Something for Valentine's...Valentine Chex mix!

‎9 cups Rice Chex® cereal (gluten free) OR NOT..you do not have to use gluten free
1 cup white vanilla baking chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
3/4 cup powdered sugar
... 1/2 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
1/4 cup red or pink jimmies sprinkles

In large bowl, place cereal. In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil to cool, about 15 minutes.

In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container

great idea for Christmastime...snowmen donuts! lol

these are soooo cute!

No Carb Pizza...want to try this!

No Carb Pizza

Ingredients:

For the crust:
■1 (8 oz.) package of full fat cream cheese (room temp.)
■2 eggs
■Freshly ground black pepper
■Garlic powder
■1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

FOR THE PIZZA:
■1/2 cup jarred marinara sauce*
■A pinch of cayenne pepper
■1/2 teaspoon oregano
■1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
■Sauteed pepperoni
■Garlic powder



*Finding a sauce that doesn’t contain added sugar is not easy, but I did find a “no sugar added” by Ragu that with a few added seasonings tastes fantastic on the pizza. You could always make your own too but I’m not THAT brave yet.

Directions:

■Preheat oven to 350.
■Butter a 9×13 baking dish
■Blend cream cheese and eggs and season with pepper & garlic powder
■Add parmesan cheese and stir until combined
■Pour into buttered baking dish
■Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown
■Let crust cool for 10 minutes before adding toppings

■After crust is cooked, raise oven to 400 degrees
■Mix together marinara sauce, garlic powder, cayenne pepper & oregano
■Top crust with marinara and spread evenly
■Top with mozzarella cheese
■Add toppings
■Bake for 8 minutes or until cheese is bubbly

The crust is not crisp like traditional pizza. Make sure you cook it til the top is golden brown and let it cool the full 10 minutes before adding the toppings and that will help. You still may end up with a fork, but good, soft pizza is better than no pizza!

Homemade Snickers Bars!

Homemade Snickers Bars

[recipe from Nikki, who lightly adapted it from and old Taste of Home recipe]

makes one 9×13 pan

bottom chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Thoroughly grease you baking pan. Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour into the baking dish and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

nougat layer

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped, roughly chopped

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in sugar and milk, stirring until dissolved and bring to a boil. Let cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in fluff, peanut butter and vanilla, stirring until smooth. Turn off heat and fold in peanuts, then pour over bottom chocolate layer. Let cool completely.

caramel layer

1 14-ounce bag of caramels

1/4 cup whipping cream

Combine ingredients in a saucepan over low heat. Let melt, stirring occasionally, until smooth – this took about 10 minutes for me. Pour over nougat layer and let cool completely.

Top chocolate layer

1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

1/4 cup peanut butter

Melt ingredients together in a saucepan or microwave, then pour over caramel and spread until even. Let cool and harden completely.

Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving, then cut as desired. These can stay at room temperature, but they do get gooey. I like them refrigerated best!

Note: for best results, buy one of the half-sheet aluminum cake pans at the grocery store. That way, you can pop the entire square out and cut from there!

Carmelitas...wow...fantastic!

350 degree oven....8 x 8 pan

32 caramels unwrapped and melted down with about 1/2 cup milk or heavy cream (I did NOT have caramels but DID have 3 small containers of that caramel apple dip...so I spooned that out in a bowl and mixed with 1/2 cup 2% milk NOT cream(cause I did not have that either)..and microwaved it a small bit..it was fine!) SET THIS ASIDE.

Melt 3/4 cup butter...add 3/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cup flour, 1 teaspoon soda, and 1 cup rolled oats ( I DID NOT have rolled oats but DID have packets of instant oatmeal..I put in 2 packets - 1 banana and 1 maple brown sugar) and it worked GREAT! Mix all this together and pat 1/2 of this mixture in bottom of 8 x 8 pan. Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven..top with 6 ounces (more or less) of chocolate chips...pour caramel mixture over top of this....and top off with the remaining crumb mixture from above. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.

It may look like it will be too soft...but wow..let it completely cool.....and I had forgotten I had made these...fell asleep..woke up at 2:00 a.m. and remembered they were in the kitchen. Tasted one..and WOW....delicious! Quick and easy to make too. I would imagine it would be good too if you added nuts with the chocolate chips if you like nuts....but I was out of nuts. This was sooo yummy!

crackers...

these are really good and easy to make..however..I would reduce the oil myself ...and use UNsalted saltines as I felt it was a little salty..but the recipe is:

1 box or 4 sleeves of saltine crackers

1 to 1-/2 cups oil (vegetable, olive or cannola) (personally I think 3/4 is PLENTY and then even too much!)

1 packet dry powder ranch dressing mix

2 Tablespoons pepper flakes

Mix oil, ranch dressing powder and pepper flakes together. Add crackers and mix well...(I only did 2 sleeves at a time...halving the recipe each time to do each half...and I mixed it in a big 9 x 13 pan or roasting pan...)

MIX well...like 15 minutes or so...then spread crackers out onto cookie sheet...bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

They are delish!

my peacock zentangle in progress

some artwork of mine I worked on recently....

homemade banana bread...

this is my grandma's recipe and the BEST banana bread recipe I have ever used! I like to smash up bananas and FREEZE them ahead of time...then thaw them out the day I make the bread...and I add not only the bananas..but all that wonderful JUICE too. I also add MORE than just 2 bananas...usually 3 or even 4...and it is just superb!I decided to bake mine in a bundt pan this time round....here is the recipe:

1/2 cup shortening (I used butter Crisco)
1 1/3 cups sugar

Beat those 2 together to cream well.

ADD:
2 or 4 bananas smashed up and juice if you froze them ahead of time and thawed out
2 Tablespoons milk

Mix in 2 eggs

Finally stir in:

1-3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon soda
1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

NUTS if you like...

Bake at 350 degree oven for 30 minutes...then turn oven down to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes!

ENJOY!