* Sugar Cookie BARS *

We love sugar cookies but I hate how long it takes to cut out and bake each batch--not to mention frosting each one!  Then we found this recipe at Six Sister's Stuff...and it was awesome!  A few of the comments on the original recipe post said their cookie bars turned out dry.  Mine were perfect!  First off, I halved the recipe and cooked it in a cake pan.  I did add a little less flour (a half cup or so less) and baked them for 8 minutes instead of 10.  Also, I had to add a lot more powdered sugar than it called for in the frosting recipe.  Give them a try...you'll be glad you did!

* Sugar Cookie Bars *

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used margarine)
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

In a large bowl with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg. Mix in vanilla.  In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to wet mixture and mix just until combined. Spread on a greased, rimmed baking sheet (use a 13x18x1" pan/cookie sheet).  The dough will be just like cookie dough- heavy and sticky- so it’s best to spray your hands with a little nonstick spray and use them to help mold the dough into the pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 min, until light golden brown or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

* Frosting *
1/2 cup (1 stick) margarine or butter, softened
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar (more or less depending on how thick/runny you like it)
A couple of drops blue food coloring (or any other color) to get desired blue color (optional)

Combine all ingredients until well-blended. Spread on top of bars. Top with sprinkles if you want!

* Frosted Banana Bars *

mmm...banana bars!  These are delicious and perfect for using up those ripe bananas.  I got this recipe from my parents (not sure where they got it?) so of course it's going to be good!  :)

* Frosted Banana Bars *

½ C Butter or Margarine (Softened)             

2 C Sugar

3 Eggs

1 t Salt

1 ½ C Mashed Ripe Bananas (About 3 medium)

2 C All-purpose Flour

1 t Baking Soda

In a mixing bowl, cream Butter and Sugar.  Beat Eggs, Bananas, and Salt.  Add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Pour into a greased 15 inch x 10 inch x 1 inch pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until bars test done.  Cool and frost.

Frosting:

¼ C Margarine (Softened)

4 oz Cream Cheese (Softened)

4 C Confectioner’s Sugar

2 t Vanilla extract

Cream Margarine and Cream Cheese in a mixing bowl. Gradually add Sugar and Vanilla.  Beat well.

Yield: 3 dozen

* Key Lime Pie Recipes *

I'm posting two recipes for Key Lime Pie today.

While this first one is not "real" key lime pie, it is still delicious! It is the perfect summery dessert: light, tangy, and sweet! I found it in a cookbook I got at a bridal shower and we've made it a few times over the last 5 years. I like this one becasue it requires no baking and is a cinch to put together. It is a little runny-ish but still good!


*Easy No Bake Key Lime Pie *
1 prepared 9-inch graham cracker crumb crust
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 c. (about 3 medium limes) fresh lime juice
1 tsp. grated lime peel
2 c. frozen whipped topping, thawed


Grate outer peel from limes using grater (only grate the very outside...you don't want the white bitter part of the lime peel). Beat sweetened condensed milk and lime juice in small mixer bowl until combined; stir in lime peel. Pour into prepared crust and spread with whipped topping. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until set (I would say let it set longer...maybe 4-5 hours.) Garnish with lime peel twists or lime wedges.

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This second recipe is a bit more involved but is so yummy. The recipe originated from The Pioneer Woman so you know it has to be good! I found the recipe here. Since you all know me and you know that I'm a lazy cook, I used an already prepared graham cracker crust but I'm sure this homemade one is delicious and tastes nothing like cardboard (like my western family store bought one).

* Key Lime Pie *
Crust:
18 whole graham crackers (the 4-section large pieces)
⅓ cups sugar
⅓ cups butter, melted

Filling:
1 Tablespoon (heaping) lime zest
½ cups lime juice
2 whole egg yolks
1 can (14 Oz) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350*. For the crust: Crush crackers in a food processor or Ziploc bag. Pour them into a bowl and stir in sugar and melted butter. Press into a pie pan and bake for 5 minutes or until golden and set. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

For the filling: Mix lime zest, lime juice, and egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Add in condensed milk and mix on high until smooth and thick. Pour mixture into crust and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, then refrigerate for at least 1 hour—more if possible. Serve with sweetened whipped cream and more grated lime zest

* "Homemade" Donuts *

"Homemade" donuts bring back such fun memories for me. Back in my USU days, I had the best roommate (hey Melissa!) that taught me how to make these. We would go country dancing with bunch of friends on Thursday nights and then invite our friends over for "homemade" donuts. We also would have game nights on Sunday after ward prayer (anyone remember those from student singles wards?) and make donuts to eat while we played. Thanks for teaching me how to make these, Melissa!
These are seriously so easy, cheap, & yummy...and unhealthy :) My kids LOVE them every once in a while we make this "special treat."

* "Homemade" Donuts *
Refrigerator Tube Biscuits
Vegetable (or whatever) Oil
Cinnamon & Sugar
Milk, Powdered Sugar, & Vanilla for icing

So, this isn't really a "recipe" but I'll just explain how we make them. First, pour about an inch of oil into a large pot. Allow to heat up over medium heat. It is ready when you can drop a drop of water in it and it sizzles. Next, you get out your can of refrigerator biscuits (Walmart sells a 4-pack for like $2). Flatten them out and cut a hole in the middle (we use one of our kids' medicine cups...it's the perfect size). When oil it ready, fry 3-4 donuts at a time until brown on both sides. Continue until all the donuts are done. Place on plate with paper towel to allow some of the oil to drain off.
Next, mix up a simple icing using powdered sugar, milk, & vanilla. I don't know the exact measurements I use but you could start out with a cup or so of powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and enough milk to make it the consistency you want. Also, mix up some cinnamon & sugar in a bowl (not sure of the measurements again.)

Dip donuts in cinnamon and sugar and then drizzle with icing.
SOOOOO delicious!!! :)

* Incredible Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies *

There is a great company called The Prepared Pantry that I just recently heard about. They are mostly an online company but they do have one store--here in Rigby Idaho of all places! They sell some very yummy things but my favorite product they sell are their raspberry baking tidbits. Basically they are like chocolate chips...but raspberry. Their flavor is delicious!! I finally ventured out and bought some raspberry tidbits (and cinnamon chips--also like chocolate chips but cinnamon) the other day and using this the recipe I found here, made some yum-o cookies. They are easy (because they call for a pouch cookie mix but you could easily make your own sugar cookie dough and add the cream cheese and tidbits to it) and will disappear quickly if your house is like mine. You can order these raspberry tidbits online at http://www.preparedpantry.com/ or come and visit us and we'll take you there in person :)

* Incredible Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies * 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 (17.5 ounce) pouch sugar cookie mix
2/3 cup raspberry baking chips

Preheat oven to 350*. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (I just sprayed mine with cooking spray). In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy with an electric mixer, then beat in the egg until thoroughly combined. Mix in the cookie mix, then stir in the raspberry chips. Drop the dough about 2 inches apart onto the prepared baking sheets with a tablespoon or small scoop. Lightly pat the cookies to flatten. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the cookies are lightly golden, 9 to 12 minutes. Cool before serving.

* Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball *

I was looking for a desserty cheeseball recipe to take to a friend party and found this recipe on Allrecipes. It was a huge hit and I'm pretty sure I could've eaten the whole thing myself! You can use graham crackers, teddy grahams, nilla wafers...pretty much any sweet crackery/cookie to dip with.

* Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball *
(worst picture EVER! I didn't have my camera so I tried to quickly snap a picture with my phone...don't judge it by the picture)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup toffee bits (this is not in the original recipe but I thought it sounded good)
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans or toffee bits before serving.

* Symphony Bar Fudge *

I got this fudge recipe from my mother-in-law. It is so creamy and soft and delicious... It is the perfect treat for the holidays. (I halved the recipe this time and it still fit into a 9x13 pan and it's still fairly thick)

* Symphony Bar Fudge *4 1/2 c. sugar
1 can evaporated milk
3/4 c. butter
2 8oz Symphony Bars
1 bag (11 oz) milk chocolate chips
7 oz marshmallow cream
1 c. nuts (optional)

Cook sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to boiling. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chocolate bars, chocolate chips, and marshmallow cream. Stir until smooth. Add nuts. Spread into a buttered 9x13 pan.

* Ooey Gooey Brownies *

I don't know if I've said it one here or not but my mom is THE BEST food maker ever! I know most people probably think that their mom is the best. Some people might even say it out of obligations...but not me. My mom really is amazing :) I got this recipe from her at a bridal shower that my in-laws gave me. It was a recipe themed shower where you bring a recipe and the ingredients to make it. I remember the first time I made this recipe...it was my first time "entertaining" after my husband and I got married. We lived in the dinkiest hallway-sized apartment and we invited friends over to eat dinner and watch a movie. I made these and they turned out so great! Our friends raved about them and it's been one of our favorites ever since. Thanks for the recipe Mom :)

* Ooey Gooey Brownies *
1 box German chocolate cake mix
3/4 c. butter, melted
1 bag chocolate chips
25 caramels
2/3 c. evaporated milk, divided into half

Unwrap and melt caramels with 1/3 c. evaporated milk in microwave (I microwaved it on high in 30 second increments until melted and combined).
Mix cake mix, melted butter, and 1/3 c. evaporated milk together. Spread 1/2 to 3/4 of cake mixture into bottom of an ungreased cake pan. Bake at 350* for 6 minutes.
Pour melted caramels over cookie mixture. Sprinkle chocolate chips over caramel. Spread remaining cake mixture over chocolate chips (I personally think it's kind of hard to "spread" so I just drop teaspoon amounts of the cake mixture over the top until its mostly covered). Bake for 15 more minutes.

* Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars *

My husband is a HUGE fan of appley-Streuselly desserts. When I saw this recipe on pinterest (found here), I knew he'd love it! This is a bit more of an involved recipe than you're used to seeing on here but it was well worth the effort. Don't let all the steps (and dishes) scare you...it is so good! I halved this recipe and put it in a smaller pan...but I wish I would've had all the stuff on hand for the whole recipe (although I'm sure my body is thanking me for not eating the whole pan).

* Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars *
1/2 cup caramel topping (I used ice cream topping...)

Crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Apples:
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Streusel topping:
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender (or 2 forks/knives) until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 9x13 baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 3/4 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, combine all Streusel topping ingredients using pastry blender or 2 forks/knives.

In another bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping and let cool. Serve cold and enjoy!

* Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies *

These are the easiest pumpkin cookies EVER! I found the recipe here.

* Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies *1 spice cake mix -OR- 1 yellow cake mix
If you use a yellow cake mix, I add 2-3 tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice. (I made my own pumpkin pie spice following this recipe here)
1 small can pumpkin (15 oz size)
1 cup chocolate chips or more if you like

Mix together cake mix and canned pumpkin. Spray your pan with PAM. Drop by spoonfuls on a cookie sheet. Bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes. The cookies will be soft. Leave on cookie sheet for a few minutes. Store in airtight container. Yield: 2-3 dozen

* Apple Pie Filling, Chunky Applesauce, & Apple Butter (for canning) *

To start of canning week, here are a few basic canning tips I've found useful (this is really only my 3rd year of canning so I'm still a newbie. Feel free to offer any tips or suggestions of your own or to let me know if I'm doing it wrong, etc.)

*Run jars and rings through dishwasher cycle to sanitize them. Leave them in the dishwasher until you are ready to fill them so that they will stay warm and clean.

*After filling the jars, run a small plastic spatula or knife around the jar sides and through the middle of filling to get air bubbles out of the jar.

*Heat water in a bowl in microwave until boiling. Put new lids in boiling water for a few minutes before putting on filled jars. Make sure the wipe the jar rims off with a clean dishcloth before putting the hot lids on them.

*Bring the jars in water bath pot to a boil and start timing them once the water starts boiling

*Place processed jars on a towel on the counter after they are done processing. Do not let a fan or open window blow cool air on the hot jars…they will burst.

*Lids should “pop” when they are sealed although not all of them will make that sound. After 24 hours, you can test the jars 3 ways to make sure they are sealed.
1) Push on lid. If it pops up and down, it is not sealed.
2) Using a metal spoon, tap on lid. If it makes a high pitched ping, it is sealed. If it makes a low pitched sound, it is not sealed.
3) Take of ring and pick jar up holding onto the lid. If it pops off, it is not sealed.
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Onto the recipes:

I found this apple pie filling recipe here. Random story about Apple Pie Filling: when I first moved to Idaho, a super nice girl by the name of Natalie befriended me. She taught me how to sew, can, etc. She is amazing! She gave me a similar recipe for canned Apple Pie Filling. It was the same as this recipe but didn't call for the 10 cups of water. Everytime I made it, it turned out SO THICK and gelled up. I couldn't figure out why until I looked up a recipe online and realized that the water had been left off the recipe. It still tasted good but it's definitely better with the water :)

* Canned Apple Pie Filling *
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 c. cornstarch
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
10 c. water
6 pounds of apples, washed, peeled and thinly sliced

Note: Slice apples into a solution of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 quart of water to avoid discoloration. Drain the fruit well before packing in jars.

In a large pot, blend together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Stir in the water and lemon juice with a wire whisk. Cook and stir until bubbly and thick; remove from heat. While the filling cooks, slice the apples and add them into a solution of 3 tablespoons of lemon juice to 1 quart of water to avoid discoloration. Drain the fruit well before packing in jars. Pack apples into clean, hot canning jars leaving an inch from the top of the jar. Fill with the hot syrup, leaving 1/2 inch space from the top of the jar. Remove air bubbles by running a knife around the insides of each jar. Close the jars with hot, sterile lids and rims. Process in a boiling water bath for 20 -30 minutes Use a jar tongs to remove the jars from water. Place the jars on a dish towel to dry and allow the jars to cool for several hours Check the seals to make certain the lids are sealed properly (the lids should be lowered in the middle and not move up or down)

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This next recipe is from my Grandma Williams (and my mom...after I lost the one from my grandma) I LOVE this stuff and so do my kids! It is so yummy and the pieces are cut into the perfect size for kids! I'm not sure why it is called "sauce" since it is definitely not "saucy"...it should probably be called Baked Apples. My grandma uses this as a side dish, in jellos, etc. My sister and I were also thinking you could use it in apple cake, cinnamon roll filling, etc.

* Chunky Applesauce *
6 quarts apples: peeled, cored, cut into chunks
2 c. water
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
4 Tbsp. lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Bring to simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes until soft. Bottle and process for 25 minutes. Makes 8 pints. (on this one, I don’t worry about cutting the apples into a lemon juice/water solution to stop them from browning because you are going to cook them in cinnamon so they will turn brown anyways.)

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Lastly, apple butter. So so yummy! Ill be honest...I haven't technically made this yet. I am in the process of it as I type! The apples are cooking in the crockpot and it smells heavenly! I used the recipes found here and here (I found the allrecipes one first but used the second one for the canning directions)

*All Day Apple Butter *
5 1/2 pounds apples - peeled, cored and finely chopped
2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the apples in a slow cooker. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Pour the mixture over the apples in the slow cooker and mix well.
Cover and cook on high 1 hour.
Reduce heat to low and cook 9 to 11 hours, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thickened and dark brown.
Uncover and continue cooking on low 1 hour. Stir with a whisk, if desired, to increase smoothness. (can also puree with a hand blender)
Spoon the mixture into sterile containers, cover and refrigerate, freeze, or process in waterbath for 15 minutes for pints and 20 minutes for quarts.

A special thanks for my parents for providing us with the apples :)

* Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies *

Are you sick of all the zucchini recipes yet? Sorry about that...you can tell we have a lot of zucchini, right? There might be a few more coming...I apologize in advance. This recipe came from here and it's pretty good! The recipe doesn't have any salt in it and I kind of think it could've used it but I had no idea how much to add so if you have any suggestions, I would love them!

* Zucchini Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies *
1/2 C. butter
3/4 C. white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated zucchini (About 1 1/2 zucchini's, oddly)
1 1/2 C. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 C. quick cooking oats
1 -1.5 C. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350* F.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Stir in the egg and vanilla, mix well, then stir in the shredded zucchini. Sift together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon, stir into the zucchini mixture. Finally, stir in the oats and chocolate chips.

Drop dough from a teaspoon onto an unprepared cookie sheet. Bake for about 11 minutes in the preheated oven. The cookies will stay soft and moist because of the zucchini.

* Zucchini Brownies *

Have I ever mentioned how awesome I think Allrecipes is? If not, I'll say it again. I think Allrecipes is pretty sweet! Anyways, I needed to make some more stuff with zucchini (since we have A LOT of zucchini coming our way) and I decided to make zucchini brownines. I'm sure everyone has their own zucchini brownie recipe but mine is just so-so. So I typed "really good zucchini brownies" into google and this recipe popped up...and, with a 4.5 star rating out of over 1000 people, how can this recipe not rock? We tried it and it was delicious! (It is a little bit more like cake than a brownie just FYI) So if you need to use up some zucchini and want to branch out from your stand-by zucchini brownie recipe, try this one!

* Zucchini Brownies *1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups shredded zucchini
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup margarine
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, 1/2 cup cocoa, baking soda and salt; stir into the sugar mixture. Fold in the zucchini and walnuts. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. (batter will be very dry and weird looking...I promise it is normal)
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until brownies spring back when gently touched.
To make the frosting, melt together the 6 tablespoons of cocoa and margarine; set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, blend together the confectioners' sugar, milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Stir in the cocoa mixture. Spread over cooled brownies before cutting into squares.

* Fresh Apricot Crisp *

We bought some fresh apricots from a guy selling them out of his truck at my husband's work the other day. We made 12 pints of apricot freezer jam (mmm!) and then used the rest to make Apricot Crisp. We love a good 'crisp' here at our house. My husband is always making apple crisp or peach crisp. This was delicious! It was so tart and sweet...a perfect summer night dessert (except for the heating up of the oven...) We found the recipe here. Does anyone else love Allrecipes?

* Fresh Apricot Crisp *
(I had my 'crisp' all ready to take a picture of and then I couldn't find my camera! Meanwhile, the ice cream melted all over and it pretty much turned out to be an ugly picture...but you all know what a 'crisp' looks like, right?)
4 cups apricot halves
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2-1 t. cinnamon (the original recipe didn't call for this but it makes it so good!!)
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup rolled oats

Preheat oven to 350*. Arrange the apricots in a 9x12-inch baking dish and sprinkle with white sugar. Mix together brown sugar and flour in a bowl; cut in the butter with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Lightly stir in the rolled oats and spoon the mixture over the apricots. Bake in the preheated oven until the fruit is soft and the topping is browned and crisp, 35-40 minutes.

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!

* Soft Caramel Popcorn *

Wow...I am not doing so hot with this recipe blog, am I? Has anyone else noticed that when I do manage to post a recipe on here, all of my recipes are pretty much unhealthy and require no skill to make them? Well, the recipe I am posting today is no different :)
I was in the mood for a treat again (that happens to me all the time...no, I'm not pregnant but when 8:45pm hits around here, I NEED a treat.) Most recipes for Soft Caramel Popcorn out there require sweetened condensed milk...and it was a Sunday night and we didn't have it so I found this recipe and it was pretty good! It makes A LOT of caramel for the amount of popcorn they suggested you pour it over so I'd either add another bag of popcorn or just eat the caramel that settles on the bottom of a spoon (which is what I did).

* Soft Caramel Popcorn *
2 bags of microwave popcorn, popped, or about 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels, popped in an air popper (I'd say 3 bags...unless you want to eat just caramel at the end)
2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugars and corn syrup; stir on medium heat until it comes to a boil. (Make sure the heat is not too hot - if it boils too soon, the caramel will be grainy.) Once it starts boiling, boil for 1 minute. Take off the heat and mix in the baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir until coated.

* Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats (or butterscotcheroos) *

*Peanut Butter Rice Krispy Treats (or butterscotcheroos)*
(as always, sorry for the ugly picture...it's even worse with my camera phone...)
1 c. corn syrup
1 c. sugar
1 c. peanut butter
6 c. rice krispies
1 c. butter scotch chips
1 c. chocolate chips

Bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir until smooth. Mix in cereal and stir until it's evenly distributed. Pour and press into buttered pan. (I usually stop here because I like these better without the chocolate/butterscotch top)
Melt butterscotch and chocolate chips in microwave or on stove (according to package directions). Speadly evenly over krispy treats and allow to cool. Cut into squares are devour.

* Cream Cheese Frosting *

I got this recipe out of the Pampered Chef Fall/Winter 2009 Season's Best Recipe Collection Booklet (also known as the PCFWSBRC...just kidding). In the booklet, they use this amazing frosting on Mini Carrot Cake Cups (which are also delicious) but I decided to use it on mini fruit pizza cookies for Heathe's birthday...and it was delightful. It is seriously so tasty...you should probably try it :)

* Cream Cheese Frosting *
6 oz cream cheese, softened
3/4 c. powdered sugar
1/2 c. thawed frozen whipped topping

Mix together cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. (I added a little more powdered sugar to make it thicker for the cookies...turned out great!!) Spread or pipe onto cookies, cupcakes, etc. Or just eat it with a spoon :)

* Dessert Crepes *

mmm...crepes. When I think of crepes, I think of Christmas morning. My mom made crepes almost every Christmas morning and they were delish! She would make a sugary sour cream filling and top it with sweetened strawberries...doesn't that just sound like...happiness? It sure made me happy!

We got some blackberries in our BB (bountiful basket) this last week so I decided to make the same crepes my mom makes with a blackberry topping. It turned out really yummy (although I have to say that I like the strawberry topping better).

* Crepes *1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. sugar (dessert crepes only)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. milk
4 eggs
3 Tbs. butter (melted and cooled slightly)

In blender, combine flour, sugar, salt, milk, and eggs and blend for 15 seconds. Scrape sides of blender and start blender again. Pour in melted butter and blend 20 more seconds. Cover and let rest in the fridge for at least one hour.

After letting batter rest, pour 1 T. oil in pan and place on medium heat. Heat for 2-3 minutes and wipe out the pan with paper towell. Pour 1/4-1/2 c. batter into pan and cook until slightly browned (1 minutes or so). Flip crepe over and cook another 30 seconds. For more in depth instuctions, see here.

* Sour Cream Filling *
8 oz sour cream
3 T. sugar (more or less to taste)

Mix sour cream and sugar together. Store in an air tight container. Spread on cooked crepe. Roll crepe up and top with fruit topping.

* Blackberry Topping *
2 1/2 pints blackberries
1/2 c. water
5 T. sugar (or less if you're not into super sweet stuff)
1 T. cornstarch mixed with a little cold water

Stir water and sugar in large saucepan. Add half of berries and bring to boil. Reduce heat, add cornstarch mixed with water. and simmer until syrup thickens, mashing berries with back of fork, about 12 minutes. Pour into medium bowl; gently stir in remaining berries. (I added the rest of my berries into the mixture during the last few minutes of simmering and smooshed them too) Cover and chill until cold, at least 3 hours and up to 1 day.

* No Bake PEANUT BUTTER Cookies *

On our last trip down to see my in-laws, my sister-in-law Amy was telling me about these yummy No-Bake Cookies they serve in the Rich High Cafeteria. I was assuming they were the No-Bake Fudge Oatmeal Cookies...but I was wrong! She whipped these babies out and they were amazing! Then I realized that I had seen this recipe over at Natalie's blog and I was SO EXCITED to make them at home! If you love peanut butter, you will LOVE these cookies!

* No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies *
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup creamy peanut butter
3 cups oatmeal

Spread a piece of wax paper or aluminum foil out on a flat surface. You'll need about 2 feet.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar, milk, and salt and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for exactly one minute, then remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter; stir until smooth. Mix in oatmeal.

Immediately drop in rounded tablespoonfuls on wax paper or foil. Let cool completely and enjoy.

* Easy Peasy Sugar Cookies *

I love sugar cookies--especially with yummy frosting! I found this easy peasy recipe on the Sisters Stuff blog. Try it...you'll love it!

* Easy Peasy Sugar Cookies *
1 pkg. white (vanilla) cake mix
1/3 C. vegetable Oil
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 375*. Blend cake mix, eggs, and oil until moistened. Roll into 1" balls. Place on ungreased cookies sheet. Flatten with a glass or palm of hand. Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes. Allow to cool 1 minute before removing to cooling rack. While the cookies are still a little warm, spread on some frosting. Allow the frosting to set up before storing.