Holiday Snack Mix

1 package almond bark (16 oz)
12 cups popped popcorn
2/3-3/4 cup M&M’s
Sprinkles

Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl. Melt almond bark in microwave 1 minute on high. Stir and continue heating in 30 second intervals until smooth. Pour over popcorn and mix until popcorn is coated. Spread mixture out on aluminum foil or waxed paper. Immediately sprinkle with M&M’s and sprinkles before it cools. Let sit until it is completely dry. Break into clumps.

You can make this for any holiday or occasion by changing the color of M&M’s and sprinkles!

Nut Clusters

1 (12 oz) pkg milk chocolate chips
1 (12 oz) pkg butterscotch chips
12 oz nuts (can use mixed nuts, cashews, peanuts, dry roasted nuts, honey roasted peanuts etc...)

Melt chips in the microwave stirring every 15-30 seconds. Stir in nuts and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper lined cookie sheet. These take a few hours to set completely. You can put them in the fridge but turn out much better when left at room temp to set up. They look prettier too.

Licorice Caramels

2 squares butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
3/4 tsp. anise oil (one .125 fl oz bottle)
black food coloring

Melt butter in large pan on medium heat, spreading it around and a little up the sides.  Add sugar, milk, and Karo syrup.  Cook stirring constantly until soft ball stage (230 degrees on my thermometer).  Cold water test.  Remove from heat.  Stir in oil flavoring and food coloring.  Pour into greased cookie sheet (with edges).  Cut when cooled and wrap in waxed paper or candy wrappers.  Makes about 120 caramels.

Tips:  Cook slowly.  Don't be in a hurry.  I leave the heat on medium the whole time.  Melt the butter before you add the other ingredients.  This helps the sugar dissolve, which prevents gritty caramels.  I use one bottle of oil or 2 bottles if it is not oil but flavoring.  Cold water testing means that you can feel a "skin" on the caramel but it is still "soft" when placed in the cold water.  Enjoy!  We've tried many different flavors and they all taste great.

Chex Mix

1 large box of Rice Chex
1 small box of golden grahams
1 1/2 c. (3 cubes) margarine
2 c. light karo syrup
2 c. sugar
1 pkg. sliced almonds
1/2 pkg. coconut

Mix margarine, karo syrup and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to dissolve sugar. Mix cereals, almonds and coconut in large bowl. Pour mixture over cereals and gently toss with a spoon from the outside of the bowl to the bottom to coat all pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Tips: I use my large tupperware bowl and pour the rice chex in... probably 2/3 or so of the bowl is rice chex. Then I just add the golden grahams on top (I always buy them in bulk so I have to guess how much:). You can also add as many almonds and as much coconut as you want. But when you get the dry ingredients in, the ingredients before the syrup should be about an inch from the top is all. Enjoy!!! It is one of our most favorite treats!

Toffee Cookies

These cookies are really easy and really good!

14-16 graham crackers (about 1 1/2 packages) and Keebler are the best:)
1 c. butter (2 squares) saltine or club crackers are good too!
1 c. brown sugar
1 bag milk choc. chips
1/2 bag toffee bits

Line jelly roll pan or large cookie sheet with foil and spray foil with pam. Layer graham crackers in single layer covering bottom of pam. Break if necessary to cover edges. Bring butter and brown sugar to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Pour over graham crackers spreading with a rubber spatula if needed to cover the graham crackers. Bake for 10 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle the chocolate chips on top. Let sit a few minutes until the chips melt enough to spread evenly. Sprinkle with toffee bits. Let sit until cool or refrigerate if you are in a hurry. Remove from refrigerator and let sit until room temp. Cut or break into squares. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies

From Shaurie's kitchen:

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter or margarine
3 c. rolled oats (I used quick)
1 c. peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt

Combine sugar, milk, butter & salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla peanut butter. Stir until peanut butter is dissolved. Add oats and mix. Cool slightly and drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper.

Colby's Hot Tamale Marshmallow Popcorn

Mallow Magic popcorn
1 big box hot tamales
make popcorn according to pkg.
dump in box of hot tamales
stir together
This is Mine and Colby's Favorite Snack

Candy Corn Bark

16 Halloween-colored chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped
1 1/2 cups broken small pretzels
1 1/2 pounds white chocolate, broken into squares
2 cups candy corn
orange and brown sprinkles

Spread the cookies and pretzels, evenly onto a lightly greased small baking sheet. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from the heat while there are still a few chunks, and stir until smooth. White chocolate burns easily.
Drizzle chocolate with a spoon over the goodies in the pan, spreading the top flat to coat evenly. Top with candy corn and sprinkles. Let cool until firm. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn* (use natural/lightly salted)
1 lb Almond Bark
1 6oz box candy canes, crushed. (About 1-1 1/2 C total and Bob's are the best!)
2 tsp. peppermint extract
3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

*one bag microwave popcorn has about 10 cups in it, so if you're air-popping, do about 20 cups.

Unwrapping the candy canes to crush them is the most labor intensive step of this easy treat, so you can do that ahead of time if you want too. I put my candy canes in a large zip-lock bag and have a whack with a heavy meat mallot.

To melt the almond bark, follow the instructions on the package. I just break it up and put it in a glass measuring cup and microwave on 1 min intervals until it's nice and smooth.

When your almond bark is melted, add the peppermint extract. Place your popcorn in a large bowl and pour the almond bark over it, then stir to combine. Then sprinkle the candy canes all over (okay, you can just dump it all in at once). Stir it up really well until the candy is evenly distributed. Pour the popcorn out onto a piece of waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Spread it out into an even layer and leave it alone!


While the popcorn is setting, place chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30 second intervals until melted and smooth. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn. You can use a fork, or put it in a zip-lock bag with the corner cut off. Leave it until the almond bark and the chocolate is hardened. If you need to hurry it up, do this whole process on lined cookie sheets you can pop in the fridge.


When chocolate is hardened, use your hands to break up popcorn into chunks
Toss in a bowl, a jar, a cute package, or in your mouth :)

Monster Munch {Halloween Popcorn Mix}

• 1 package Almond Bark (1 lb)
• 12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernals)
• 1 C candy corn
• 1 C dry roasted, salted peanuts
• 1/2 C Reeces Pieces

Pop popcorn and place in a large bowl. Much larger than you think you need. The largest you have. It will make mixing easier! Pour peanuts, candy corn, and reeces pieces on top.

Take a large knife and break up almond bark. Melt according to package directions. I just chop it up a little and microwave it in intervals until smooth and melted. Pour over popcorn mixture.

Stir until everything is well coated and then spread out onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil. Let sit until completely dry and then break up into clumps.

This makes a big batch so it's great for packing up into cute bags and sharing!

Goblin Grub {Chewy Chex Cereal Mix}

6 1/2 c. Rice Chex

4 1/2 c. Golden Grahams

1 c. sliced almonds

2 c. coconut

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) real butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. light Karo syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

In a VERY LARGE bowl, combine cereal, almonds, and coconut. Set aside.In a large saucepan, combine butter, Karo syrup, and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for three minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. While the mixture is still hot, pour over the cereal mixture

1. stir well so the candy mixture coats the cereal.
2. You can either serve this in a large bowl it out into treat bags and tie with a ribbon

No Bake Cookies

2 cups. Sugar
3 tbls. unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup. margarine
1/2 c. milk
1 pinch of salt
3 cups. Quick oats
1/2 cup. Peanut butter
1 tsp. Vanilla

In a saucepan melt butter add sugar, cocoa, milk and salt. Bring to a Rapid boil for 1 minute. Quickly add peanut butter and oats. Drop by spoonfuls onto wax paper and let them cool.

Easter Birds Nests

For the nest I use Kathys rice krispies recipe
1 cube margarine
2 16 oz. bags mini marshmallows
11 c. rice krispies
Melt margarine and add mini marshmallows. Stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in rice krispies until well coated.
Form little birds nests with rice krispies, And place on wax paper.

Grass
1 bag shredded coconut
green food coloring

Put coconut in 1 gallon plastic storage bag, put 5 or 6 drops of food coloring in bag. Close and shake and work coconut and food coloring together until mixed well. Place in birds nest and add cadbury mini eggs and marshmallow peeps.
My boys love to make these for Easter!

Holiday Chex Mix Muddy Buddies

9 cups Rice Chex
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
3/4 powdered sugar
1/2 cup holiday M&M's
1/2 cup holiday jimmies sprinkles

In a large bowl place cereal. in a small microwavable bowl combine white chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter uncovered for 1 minute to 1 min 30 seconds stirring every 3o seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour mixture over Rice Chex. Place 1/2 of cereal mixture in a 1 gallon food storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag and shake well until coated. Spread onto wax paper until cool, About 15 min. Meanwhile, Stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread onto wax paper to cool. In a serving bowl mix both cereal mixtures. Store in an airtight container. I like to use holiday m&ms and sprinkles that go with the holiday, I made this the other day with pastel M&M's and Easter sprinkles. My boys love this stuff!

Cherry Delight

Ingredients
2- 12 oz pkg. Chocolate Chips
chunky peanut butter
2- 12 oz. cocktail peanuts
1 container cherry frosting
3 cups mini marshmallows

mix
12 oz pkg. Chocolate chips
3/4 c. Chunky peanut butter
12 oz. Cocktail peanuts chopped fine( I put them in my Chopper)
Mix together and melt in a saucepan. Put in a 9x13 pan. Set in fridge to cool.

Make first ingredients again and set aside.

melt 3 cups. mini marshmallows in saucepan add 1 container of Cherry frosting.
Place on top of chocolate peanut butter in pan. Put in fridge until set up.
then top with more peanut butter chocolate mixture. Refrigerate until cool!
From the kitchen of Susan Collins!

Christmas Caramels

1 c. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light corn syrup
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
dash of salt

Combine ingredients in heavy pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wooden spoon. Keep at rolling boil and cook till soft ball forms in cold water (about 15 minutes). Pour into buttered 7x11 inch pan. Cool, then cut into squares and wrap each piece in wax paper. Makes about 75 pieces of candy.

These are a Christmas tradition in our home. Actually we make them occasionally during the year but ALWAYS at Christmas. I don’t get in a hurry when I make these. I usually cook the caramels in the morning then put them in the fridge to set up. Then later on I take them out, turn them upside down on a cutting board to get them out of the pan. Then when they come to room temp, cut them into squares. Separate the squares in a jelly roll pan or a thin cutting board and return to the fridge. They wrap so much easier when they are cold. I tear the waxed paper in about 4 inch strips then cut each strip into 3 pieces. I know it sounds like a lot of work but if you don’t do it all at once, it doesn’t seem like a lot of work:). And the end result makes it worth it! Colby loves to help me with these and that makes the time go by really fast!

Mother Goose Popcorn

6 Qt. popped popcorn
1 ½ C. Powdered Sugar
1 C Sugar
½ c plus 1 Tb. Milk
1 Tb. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 pkg Kool Aid (any flavor)

Bring all ingredients –except popcorn- to a boil in a saucepan. Boil one minute. Pour over popcorn in large bowl. Mix with wooden spoon till well coated. Eat right away, or spread out on wax paper to cool and dry.

Candy Cane Fudge

1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup light corn syrup
3 cups (18 ounces) chocolate chips...semisweet or milk...you choose
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup crushed candy canes
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1. Line 8 inch baking pan with foil, extending edges over sides of pan.

2. Bring cream and corn syrup to a boil in saucepan over medium heat; boil 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips. Cook until chocolate is melted, stirring constantly.

3. Stir in powdered sugar, candy canes, and vanilla. Pour into prepared pan. Spread mixture into corners. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours or until firm.

4. Lift fudge out of pan using foil; remove foil. Cut into 1 inch squares. Store in airtight container.

Orange Creamsicle Fudge

Orange Creamsicle Fudge

2 cups sugar
3/4 (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine
2/3 cup whipping cream
7 ounces Marshmallow Cream
1 (12 oz) pkg. vanilla chips
3 tsp. orange flavoring
12 drops yellow food color
9 drops red food color

Bring sugar, cream and butter to a boil in a heavy cooking pot over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Meanwhile put the vanilla chips and the marshmallow cream in a bowl. Remove the sugar, cream, butter mixture from the heat and pour directly over the chips and marshmallow cream. Stir vigorously until the chips and marshmallow are completely dissolved. Remove 1 cup of the mixture and set aside. Add orange flavoring and food colorings to remaining mixture and pour into a greased 11x 8 inch pan. Spoon the 1 cup of white mixture over the orange and gently swirl with a knife. Chill in the refrigerator and cut into 1 inch squares. Store in wax paper lined tupperware container.

Best Toffee Ever... Super Easy!

2 cups butter (no substitutes)
2 cups white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate
chips
1 cup finely chopped almonds

1. In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the butter, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the butter is melted. Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.

2. While the toffee is cooking, butter a large cookie sheet or spray with pam.

3. As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften. Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

4. Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Use any type of nut that you like in place of the almonds. I always use milk chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.