recipe. I was ecstatic. I made this bread every year at Christmas and New Years but had lost the recipe ( so I thought) and have not made it for several years. If you like the flavor of coconut and butter you will love this bread. It is very very moist and full of flavor.

INGREDIENTS
makes 2 loaves or 4 small

Beat together:
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 square soft butter

Mix in:
2 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coconut extract
Mix with beaters til smooth

Fold in:
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts ( I prefer pecans)

Bake at 325 for 1 hour. Test with sticking a tooth pick in the center of loaf. If it comes out clean it is done.
Leave bread in the pans

Topping:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 Tlb butter
Bring to boil then simmer 5 min. Add 1 teaspoon coconut extract.
Pour mixture over each loaf slowly to allow it to soak in. Leave in the pans for 1 hour then remove. This bread can be frozen and still taste wonderful months later.

CHERRY CHEESE BALL

INGREDIENTS
1 8oz Philly cream cheese softened
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup powdered sugar
8-10 marachino cherries chopped
3/4-1 cup chopped pecans

Mix together in a bowl everything but the nuts. Mix well. Shape into a ball and roll in the chopped nuts. Place in the center of a plate and serve with fruit (variety of apples, sliced pears and crackers)

NO NO's (Chocolate mousse balls)

Ingredients

3 large 6.8 oz. each Hershey Almond Hershey Bars

1 box Keebler Vanilla Wafers- Do not substitute, they will not taste as good

1 8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed

Break up bars in a bowl and microwave in 1 min intervals stirring after each til melted. Set aside and let cool all the way.

Take the vanilla wafers and put in a Large zip lock bag, letting the air out. Roll wafers with rolling pin til they are crushed powder like. Pour in a large shallow bowl for dipping.

Sir in the cool whip a little at a time mixing til smooth scrapping the bottom of pan to get all the chocolate mixed.

The mousse should be fairly firm. If the chocolate is too cool it will not mix well so I put it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and continue to stir til smooth.

Take a teaspoon and scoop up some mousse and drop in the crushed wafers. Cover all over and then take and roll in palm of your hand to make a ball. You may need to dip again and roll to completly cover. Drop on wax paper. If balls are too big you won't get 30 balls

Makes about 30-40 med balls.

* if you buy the bars that are usually 10 for $10 during the holidays you will need to use 5 bars. If the balls tend to go flat on the bottom while dipping then put mix in the fridge for about 20 min. then continue to roll. Put them in the fridge til firm and then transfer to a holiday can or container.

DANISH DESSERT

This desert is better when made several hours ahead. As it sits the bottom crust softens and makes it eaiser to cut and serve.

Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups flour 1 cup butter melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped nuts

Mix together and pat in bottom of 9X13 pan. Bake 350 15 minutes. Cool

Filling:
2- 8oz cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
12 oz. cool whip
Beat all together til smooth and spread over crust

Topping:
1 box raspberry Danish Dessert made according to directions. Add 1 pkg frozen raspberries, thawed. Pour over cream cheese filling. Chill several hours.

CROCK POT DIP

This dip is a good crowd pleaser for any holiday party, super bowel game, or just because you love it!

Ingredients
1 lb Jimmy Dean original sausage. Brown in large pot and drain(I love JD sausage because there is little fat) 
1 onion diced
1 green pepper diced
2 qrts stewed tomatoes- blend in blender
1 t garlic salt
1 8oz. cream cheese
2 cans diced green chilies
Put everything in the pot with the sausage and blend with spoon.Bring to a boil stirring now and then. Pour into a crock pot and turn on low to keep warm. Serve with Tortilla chips.

CHEX MUNCH

This is such an easy scrumpcious treat. It is full of a sweet butter flavor. Be carefull it is addicting!!

Ingredients
1 cup butter
1 cup margarine
2 cups sugar
2 cups White Karo syrup
Bring to a boil. Boil for a few minutes for 5 min. Take off stove and pour over:

In a large bowl
1 cup slivered almonds
1 cup shredded coconut
1 17 0z box Rice Chex cereal
1 17 0z. box Corn Chex cereal
Mix til all coated.

CARROTT CHOWDER

I had this chowder at a friends house several years ago at a Superbowl party. It did not sound that good, but after I had a bowl with bread sticks I had to have more. It was the hit of the party. I have made it ever since around Christmas and New Years.
I know you won't be disappointed in this delicious chowder.

Ingredients
1 lb lean ground beef, cook and drain, salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
4 cups V-8 juice ( 1 tall can)
2 cans cream of celery soup
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups grated carrotts
Simmer for 30 minutes and add 1/8t marjorum seasoning
1/2 t pepper
1 t salt
1 t sugar
Serves 8

ROLO PECAN TREATS

Ingredients
Rolo's candy (caramel candy in chocolate) in a bag or in the roll. Each Rolo has 8 caramels. The bag has several more for the money- thanks to Wallmart.
Bag of whole pecans
Bag of pretzels.

Place pretzels on a large cookie sheet. Place a rolo on top of each pretzel in the middle.
Put cookie sheet in a heated oven that you turned off. Wait a few minutes til the rolos look soft. Take out of oven and carefully press a whole pecan in the center which will spread out the rolo. WaaLaa. That simple and so yummy.

CHOCOLATE PECAN PIE

This is a pie from Martha Stewart that is divine IF YOU LIKE NUTS. I find that the nuttier I get the more I like them.
do NOT re-heat or you will have chocolate soup with pecans. (It will still taste pretty good, but not look a thing like a piece of pie.)


•4 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
•4 large eggs, lightly beaten
•1 1/2 cups light corn syrup
•1/2 cup sugar
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1 cup pecans
•1 pie crust (I do not make pie crusts - simply not "my thing".)


Directions (from Martha herself)
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring occasionally, until smooth, 2 to 3 minutes (or melt chocolate in microwave - stirring every 30 seconds). Set aside.


2.In a medium bowl, stir together (do not whisk) eggs, corn syrup, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Stirring constantly, gradually add melted chocolate. Pour filling into prepared crust; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. Arrange pecans in one even layer over filling.


3.Bake just until set (filling should jiggle slightly when pie plate is tapped), 50 to 60 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool completely on a wire rack, at least 4 hours (or up to overnight) before serving.