Apple Dip

8 oz cream cheese
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
8 oz. bag of Heath Bits

Mix together well and enjoy!

Keep in the refrigerator

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites (Naturally Sweetened)

YIELD: ABOUT 20-25 BITES

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER NO-BAKE ENERGY BITES (NATURALLY SWEETENED)

These chocolate peanut butter no-bake energy bites taste just like a cookie, although they are full of protein and naturally sweetened.

PREP: 15 MINS COOK: 0 MINS TOTAL: 15 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats, although use gluten-free oats if making this GF)
• 2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flax seed
• 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, to make the mix easier to handle and mold.
2. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1" in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
3. Makes about 20-25 balls.

*If the mix seems to dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of honey or peanut butter.  If the mix seems too wet (which may happen if you use natural peanut butter), add extra oatmeal.

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven

Buttery Soft Pretzels

Jenny Made these for Ella's Carnival birthday party and they were SO yummy!                      From allrecipes.com

12 Servings, Prep Time: 2 Hours , Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Salted Chocolate Caramel Rice Crispy Treats

These are Yuh-mmy! But pretty sweet and rich. Maybe start with half the gauche topping, it was a little too thick on ours. 

Yield: 16 large squares or 32 rectangles

Caramel:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 1/2 tablespoons butter, softened

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

Rice Cereal Treat:

1 (10 oz) bag marshmallows

2 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 cups Rice Cereal

Chocolate Gauche:

2 cups chocolate chips

3/4 cup heavy cream

Salt to top

Directions

1. Grease a 9X13 pan.

2. Caramel: In a small sauce pan, combine sugar and water.

3. Place on medium-high heat and do not stir.

4. On another burner, heat heavy cream. You don't want to boil it, just make it so it's not cold.

5. Watch the sugar solution until the outer edges start to turn amber. Take off heat and WHISK!

7. Add butter and continue whisking. When that is fully combined, add warm cream, salt and whisk! Set aside and relax, the hard part is over.

8. Rice Cereal Treat: In the microwave on the stove top, melt marshmallows, butter and vanilla. Stir until smooth and add caramel sauce.

9. Stir in Rice Cereal until well combined and dump into your prepared pan. Flatten using a buttered spatula or your buttered fingers.

10. Chocolate Gauche: Place chocolate in heat-proof bowl and set aside. Heat cream until it is just about to boil, pour over chocolate and whisk until smooth.

11. Let the gauche cool for a few minutes. Then, pour chocolate over your rice cereal layer and shake pan gently to distribute evenly. Let set for a few minutes, then sprinkle with coarse salt.

12. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge to set. Cut and serve!

Note: When sprinkling with salt, use caution. 

Peanut Butter Popcorn

-1/4 cup honey

-1/2 cup peanut butter-2 quarts popped corn

Bring to boil 1/4 cup of honey, let boil one full minute after honey comes to rolling boil.  Take off heat and add 1/2 cup peanut butter.  Stir, then pour over 2 quarts popcorn, stirring until cool.  May use crunchy or plain peanut butter. 

White Chocolate Popcorn

-1/2 cup kernels for a popcorn maker OR 1 bag buttered microwave popcorn

-1 bag white chocolate chips

Pop popcorn. Line a large baking sheet with parchment/wax paper and set aside. Place popcorn (and any other mix-ins) in large bowl and set aside. Melt white chocolate chips in microwave for 30 seconds intervals and stir in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour melted chocolate over popcorn and gently combine. Spread onto baking sheet until harden.

Fun mix-ins: nuts, m&m's, sprinkles, etc.

Microwave Caramel Popcorn

4 quarts popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter/margarine

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp baking soda

Place the popped popcorn into a large brown paper bag. Set aside.

In a 2 quart casserole dish, or other heat-proof dish, combine the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt and vanilla. Heat for 3 minutes in the microwave. Stir until well blended. Return to microwave cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and stir in baking soda.

Pour syrup over the popcorn in the bag. Roll down the top to close the bag and shake to coat the corn. Place bag into microwave and cook for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Remove, shake, flip the bag over and return to microwave. Cook for another 1 minute and 10 seconds. Dump the popcorn out onto waxed paper and let cool until coating is set. Store in an airtight container.

Salsa So Good

Steve's cousin brought this to our picnic on the 24th and it was divine. Seriously Steve and I fought over the leftovers. So we had to bug them until we had the recipe and here it is for you...

1 large can of diced petite tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 large yellow onion
1 green pepper
4 green onions cut down the middle and chopped small
small handful of cilantro finely chopped
1 lime squeezed
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Celery salt
1 teaspoon onion salt

Do the onion salt and celery salt to taste.

Blueberry Almond Granola Bars

 Blueberry Almond Granola Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup unsweetend shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup wheat germ
• 1/4 cup ground flax seed
• 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup dried bluberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 300F degrees. On a baking sheet lined with parchment or a baking mat, toss oats, sliced almonds and shredded coconut. Toast in oven for 10-15 minutes, turning often, until nicely browned. Keep an eyeful watch as the coconut and almonds can burn quickly. Meanwhile, in a medium stock pot, combine butter, vanilla, maple syrup and salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. When oat/almond/coconut mixture is done, remove from oven. Turn oven up to 325F degrees. Add cooled oat mixture to a large bowl with wheat germ and ground flax. Pour in melted butter and maple syrup. Mix until combined. Press granola bar mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely before cutting. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

This granola is delicious with milk!

Jenny