Dipped Pretzel Rods, Homemade Valentine's Treats

Here is a quick, last-minute homemade Valentine's Day treat for you.  I used to be a first grade teacher...so I can relate to the zillions of lollipops, conversation hearts, and Pixy Sticks teachers all over the United States will have piled on their desks tomorrow. I wanted to make something for my kids' teachers that they might enjoy more than a Fun Dip Valentine so I planned to make some Oreo Truffles, because who doesn't love those? But Robbie's teacher has been doing Weight Watchers very successfully and I didn't want to throw her off so I made these.  So. much. easier. than making Oreo Truffles! If you make a quick Wal-Mart run for pretzel rods and pink candy melts you could whip out these cute little treats in 20 minutes!  

Dipped Pretzel Rods

idea from A place for Amy

1 bag pretzel rods

1 bag candy melts, whatever color you like

sprinkles

foil or wax paper

Break the rods in half and set aside.  Put 1/2-3/4 of the candy melts in a glass bowl and melt according too directions.  Put a sheet of foil or wax paper out on the counter. Once the chocolate is melted pour it into a short glass or small coffee cup to make dipping easier.  Dip each pretzel and lay on the wax paper to harden.   Put on the sprinkles as desired.  I wrapped up five dipped pretzel halves in a cellophane bag with a scrap paper tag and some ribbon I had lying around...and easy as can be, done!

Chocolate Mallow Fondue

Valentine's Day is right around the corner!! Truly truly, I'm not a huge fan of Valentine's.  I think it excludes people, puts extra pressure on loved ones (especially men), and we should really appreciate our loved ones more than one day a year.  That being said, it is what it is and I AM so thankful for my husband so I'm going to tell him especially on this day.  But, this year we are going to focus on our kids and start a tradition to do fondue with them for dinner & dessert (which is an idea I stole from my friend).  Going to a restaurant on Valentine's Day is  not fun.  Not. Fun.

I have made this chocolate mallow fondue so many times, but sadly have never remembered to take a picture, so I will update with a photo later this week!  BUT, if you trust me at all...believe that this is a delicious treat and try it!  I love my fondue pot, but if you don't have a fondue pot, this would work out just fine if you made it in a sauce pan on the stove (medium heat) and poured it into a little dipper crockpot on the warm setting.  This makes a lot, but the leftovers are great and work perfectly as hot fudge!

For dinner, I am going to try this cheese fondue recipe for the first time, so I'll let you know how we like it!  For dipping in the cheese fondue: smoked turkey sausage, steak, french bread, soft pretzels, granny smith apples and red bell peppers.

Chocolate Mallow Fondue
recipe from my friend 

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz bag)
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 7 oz jar marshmallow fluff
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Dippers:
banana
strawberries
apples
raspberries
graham crackers
pretzels
Oreo cookies
cream puffs
rice krispy treats
etc...

Turn your fondue pot onto medium.  Pour in the marshmallow fluff and sweetened condensed milk.  Stir with a rubber spatula constantly until the marshmallow fluff is melted.  Add in chocolate chips, milk and vanilla and stir constantly until everything is melted and incorporated together.  Turn pot to low.  When you're finished, transfer leftovers to a container and refrigerate. This will keep a couple of weeks in the fridge.

Last Minute Christmas Food Gifts!

Not that I'm suggesting that anyone has been procrastinating on your Christmas baking....but just in case, here are some great last-minute Christmas food gifts or they would also make a great hostess gift if you're going to someone else's home for the Holidays.

Double Chocolate Peanut Caramel Corn

Cake Pops

Dark Chocolate Mint Cake Mix Cookies

My personal favorites require very few ingredients and no actual "baking":

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix  

This is so yummy stirred into coffee!

Saltine Toffee Bars

Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

Oreo Truffles

OR

Peppermint Oreo Truffles

 

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Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

My mom was visiting a few weekends ago and she ran into Trader Joe's for a couple things and came out with a bag of white chocolate peppermint covered pretzels.  They were SO good.  I wanted to make some but I really, really didn't like the idea of individually dipping small pretzels. Honestly I'm kind of lazy and don't do complicated stuff very often.  And, my family can blow through a whole  bag of these in no time flat so it seems like a lot of work to see them disappear so fast.  This way took 10 minutes to do two cookie sheets full and it is so good!  I just layered the pretzels and liberally drizzled the chocolate over. 

We like the sweet/salty combo and this way is a little more salty than sweet.  I will be packaging them up for my first grader's specials teachers to get them out of my house! I used Pretzel Crisps but regular pretzels would work just great. I got a huge bag of the thins at Sam's Club really cheap.  I probably used half a bag, which is equivalent to almost two small bags you'd buy at the grocery store.

Peppermint White Chocolate Pretzel Bark

12-14 oz Pretzel Crisps, or use regular pretzels

1/2 block of white almond bark or candy coat

1/3-1/2 c. crushed starlight mints or candy canes

parchment paper

Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Spread a thin layer of pretzels over the cookie sheet.  They can be overlapping a little bit.  Follow the directions on your bark to melt.  Using a butter knife generously drizzle the pretzels with the melted chocolate, making sure to overlap.  How heavily/lightly you drizzle the chocolate will depend on how much you like.  Before letting it set sprinkle crushed peppermints over the top.  Let set and break apart.  Enjoy.  (These will stay fresh in a ziploc or airtight container up to a week.)



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Dark Chocolate Mint Truffle Cake Mix Cookies

We had a Christmas party to go to and there was a cookie exchange...so I needed to make 8 dozen cookies.  I don't enjoy baking.  I can bake, but I'm not that great at it and I really don't love it.  I think what I dislike is the mess.  Every time I bake I have to vacuum and clean up a fine flour dusting from everything...and I don't like messes.  So anyway, I wanted to try out a cake mix cookie because I loved the pumpkin cookies so much.  I found this recipe which looked really Christmas-y so I adapted it and it was great!  These cookies are really yummy and I love the gooey mint.  I used the Hershey's mint truffle kisses and chopped them up, but Andes chips would be great.  You can definitely play with this recipe.

I will definitely make these over and over again! AND I baked 8 dozen of them in only a couple hours which is a plus. These cookies would be a great little gift for your neighbors or a teacher.

Dark Chocolate Mint Cake Mix Cookies

recipe adapted from rubyreduction.com

makes 2 dozen cookies

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge)

2 eggs

1/2 c. oil (I used a little bit less than that)

1 c. chopped Hershey's kisses, your favorite flavor will be great.  I used mint truffle.

The best way to chop the kisses is to unwrap them all and refrigerate at least an hour.  Then chop them up and measure out 1 generous cup. Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl mix together cake mix, eggs & oil with a hand mixer until everything is blended well, no clumps in the mix.  Stir in the chopped kisses.  Roll into balls, about 1-1 1/2 inches, and bake 10 minutes.  Let cool completely.

 

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Thanksgiving is around the corner!

I can't believe how quickly November has flown by! We are excited about planning for Thanksgiving and I wanted to organize some great holiday food.  These should get you off to a good start if you're cooking for Thanksgiving and need some simple ideas.

Cranberry Salsa.  This is super over some cream cheese or just plain with tortilla chips!

1-2-3 Dip. So yummy and easy to throw together.

Traditional Roasted Turkey. Don't be intimidated this is a very simple recipe!

Creamy Mashed Potatoes. Great with or without gravy.

Kale Salad. This can be made ahead of time which comes in handy when you're preparing multiple items for one day.

Sweet & Salty Acorn Squash.  We love this, it's really simple to prepare with few ingredients and only needs to bake in the oven a few minutes just before serving.  Very Thanksgiving-ish!

Truffled Green Beans. You can skip the mushrooms if that's not your thing.

Strawberry Jello Salad.  This is a family tradition, wouldn't be Thanksgiving without it!

Upside Down Pumpkin Pie.  Wouldn't be Thanksgiving without pumpkin something.  This is great because there's no dealing with delicate pie crust.

Pear Crisp with Caramel Sauce.  We've had some really great pears the last few weeks and I made this for our Community Group, it's a hit. 

Skinny Pumpkin Cookies.  These are a great idea if you're watching your waistline.

Happy Eating!!

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Upside Down Pumpkin Pie

My mother in-law made this one Thanksgiving about six years ago and I've made it every single year since then.  I now make it for both sides for Thanksgiving and sometimes on Christmas.  If you are a pie crust freak you might not prefer this recipe, but I personally am not obsessed with the traditional crust, so I love this!  This is super simple and quick to make and is a great end to a Thanksgiving feast.  One tip...don't forget to add the sugar.  I did that once recently, it's a little bitter!

Upside Down Pumpkin Pie

• 1 28 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) or 2 14 oz cans
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 12 oz can evaporated milk
• 1 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ginger
• 3/4 c. butter, melted
• 1 yellow cake mix, dry
• 1 1/2 c. chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl mix together pumpkin, eggs, milk, sugar and spices.  Pour the pumpkin mixture into a 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle the yellow cake mix on top and use a fork to smooth out all lumps.  Drizzle the butter over the top of the cake mix and bake for 30 minutes on the middle oven rack.  If using nuts, remove the pie from the oven and sprinkle the nuts on, bake for another 30 minutes. (Bake for 60 minutes total regardless of using nuts or not.)  Remove from the oven and let cool completely before serving.  Top with freshly whipped cream or Cool Whip.

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Quick Halloween Food Ideas

This post is coming a little later than I planned...but I have loads of recipes on here that would make any Halloween a little tastier and more festive!  We have always done chili for Halloween but this year we are changing things up and doing a nacho bar. We are providing nacho sauce, chips, salsa, jalapenos and drinks and the neighbors are bringing more nacho toppings. I'll post pictures later, I'm excited! However, I have been on a strict chicken, egg whites, fruits and veggies diet the last 2 days in preparation!

Some of my favorite warm, fall-y foods/drinks that you could make quickly with one fast run to the store are:

All-American Chili  We have made this four years running for our Halloween Block Party!  Quick to make and easy to keep warm in the crockpot until your trick-or-treaters are hungry for some real food.  (My trick-or-treaters haven't ever been hungry for real food, but it could happen to you.)

Chorizo Queso Super quick and addictive! I can definitely make a meal out of this... and there's no better time to eat some super processed cheese than directly before 16 miniature candy bars.

Pumpkin Lattes OR Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup-- A little adult treat for trick or treaters.  Hot Apple Cider would be super tasty for non-coffee drinkers.  I'm making a big batch of the cider for the neighbors (annnd myself). Just in case the hot apple cider doesn't have enough sugar already I like to drizzle caramel sauce in it and top with whipped cream, yum!

Pumpkin Cookies or Pumpkin Cupcakes Only two ingredients and low fat!

Caramel Apples These are so yummy and a great way to use up some of a 40lb case of apples. If one was so inclined to buy a case of apples.

Enjoy!

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Skinny Pumpkin Cookies, Two Ways

I am in love with these cookies.  So is our small group it turns out.  It's actually kind of a problem, because even if the cookies are "skinny" compared to other cookies, if someone were to eat half a batch it would become the equivalent of eating an entire row of double stuff Oreos...not that I've done either one of those scenarios.  Whats almost as cool as how delicious these cookies are is how simple they are to make.  I don't necessarily enjoy baking but these come together with very little time/mess.

These cookies came about because I was trying to make the Pumpkin Cupcakes and realized that I didn't have any cupcake liners so then I thought..."hmmm I bet these could be cookies."  Then I had dejavu of  my sister in-law stirring pumpkin and cookie mix together with chocolate chips last Christmas and I figured it would work.  It did.

I love these cookies so much with the caramel icing or with chocolate chips or even just as uncooked batter.

Skinny Pumpkin Cookies, Two Ways

1 box spice cake mix
1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
1 1/2 c. chocolate chips OR
1 batch caramel icing

Preheat the oven to 350.  Beat cake mix and pumpkin puree together on medium speed with a hand mixer until blended.  Stir in chocolate chips, if you're using them. Drop by rounded tablespoon-full onto a greased cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes.  They will still be quite soft when cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool.  If topping with icing, make the icing and generously drizzle over the cookies. 

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Double Chocolate Peanut Caramel Corn

When I was growing up my mom made caramel corn pretty often and we all loved it.  It's so weird that I was a fat kid now that I think about it...

Anyway, her caramel corn recipe is perfect, unfortunately she was driving to my house when I decided to make some so I had to use a different recipe from my friend, which is really close to perfect, so it all worked out!  I wanted to make it a little bit more gourmet so I added the peanuts and chocolate which put it over the top. I think next time I'll sprinkle some peanut butter M&M's in with the finished product to make it even more fun! Now I'm off to do cardio for 2 hours.

I highly recommend using candy quik, candy melts, or almond bark for the chocolate because it melts great and hardens up really fast.  I took a picture so you know what to look for! If you don't care for that option, 1/2 c. of chocolate chips with a tsp. of vegetable oil would work just great also!  I popped my own popcorn on the stove using this method.  It is kind of a pain though, so if you have an air popper (I want one!) or just prefer to use microwave popcorn that works awesome.  One tip I highly recommend, is to be very careful to remove all un-popped popcorn seeds or you could break a tooth on your caramel corn!

Double Chocolate Peanut Caramel Corn

recipe first posted on Cracked Up Kitchen

2 c. brown sugar, packed

1 c. butter (real butter only)

1/2 c. corn syrup

1 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. vanilla

16 c. popcorn

1 tsp. baking soda

1 c. dry roasted peanuts

2 cubes chocolate almond bark or candy quik (or more, if you like it super chocolatey)

2 cubes vanilla almond bark or candy quik (or more, if you like it super chocolatey)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Bring brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, cream of tartar and vanilla to a boil over medium heat and let boil 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Once the five minutes is up, remove from heat and add baking soda (it will bubble up) and stir well.  Pour caramel over the popcorn and stir well.  Pour caramel corn onto two cookie sheets, no need to grease them.  Bake 20 minutes, noting which pan is on the bottom rack and which is on the top, remove from oven and stir with a spatula.  Return the sheets to the oven, rotating the pans to the opposite (top/bottom) rack of the oven. Bake another 20 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the peanuts on the popcorn, stir with a spatula and rotate the pans again.  Bake 15 minutes, stirring and rotating pans, three more times, baking the popcorn a total of just under 1 1/2 hours. Remove pans from the oven and pour the popcorn onto wax paper or foil on the kitchen counter.  Let the caramel corn cool for a few minutes.  Then, heat the bark in a microwave safe bowl 20 seconds at a time until  melted (directions for melting on package) and drizzle chocolate all over the popcorn.  Let rest until completely cool and the chocolate is firm.  Enjoy!

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Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup

This is not my best photography.  Stating the obvious.  However, this recipe could change your life so if you make it you'll be able to forgive the not so awesome photo!  I found this recipe on Pinterest and I've made it many times...most recently I made a triple batch because we seem to be going through it rather quickly.  It's great in hot or iced coffee (it's still ridiculously warm here) with a splash of cream and almost makes you think you never need to wait in the Starbucks drive-thru line again. 

I realize that you can buy a bottle of Torani pumpkin pie syrup at World Market pretty affordably, but this recipe tastes even better than the bottled stuff and ends up being way cheaper than that.  I live an inconvenient drive from World Market and it is very fast to whip up a batch of this so this frugal foodie is sold!

I make this with Splenda, which I realize is probably the equivalent of drinking cancer, but I just can't stop.  And I'm allergic to stevia.  And every other non-calorie sweetener is cancer-causing too so I'll just stick with the Splenda.  (I don't give it to my kids EVER though...if that makes you feel better.)  Anyway, that whole rant to say...the recipe works with sugar substitutes!  The syrup is thick and the pumpkin settles, so always shake well before using. 

Pumpkin Spice Coffee Syrup
recipe adapted from Cook Like a Champion

1 1/2 c. water
1 1/2 c. sugar (or substitute)
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tb. pure pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix!)

Mix water and sugar together in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Cook until the sugar or sweetener is dissolved in the water.  Whisk in the spices and pumpkin puree and cook over medium heat about five minutes.  You don't want this to boil.  Remove from heat and let cool.  Pour the syrup into jars and refrigerate.  To make a coffee, shake the syrup and stir 2-3 tb. of the syrup into strong iced or hot coffee and add desired about of cream (not cream-er).  Enjoy with whipped cream!

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

I found this...ahem, on Pinterest. I'm kind of obsessed as I'm sure you've noticed. I found this recipe as a gift idea and after I pinned it, my friend told me she had made it and loved it. Of course that's all the encouragement I needed.

My family has now gone through 3 full batches, my friend demolished her jar and my son's teacher enjoyed it also. I highly recommend this as a last-minute neighbor/mailman/paper boy gift. OR just make some Christmas morning for your family.

The original recipe called for powdered milk and to stir themix into hot water but I really prefer milk so I skipped the powdered stuff and mix mine into hot milk. And then top it off with strong coffee and...well, sometimes whipped cream.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Mix

adapted from my recipes

1 c. cocoa powder
1 c. sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. miniature chocolate chips
1/2 c. crushed candy canes or peppermint discs

Layer ingredients in a jar and tie with a ribbon to gift to a friend. Or stir it all together in an air-tight container and keep on hand for personal use.

To serve--Stir 3 Tb. mix into 1 c. hot milk.

Strawberry Jello Salad

This is a salad in the loosest sense of the word. I don't get it at all...but I do LOVE it! We actually eat this at holidays on a salad day with our dinner. I mean, that way we don't have to choose between this and pie.

My mom has made this on Thanksgiving and Christmas every year as long as I can remember. I truly don't know any other family that would call something with a pretzel/butter crust, cream cheese/whipped cream filling, and a jello top a "salad" but I'll take it. This would make a great summer dessert!

Make this, if you want to feel like a Midwestern.

Strawberry Jello Salad

2 ½ c. crushed pretzels (about 9 oz.)
¾ c. melted butter
3 tb. sugar

8 oz. cream cheese
½ c. sugar
1 tub Cool Whip, defrosted

6 oz pkg. strawberry jello
2 c. boiling water
10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed.

Stir together crushed pretzels, sugar and melted butter. Press into the bottom of a greased 9x13'' pan and bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Cool crust completely. In another bowl cream together softened cream cheese and sugar with a mixer, then fold in the Cool Whip and carefully spread over the cooled crust. Put the pan into the fridge while preparing the last layer. Combine Jello, boiling water and strawberries. Let chill one hour until Jello mixture begins to set (this will prevent the Jello from leaking through to the crust). Pour over cream cheese mixture. Chill a few hours or until Jello is completely set.