Mummy Munch

It has been one of those weeks and I feel like my brain has been turned off for most of it. I would like to think it's the lack of chocolate and sugar in my life. Don't ask me what I was thinking, but 3 weeks ago I signed up to do a weight loss challenge with some of my neighbors. I feel like every pumpkin dessert is constantly calling my name. 

Yesterday, I made one of our favorite Halloween snack/treats. We like to call it Mummy Munch. I realized when I was practically finished bagging it, that I hadn't snapped any pictures. Not the most artistic shots here, but you get the idea. This is an easy treat to make and the kids love helping out with this one!

Mummy Munch

4 cups honey chex cereal

1 cup autumn mix (candy corn and little pumpkins

1 cup dry roasted or honey roasted peanuts

2 cups mini pretzels

12 oz package vanilla candy melts

In a large bowl, combine cereal, autumn mix, peanuts and pretzels. Mix to combine. Melt vanilla candy melts in a microwave safe bowl at 30 second intervals, stirring after each 30 seconds until completely melted. Pour over cereal mixture and stir until evenly coated. Pour Mummy Munch onto wax paper to dry. Once dried, break up into pieces and store in ziplock bags or an airtight container. I like to divide it into snack bags for lunch boxes or we divide it up between cute Halloween goodie bags and deliver it to neighbors. 

Makes about 8 cups

Adapted from Picky Palate

Marshmallow Treats

This weeks recipe comes from my Great Grandma. I was very lucky to have wonderful Grandma's! Sadly, they are all gone now and I miss them all so much. My Great Grandma Wanlass lived to be an amazing 90 years old. I was 10 when she passed away, but I have wonderful memories of visiting her. She always had empty berry baskets waiting for us to pick raspberries when we arrived and she always had her cookie can filled with goodies for us. She almost always had it filled with No Bake Cookies or Marshmallow Treats. I have been using her recipe for Marshmallow Treats for years, but have added my own modern twist to it-mainly more marshmallows and sprinkles. When I don't add the sprinkles, my kids act like I have committed some sort of crime. So, in honor of wonderful Grandma's everywhere, enjoy some Marshmallow Treats!

Marshmallow Treats

1/4 cup butter
1 (10 oz) bag of large marshmallows
1/4 tsp salt
6 cups krispie rice cereal
1 (10 oz ) bag of small marshmallows
Sprinkles for decorating

Measure out krispie cereal and place in a large bowl. In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Once melted, add large marshmallows and salt. Stir until marshmallows are melted and everything is combined. Pour marshmallow mixture over cereal and stir until well combined. Add bag of small marshmallows and stir until well combined.
Place in a greased 9x13 pan and spread out. (A good tip for doing this is to get your hands wet. If you use wet hands to press the mixture into the pan, it won't stick to you.)
Decorate the top of treats with sprinkles of choice. Cool and cut into desired size squares. I like to wrap my squares into individual pieces of plastic wrap and fill up the cookie jar for little hands to grab as they please:)

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

We are loving these snacks at our house. My kids like them, my husband likes having them for breakfast, and I like knowing that they are eating something fairly healthy. It's cheaper than buying granola bars every week too!

Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup rice krispy cereal

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp mini chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir oats and cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey, and sugar over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir till combined. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. (I just press mine into one side of a cookie sheet.) Press down firmly so mixture will stick together. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a counter top  at room temperature for 2 hours or until chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Store in plastic wrap or baggies. 

Makes about 8 granola bars

Churro Chex Mix

We had lots of yummy things to eat and snack on over Conference weekend, but this was a favorite. It takes a couple of minutes to make and is gone in no time, so make a double batch!

Churro Chex Mix

9 cups rice chex cereal
3 cups cinnamon chips
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Pour chex into a large bowl. Pour sugars and cinnamon into a separate bowl. Melt the cinnamon chips in a microwave safe bowl-heating for 1 minute, then stirring and continue to heat at 30 second intervals, stirring after each one until chips are melted. Pour over cereal and stir until well mixed. Sprinkle with 1/2 the sugar mixture and toss to coat. Spread onto a baking sheet and continue to sprinkle the remaining sugar and toss to coat until everything is evenly coated. Serve and enjoy!!




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Caramel Popcorn

I love this time of year! I especially love cooking and baking this time of year! I have had a long list of fall recipes to make for about 2 weeks and things have been so crazy lately, I have only made a couple. We love popcorn at our house and we really love caramel corn! Here is one of our favorite caramel corn treats.

Caramel Corn

2 bags microwave popcorn-salted (do your best to get all the seeds popped or separated)

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1 tsp baking soda

Pop popcorn (removing as many seeds as you can) and place in large bowl. In a microwave safe bowl, combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup. Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Stir and microwave for another 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and add baking soda, stir. Pour over popcorn and toss or stir until popcorn is coated. Let cool a bit before serving.

Dangerously Delicious Popcorn!!

I am so excited to do my baking this holiday season!! All of my sibling in-laws are coming into town next week and I am so excited! I am waiting to do my baking until next week so we will have lots of sugary goodness to enjoy over Christmas, but here is a preview! This popcorn is evil!! You cannot just have one bite and stop-it is literally not possible!! I have made it a couple times already this month and have a few more batches to go before Christmas is over. This will become an instant favorite-I promise!

Holiday (or any day) Popcorn

Carrie McCleary

2 bags microwave popcorn

12 oz vanilla almond bark

3 tbsp vegetable oil

4 oz colored candy coating chips

Pop popcorn and place in large bowl. Melt bark and oil in saucepan over medium heat and pour over popcorn. Shake or stir to coat popcorn. Spread popcorn onto wax paper to cool. Melt candy coating in microwave, 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 seconds. (Get creative with your colors, I like to use red and green at Christmas time.) Drizzle over popcorn, cool and dry. Delicious!!!

Granola Bars

I am sick of food prices going up. Things I bought 5 years ago are like $3 more than they use to be-it's ridiculous. Granola bars were a staple at our house, but I got to the point where we really couldn't afford them any more. So, now we make our own. My husband and kids like these better than the store bought ones and I like making something healthy for my family.Homemade Granola Bars

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cups instant oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 egg

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup add-in*

Heat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, soda, oats, sugar, applesauce, egg and cinnamon. Stir the mix with wooden spoon till you have crumbly dough. Fold in the add-ins. Press dough into an ungreased 9x13 pan and bake 17 minutes or until bars are lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into bars. Makes 1 1/2 dozen 2x3 inch bars.

*Add-in ideas: coconut flakes, raisins, craisins, chopped dried pineapple, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, etc. (You can combine add-in's but make sure that only a total of 1 cup is added to dough.)