Apple Spiced Caramel Popcorn

I have been obsessed with popcorn ever since I made the chocolate popcorn over a month ago.  I have been making this caramel popcorn for a long time and it is always a huge hit with the whole family.  I wanted to add some fall flavor so I added some apple pie spice and I *love* how it turned out.  Just the right hint of apple and spice with the sweetness of the caramel.  This popcorn is absolutely wonderful without the spice too.  I would really like to blame my children for how quickly this popcorn went but I would be a big popcorn stuffed liar.  This makes a great snack but I think this is such fun party food too.  Perfect to serve at  a Halloween party.


Tips:
I think this would be great with pumpkin pie spice too.  This would be fun to serve for guests to snack on while Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared.  


If you like your popcorn lightly coated use 3 bags, if you like it heavily coated (as myself) use 2 bags of popcorn.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice
• 2-3 bags of popped microwave popcorn

Directions:

Preheat oven to 250.  Place popcorn in a large bowl.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Add brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.  Boil 3 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract, apple pie spice and baking soda.

Pour over popcorn tossing well to coat.  Spread onto a large baking sheet.  Bake at 250 for 45 minutes tossing every 15 minutes.

Let cool before breaking into pieces.  I find this step very difficult. =)

Enjoy!

Chocolate and Granola Dipped Apples

These are so good tasting and good for you to. They make a great snack or party food. My kids devoured these! They couldn't be easier to make. 3 ingredients! So what are we waiting for? Let's do this thing! 


Ingredients:
 2 large apples, cut into wedges
 3 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped
 1/4 cup granola (without raisins)


 Directions: Place chopped chocolate in a microwave safe dish. Microwave, 30 seconds at a time until melted and smooth. Dip apples wedges into chocolate then dredge in granola. Serve immediately.

 Enjoy!

Sweet and Salty Honey- Cheese Spread

Wow, what a week and half!  We started off with us taking our 4 year old to the emergency last Sunday, then my son got sick, then it hit me!  What can I say, we like to spread the love in our home.  Hopefully we are all on our way to better health.  Now I just need to bleach my house down.  Sometimes, a good cleansing of the house and the soul makes everything new.  My in laws were also in town, so we have been very busy.  I'm glad to be back to sharing some recipes with y'all.  I served this recipe while they were here and it makes a great appetizer.  Perfect for entertaining.  Tangy goat cheese + salty sunflowers + sweet honey = Bliss.  It comes together in 10 minutes, so keep these ingredients on hand and you'll never get caught off guard with surprise guests!

Ingredients:

1 (10.5- oz.) goat cheese log (Found in the specialty cheese section of your grocery store)
1/2 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds
1/3 cup honey
Assorted crackers

Directions:

Press or roll goat cheese log in roasted sunflower seeds, thoroughly coating cheese, including ends.  Arrange cheese on a serving platter with any remaining sunflower seeds.  Drizzle with honey.  Serve with crackers.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Popcorn

I made it through Lilly's first day of preschool!  Barely, but I made it.  Lilly is my 4 year old and she has been home with me since the day she was born.  She has been my constant companion and I love every minute of it.  She is a very precocious red head and she provides me a lot of entertainment.  So her being at school two days a week seems like, excuse my drama, the end of the world.  I know this is a great thing for her and will allow me to have special time with my almost 2 year old son.  I will adjust, right?  I decided to make her a special after school snack for her first day.  We all loved this popcorn.  It is so good!  It's got me wanting to play around with more popcorn flavors.  The sweet and salty combination has always been a favorite of mine.  Next time I think I 'll throw in some M&M's for some color and extra bling. =)


Ingredients:

12 cups popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup light-color corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Remove all unpopped kernels from popped popcorn.  Place popcorn in a 17 x 11 x 2-inch baking or roasting pan lined with foil or parchment paper.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and butter.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture boils.  Remove pan from heat.  Stir in chocolate pieces and vanilla until chocolate is melted.

Pour the hot chocolate mixture over popcorn; stir gently to coat.  Bake for 45 minutes, stirring mixture gently every 15 minutes.  Spread mixture on a large piece of foil.  Cool completely.  Store coated popcorn, tightly covered, for up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

I'm linked up at:
http://sweet-as-sugar-cookies.blogspot.com/2011/08/sweets-for-saturday-30.html
http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/08/sweet-indulgences-sunday-17.html
http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/08/11/sweet-tooth-friday-guest-post-chocolate-chip-cookie-cupcakes/
http://mangoesandchutney.com/2011/08/fat-camp-friday-40-cranberry-chicken-salad.html
http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/

Baked Zucchini Fries

I hope all of you had a wonderful holiday weekend!  I sure did. (Thanks Aunt Bev!) However, with that usually comes some indulgent food choices so I thought I better make some healthier recipes this week to reign myself back in.  I did love every bite though!

I am not the greatest of gardeners, matter of fact I am pretty bad at it.  I'm not so good with the whole weeding thing. This year I bought some zucchini plants.  My brother planted them for me in my Dad's garden and my Dad has done all the weeding for me.  I think it has worked out quite well.  I have never grown it before and I had no clue how big the plants get.  Wow!  And they produce alot of zucchini! Good thing I love it.  There are so many things you can do with it, this is just one of many. These are awesome! They are crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.  And there is no guilt with these!  These are perfect served with some marinara or ranch.  Bake some up tonight!

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchini, sliced into sticks
1 large egg white
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
cooking spray
salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Cut zucchini into thin sticks.
In a small bowl, beat the egg white and season with salt and pepper.
In a Ziplock bag, place the breadcrumbs and garlic powder; shake well to combine the mixture.
Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray and set aside.  Dip the zucchini sticks into the egg and then place into the bread crumb bag, a few at a time and shake to coat.  Place the breaded zucchini in a single layer on your prepared cookie sheet.  Repeat with all of the remaining zucchini sticks.  Spray more cooking spray on top of the zucchini sticks.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Serve with some marinara sauce for dipping.

 Enjoy!

Black Raspberry Vanilla Smoothie

It's starting to warm up here finally! I am a warm weather girl all the way! Just ask my Northern friends that listened to me whine for 2 1/2 years! I love warm weather food. Fresh fruits and vegetables. I love smoothies and so does my family. My kids think they are getting a milkshake. I'm sneaky like that. This can be made with fresh or frozen fruit. Since frozen fruit is cheaper right now and more readily available that's the route I chose. This makes a great breakfast or snack. I often put in a 1/4 cup of instant oatmeal for added fiber. You can also add some protein powder to "Pump you Up". (Anyone else remember that hilarious skit from Saturday Night Live?)

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries
1/2 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1 cup vanilla yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup ice

Blend all ingredients together. If it's to thick for your liking you can add some milk or water.

Enjoy!

Caramel Apple Dip

I love caramel apples. Let's be honest, not to many people don't. But they are kind of hard to eat. Especially for kids. This dip taste just like a caramel apple. This recipe is so easy and absolutely delicious! It makes a great appetizer, snack, or dessert.  Great way to get everyone eating fruit!


Ingredients:


25 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped.
1/4 cup of water
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar


In a microwave safe bowl, melt caramels and water, slowly, stirring often. I did 40 second intervals.


In a medium size bowl cream together cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Fold in caramel mixture and beat until smooth. Serve with apple slices or whatever fruit you like! Can be refrigerated until ready to serve. Serves 8.


Enjoy!

Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Bouquets

With Valentine's Day quickly approaching I decided it was time for some sweet recipes. I made one of these bouquets for each of my children. They already ate them so I guess I will be making more for the actual holiday. They are super easy to make and really a darn tasty little treat. My husband has been out of town all week. =( So I have done very little gourmet cooking. It was more about surviving. When the cats away the little mice will play and try to get away with as much as possible.  Anyways, I have some great recipes planned for y'all in lieu of Valentine's Day. I have a decadent breakfast recipe that you can make your loved one this weekend and serve them in bed. (That ought score some points, huh?) A gourmet dinner to wow them with, a fabulous dessert, and a chocolate sugar cookie that will keep you out of the dog house for years to come. My husband and I will be celebrating our anniversary this weekend so I will post the dinner on Sunday. I have always said I show love through food. It really is a great way to say "I love you". Don't want to sit in a busy restaurant on Monday? Make your honey a romantic meal at home.

Ingredients:

1 bag of pretzel rods
regular and white chocolate almond bark
Valentine’s Day themed sprinkle candies

1. Melt almond bark in microwave according to package directions. Dip pretzels in chocolate. We spooned the chocolate onto the pretzels to get the pretzels more covered in the chocolate.

2. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles right after dipping pretzels in chocolate. Lay on wax or parchment paper and let harden.

Enjoy!

By the way, I got these cute little vases at the dollar store.

Baked Buffalo Wings with Two Sauces

Ahhh... the quintessential game day food.  Hot wings.  This recipe was requested by a good friend of mine.  He doesn't have a deep fryer so he wanted a baked version.  I love a good food challenge!  Can baked wings be as good as their evil, fried counterparts?  My professional taste tester (my husband) says yes.  That's good enough for me!  We Americans love them.  Even though there is not much meat on those little bones.  That doesn't stop us from sucking those bones dry, does it?  Now days when you go to a wing joint, there are so many flavors to choose from.  Chicken wings are typically fried then coated in the sauce.  I baked mine in the oven and they came out so crispy and delicious.  Then I tossed them in the different sauces.  You'll never know they weren't fried.  That's not to say they are healthy.  Let's just go with it and then run tomorrow.  Actually you run, I hate running.  I'll just eat a couple more sticks of celery. That counteracts it, right?

Ingredients:

5 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons neutral oil
salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups all- purpose flour

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil.  Brush oil on baking sheet.

Rinse the wings and pat them dry with a paper towel.  In a large bowl, toss the wings in the flour.  Salt and pepper the wings.  Place the chicken wings on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. With tongs, turn chicken over and bake for another 15- 20 minutes or until golden brown.  Toss in sauce of your choice.

Buffalo Wing Sauce:

1 stick butter, melted
1 cup hot sauce ( I used Frank's Red Hot Sauce)

Heat butter and hot sauce in a small saucepan until combined.

Honey Barbecue Sauce:

1 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup honey
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons hot sauce
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Simmer together on low while wings bake.

Enjoy!

Baked Mozzarella Cheese Sticks

My kiddos love mozzarella cheese sticks! We order them a lot as an appetizer when we eat out. Which honestly, with three kids and a dutch husband is not very much. =) So I decided to start making these at home. I have both fried and baked them. They are more decadent fried but still have great crispiness when baked. Since my kids request them often I usually bake them. Less mess to clean up and healthier for my kids. I serve them with marinara or ranch.

Ingredients:

• 12 Mozzarella cheese sticks (the individually wrapped kind for snacking)
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 egg whites, whipped until very soft peaks
• 1 cup panko crumbs
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian Blend Dried Herbs (oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, and sage)
• non-stick cooking spray                                                                                                                                                                                       

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Unwrap cheese and cut in half if desired. Make a bowl for the flour. Whip the egg whites until they have soft peaks and leave them in a bowl. Then combine panko, garlic powder, and dried herbs in another bowl. Dip the cheese in the flour, then the egg whites and then roll in the panko. Try to press the panko on the cheese stick to make it adhere better. 
Place the cheese sticks on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. After all the cheese sticks have been made, Spray more non-stick spray on top of them, lightly, to help browning.

Bake at 400 degrees until golden brown, about 15- 20 minutes. Serve with marinara.

Homemade Jalapeno Poppers

My husband and I love jalapeno poppers. I tried a frozen version at the grocery store and they just didn't cut it. So I thought I would have to make them myself. These are great served with ranch dressing for dipping. I do HIGHLY RECOMMEND TO WEAR GLOVES WHILE PREPARING THE JALAPENOS. The heat from the peppers can burn your hands, and your face if you touch it, and the pain can last quite a while. I know, I have done it, more than once (you would have thought I have learned the first time). Now I always keep a box of vinyl gloves (powder free) on hand for preparing peppers. But also be sure not to touch yourself with your gloved hands either. Before filling the peppers I blanch them.


Definition of BlanchingTo plunge foods into boiling water for a few minutes, then remove and place in ice water. This process sets the color of vegetables, lets you easily peel fruits, and slip the skins off nuts. The food does not cook all the way through, so crisp texture is preserved.

So back to the peppers. I stuffed the peppers with half cream cheese, and half Mexican blend cheese, mixed with a bit of seasoning. I then dipped the peppers in milk, then flour, then back in the milk, in the panko, back in the milk again, and then in the panko for a second time. So it is once in the flour, and twice in the panko. You want to make sure to get a good breading on them so that the cheese doesn’t come out when you fry them.

The frying process is very quick. Make sure not to walk away after you put them in the oil, they will take just a couple of minutes.  Get ready to impress your game day guests!

Ingredients:

1 8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup mexican cheese blend

1 teaspoon Smokey Mtn. spice, or your favorite southern spice blend

1 cup milk

all- purpose flour

panko

oil for frying

Blanch peppers in bpoiling water and then place in ice water to cool . Once cool remove and drain on papertowels.

WEAR GLOVES. Prepare jalapenos while wearing gloves. Cut them in half lengthwise, and remove seeds and the white ribs inside the peppers. DO NOT AT ANY TIME TOUCH YOURSELF WITH YOUR GLOVED HANDS. The heat from the peppers will also clear your sinuses. Place prepared peppers on a cookie sheet.Mix softened cream cheese, shredded cheese, and seasoning blend.Don’t remove those gloves just yet. Place cheese in peppers and mound up a little.Prepare your bowls of milk, flour, and panko. . Dip each pepper in the milk, then flour, then milk, then panko, then milk, then panko. Repeat the milk and panko if needed to cover up the pepper and cheese.Place each breaded popper back on the baking sheet and preheat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry each pepper for 2-3 minutes, until. browned, but not so much that the cheese starts to escape. Serve with ranch or salsa.

Enjoy!

Notice I do eventually learn. Gloves.

Yum!

Buffalo Chicken Nachos

In our house, it's GO BIG BLUE! Now depending on who you're talking to, that can mean two entirely different things. Mine is the the Kentucky Wildcats. My husband's is the Michigan Wolverines. Both Big Blue. The one thing all sports fans can agree on is you gotta' have good game day food. I'm really not that into sports, but I love game day food. My favorite? Wings, of course. These nachos give you all that good wing taste and more, with no little bones to deal with. Just in time for the Super Bowl!



Ingredients:
2 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 1/2 cups buffalo wing sauce
ranch flavored doritos or regular tortilla chips
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese
blue cheese
chopped celery

Layer the chips on a large oven safe platter. Combine chicken and wing sauce and spread over nachos. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, blue cheese, and chopped celery. Bake at 450 on the top rack for 7-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Go Big Blue!

Buttery Soft Pretzels

Ya know, like the ones your kids beg you for in the mall. That cost a whoppin' $3.00 each. My 3 year old loves those pretzels. So I decided to try and make them at home. We haven't had a need for the mall versions since! Not to mention, I can make a double batch for less then $3.00. They are so good and a lot of fun to make together. Well, I make, they eat. You can top them with a variety of toppings and dip them in whatever you like best. Adults love them as well. Just think about the next time your asked to bring chips and dip to a party and you show up with these instead. Who likes to go to the mall anyways? Oh wait, I do. =)

Dough :
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2 1/4 tsp. instant yeast
1 cup warm water (110 F) 


Topping:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbls. baking soda
Kosher salt/cinnamon & sugar/grated parmesan 


Dissolve yeast in warm water in bowl of stand mixer. Add sugar.  Add the flour, salt and mix till combined. Knead on setting "2" for 5 minutes. The dough will be slack. Form into a ball and flour the outside. Put the ball into a lightly floured bag. (I use a bread bag, but a gallon freezer bag will work.) Let dough sit for 30 minutes.


Lightly grease your working surface. Cut dough into 8 equal pieces. Let sit for 5 minutes. While you wait, mix 1/2 cup of hot water with 2 tbls baking soda in a medium sized shallow bowl.  Make sure you dissolve the baking soda well so you don't have spoltchy pretzels (This is what gives the pretzels their shiny, golden brown exterior). Roll each piece into 22-24 inch long rope. Form the pretzel as shown below. Dip into the baking soda bath and place on the baking sheets.  Allow them to rest, uncovered,  for 10 minutes. 


Bake at 450 for 8-10 mintues or until they are golden brown,  rotating pans mid way through.


Remove from oven and brush with butter several times. Sprinkle with Kosher salt, cinnamon sugar or whatever you like. 
If you would like to make the pepperoni cheese pretzels top with pepperoni slices before baking. When they are golden brown add shredded cheese and place back in the oven just until the cheese melts. 


Enjoy!

                            Make the holes and and big. They puff up.

                                  That's my happy 3 year old.

                                       All my happy kiddos.