Snack Mix

This is another recipe I have had starred in my google reader forever, just haven't had the right occasion, we are going to many different places over the next few days and I knew I would figure out somewhere to bring this. Adam helped me make it and say the recipe here and said snack crack huh?

Once it was done and cooled he tasted a bit and said yep that could be crack. This is VERY good. I am glad we will be bring it else where so we don't eat the whole bowl :-) I used Christmas M & M's to give it a festive look.

Carmel Nut Snack Mix (From: Bakingblonde)

• 12 cups Crispex Cereal (Chex would work as well)
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup (Karo is my fave)
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• Dash of salt
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 3/4 cup almonds, toasted
• 3/4 cup honey roasted peanuts
• 1 cup M&M candies (I used plain and peanut)

Preheat oven to 250.

Line a very large roasting pan (or two rimmed cookie sheets) with quick release foil and lightly spray with PAM.

In a medium size sauce pan over low/medium low heat, stir together the syrup, butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until melted and sugar has disolved.

Place the cereal, pecans, almonds and honey roasted nuts into the prepared roasting pan or cookie sheets. Carefully pour the brown sugar mixture over the cereal and nuts. Use a butter spatula to toss and coat the cereal and nuts completely with the brown sugar mixture.
Evenly sprinkle lightly with salt.

Bake for 45 minutes removing every 10 mintues to gently toss with a buttered pair of tongs to ensure even baking/browning.

While snack mix is baking, spread a few large sheets of parchment paper on counter. After mixture has finished baking add the M&M candies and stir to combine. Turn mixture out onto parchment making sure to spread out to prevent large clumps to cool.

While mixture is cooling, gently toss every 15 minutes to prevent further clumping together, breaking up clumps as needed. Store in airtight container.

Cheese Pumpkins

There is a potluck at my work tomorrow, I wasn't sure what I wanted to bring, but I knew I wanted to keep it Halloween theme. I found this recipe on a search on Betty crocker. I thought they were cute, and something fun.

On the way down to Rochester on Sunday we were able to stop at a little cheese shop I have been dying to stop at for a long time. I knew I wanted to make this recipe so I bought the cheese just to use for this.

These are really good, but the cheese with the one pretzel was too much, but with a few extra pretzels they are GREAT!

Cheese Pumpkins (From: Betty Crocker)

• 8 T. smoked Cheddar cold pack cheese food (from 8-oz container), well chilled
• Butter-flavored pretzel spindles or sticks

Shape the cheese into a ball.

Place pretzel stick into it, I used a whole one, could use a half of one.

Use a toothpick to carve a pumpkin looking design in it.

Ranch Flavored Pretzels

As soon as I saw these in Ambers blog I knew I had to make them, I am not much of a pretzel fan but Adam is, these are very good and even I like them. Amber calls them snack crack and I must agree they are addicting!

Ranch Pretzels (From: Krashed)

• 1 bag pretzels (can also use oysters)
• 1/3 cup canola oil (I used veggie oil)
• 3 Tbls (1.5 oz) dry ranch seasoning mix
• 1/2 tsp dill weed
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Place oyster crackers in gallon size zip-lock baggie. Add in the oil, seal bag and shake to coat all crackers with oil. Open bag and add all dry seasonings, seal bag and shake to coat. Dump onto cookie sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until oil has absorbed into the crackers. Let cool and enjoy!

Chips + Veggies = ?

A few weeks ago, we were at a friends house for Adam's birthday party. She had bought some veggies chips, I was surprised when she pulled them out, but they looked really good. We had just finished getting stuffed from Sushi, so I just took 1 to try. They were SO good!!! So I bought a bag for Adam and I, I think they are almost better then regular potato chips and they give you a bunch of your daily vitamins needed.

Flat Earth Baked Veggie Crisps

This is the kinda I bought, but they come in a bunch of different flavors. I found them at Wal-mart, but I thin other places should have them.

Chex Mix

It's Adam's birthday on Monday, and we have a weekend filled with Birthday fun. One of us favorite snacks is Chex Mix. And I have been meaning to try my hand at homemade Chex Mix since we met but haven't took the time. I figure this was as good as time as any other. I made 2 double batches. The first one I followed the recipe exact the the next one I added a few of my own touches. When mixed together they taste pretty much the same. But I think I would do the extra touches on both batches. Adam was pleasantly surprised to find this when he got home, and hasn't taken his hand out of the bag since!

Chex Mix (From Chex Mix Website)

• 6 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 3 cups Corn Chex cereal
• 3 cups Rice Chex cereal
• 3 cups Wheat Chex cereal
• 1 cup mixed nuts
• 1 cup bite-size pretzels
• 1 cup garlic-flavor bagel chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
  

Preparation Directions:

Heat oven to 250°F. In ungreased large roasting pan, melt butter in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated.

Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool, about 15 minutes. Store in airtight container.

***Tips: I used plain peanuts in place of mixed nuts. For the second batch, I added a splash of lemon juice, an extra 1/2 T. of Worcestershire, and 1 t. Seasoning salt

Kettle Corn

This afternoon Adam and I curled up on the rainy Sunday and watched Little Miss Sunshine, and I have to have popcorn to watch a movie. So I tried my hand at homemade Kettle Corn. This time it turned out, and was AWESOME. Just like it is sold at the fairs!

Kettle Corn (From: Food Network)

• 1/2 c. unpopped corn kernels
• 1/4 c. oil
• 1/4 sugar

Heat oil in a pan, with one kernel. When that kernel pops add the rest then spread the sugar on top. Shake the pan with cover on until done popping. Enjoy!

Carmel Corn

Last night, I wanted to try my hand at homemade popcorn again. While I was talking to a friend online he suggested Carmel Corn. So Carmel Corn won over Kettle Corn. This recipe was really easy but not really Carmely, kind of sugary instead.We just made white popcorn on the stove top, and then used this recipe for the carmel corn, we had to double it to get the amount we would like.

Carmel Sauce (recipezaar.com)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

Combine butter, brown sugar and salt together in a saucepan.

Heat until completely melted.

Pour over popped corn immediately.

May be eaten warm or cool.

Enjoy!

Kettle Corn

I have felt behind, we haven't eaten much at home, and when we have are busy so I don't get to post. I am going to try and play catch up and get stuff back on track!

This week while grocery shopping I got the urge to make homemade Kettle Corn it was something I have never done before. I searched online. And didn't find a recipe I liked exactly so I kind of made my own recipe. I don't have a picture of this because it wasn't the prettiest and it started browning too early!

Kettle Corn

1/2 c. Kernels
1/3 c. sugar
1/4 c. oil

I poured the oil across the bottom, then layered on corn, and sugar. And waited until it popped then shook it.

The problem we has was the sugar started to caramelize. So next time, I will put oil in, with one piece of corn, when it pops put in the sugar and corn. And shake. I hope to try this sometime this coming week. I will post a picture and a definite recipe when I figure it out.

Homemade Pretzels

I use to look forward to having to go to Target to go shopping because they had the best pretzels with cheese. But a few months ago I found out they didn't have the cheese anymore. I was really sad, and miss my pretzels. Well there was a recipe for homemade pretzels on the nest this week so this even Adam and I decied to attempt to make them. They are WONDERFUL!!! We bought some chedder cheese. And are soft and just wonderful, and really easy to make!

The recipe:

Depending on the size of the pretzels you make this recipe will make 9-12 shaped pretzels.

Ingredients:
1 tsp dry yeast
2 tbls and 2 tsp brown sugar
2+ cups flour coarse
kosher salt
baking soda
shortening or butter

Directions:
1) In large mixing bowl mix 1 tbls HOT water and 1 tsp yeast. Mix until yeast dissolves completely.
2) Stir in 2/3 cup WARM water.
3) Stir in 2 tbls and 2 tsp brown sugar.
4) Slowly add 2 cups flour, stirring constantly. Contuine stirring until the mixture is smooth and does not stick to the sides of the bowl.
5) Lightly flour counter. Dip your hands into extra flour. Knead the dough until it is stretchy and smooth. (Push it down and away from you with the palms of your hands, turning the dough as you work)
6) Grease cookie sheet(s) well with butter or shortening. Sprinkle greased cookie sheet(s) with kosher salt. Preheat oven to 475.
7) Using liquid measuring cup fill a large saucepan at least 1/2 full of water. For each 1 cup of water, add 1 tbls baking soda.
8) Divide the dough into 16 equal sized pieces.
9) Using the following 4 steps shape each dough ball into a pretzel shape...

1)Roll the dough into a rope 14" long and as thick as your thumb. (if you are having trouble rolling out the dough, slightly wet your hands and try agian) Bend the dough into a U shape.
2) Cross one end of the rope over the other one. The ropes should cross about three inches from the tips.
3) Twist the crossed ends, making a full turn. Fold the ends back, towards the middle of the U.
4) Open the ends slightly to form a pretzel shape. Press the ends into the dough firmly.

10) Bring water into saucepan to a gentle boil (not to many bubbles)
11) Use pancake turner to lower each pretzel into the saucepan. Count slowly to 30. Then lift the pretzel onto the greased and salted cookie sheet (shaking off excess water back into the saucepan). Repeat until all the pretzels are done.
12) Sprinkle some kosher salt on top of the pretzels and put them in preheated oven. Bake for 8 minutes or until the pretzels are golden.

ENJOY!!!!!

**Do not be shy to double this recipe. You will be sorry if you don't.

Recipe from: Nestie: Krashed24

Hope you can all try these they are wonderful!