Caramel Pretzel Candy

Who doesn’t enjoy a nice salted caramel candy? With a little crunch? You do? Then you might want to try these. I made my regular caramel candy recipe but added some stick pretzels instead of the pecans I normally add! WOW! What a fun treat! Smooth and creamy caramel with that salty flavor going on while you crunch on the pretzels?? It’s a party in your mouth!


Caramel Pretzel Candy



2 cups sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 3/4 cup light Karo syrup
2 sticks butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups pretzels (I used the stick kind)

In a large pot, mix sugar, 1 cup of the cream, Karo syrup and butter.

Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.

When it reaches a rolling boil, add the remaining 1 cup of cream.

Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil until mixture reaches the firm-ball stage....about 235 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla.

Stir in the pretzels.

Pour into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish. Let caramel cool and set up. Cut into bite-sized squares and wrap in plastic wrap.

Let's get going!

Combine the sugar, butter, Karo 

and 1 cup of the cream.

Bring to a boil.

Add the remaining cup of cream.

Bring to a boil....

...and let it rise to 235 degrees 

on a candy thermometer.

This is the firm-ball stage.

Add the vanilla.

Then add the pretzels.

Pour into a buttered pan.

Yummy caramels. See the 

pretzels??? So good!!!

White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

What a great cookie! This made about 3 dozen cookies and lemme tell ya…they only lasted a few days. Every time IT Guy would eat one, he would say “these are the BEST cookies…I LOVE them.” Of course that’s all I needed to hear! Really…you should make these…your family will smile BIG time!

White Chocolate Chip

Oatmeal Pecan Cookies

¾ cup butter flavored shortening

1 cup brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

1 egg

¼ cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups quick oats

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking soda
1 12-ounce package white chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie 

sheets with parchment paper.

Combine shortening, brown sugar, granulated sugar, egg, 

water and vanilla in a stand mixer. 

Cream together until smooth. 

Add flour, oats, salt and baking soda. Beat until mixed well.

Add white chocolate chips and pecans. Mix well.

Drop by spoonfuls onto baking sheets and bake for 12- 15 minutes or until lightly browned.  

Let set on cookie sheet for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack.Makes about 3 dozen cookies

 

Our ingredients.

 

        Mix the sugars, egg, water and vanilla.
 

     Then add the oats, flour, baking soda and salt.

  Then add the white chocolate chips and the pecans.

                            Bake 'em up!!

                  Look at these yummy little discs of happiness!!

Crock Pot Tortellini Sausage Soup

Okay…so this yummy soup is so easy to throw together. Other than browning the sausage, you just dump everything in your crock pot and let it go for a few hours and it’s done. If you’re not a sausage fan, then you could use some chicken. And if you use a rotisserie chicken, you don’t even have to cook it. And if you want to get super easy, you don’t even have to cook the onion. I’d sub some garlic powder for raw garlic, though…unless you like that raw garlic flavor. Wow…if I keep going I could have this dish make itself!! Anyyywaaaayyy….it’s really good and I think you should make it. Like soon. 

Crock Pot Tortellini Sausage Soup

 

1 bag of frozen tortellini

1 6-ounce bag of spinach

2 15-ounce cans diced tomatoes

1 box or 4 cups of chicken broth

1 8-ounce block of cream cheese

1 pound sausage (like Jimmy Dean)

½ cup diced onion

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet, sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes.

Add the sausage and cook until done. Drain.

Add all ingredients to your crock pot.

Cook on low for 5 -6 hours, stirring every so often.

  

Here's the line up.

 Saute the onion and garlic for a bit.

 Then add the sausage and brown that. 

 Throw everything in the crock pot. 

 Give it a stir once in a while. 

 Done!

Cream Sauced Tortellini and Sausage Casserole

Have you ever had one of those days where it doesn't matter how many times you look in your cabinet, pantry or fridge, you just can't find anything to make for dinner? And you go back multiple times thinking that maybe each time you do, there will be something that has magically appeared that could be a meal? That happened to me the other day. All day long I just couldn't think of one thing to make and nothing was jumping out of my pantry screaming "make me! make me!!". Until I spied the tortellini hiding waaaay in the back of the cabinet behind the mac & cheese and the expired cream of mushroom soup (yes, I have those things, too). I grabbed the tortellini then remembered some spicy Italian sausage and oh! Isn't there a wedge of parmesan in my fridge and also some heavy cream? I think I saw a red bell pepper in there, too! Yay! I had a concept....which soon became a reality. Let it be your reality, too because this turned out amazingly delicious!!



Cream Sauced Tortellini 
and Sausage Casserole



1 package cheese stuffed tortellini
1 pound Italian sausage
1 small onion - diced
1 – 2 cloves garlic – minced
1 red bell pepper - diced

1/2 c. butter
2 c. whipping cream
2 tsp. salt

1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Boil tortellini and set aside.

In a large skillet, saute onion, garlic and red pepper until just soft.

Add sausage and cook until sausage is done. Remove mixture to a bowl and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the butter. Pour in cream and add salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until thickened. Add grated parmesan and stir until melted.

Add cooked tortellini and sausage mixture to sauce and stir to combine.

Pour into prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with a little more cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Serves 6


*If you want a thicker sauce, combine 2 tablespoons of flour with 3 tablespoons of water and pour into cream mixture. Cook until sauce is thickened then add pasta and meat mixture.

Here's the line up.

Saute the onion, bell pepper and 

garlic in some olive oil for a little bit.

Then add the sausage and cook until done. 

I used spicy sausage but you could use the 

mild and it would be fine. I also used links

 and just removed the casings.

Remove the meat/veggie mixture 

to a bowl then add the butter to the skillet.

Once the butter has melted, add the 

heavy cream and let that thicken. If 

it's not as thick as you'd like, make a

flour/water slurry and add it to the 

butter/cream mixture. I did this because 

I like a thicker sauce.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in the grated parm and let it melt.

Put the meet/veggie mixture and 

the cooked tortellini into the sauce and give it a stir.

Pour the mixture into a greased 

casserole dish. Sprinkle with more 

parm, cover with foil and bake!

Gnocchi with Mozzarella and Basil

Oh my...how good and EASY was this??? I had a few hours to kill on a sunny afternoon and whipped this up real quick then immediately regretted it because I couldn't stop eating it and no one was home but me!!! This is a perfect QUICK side dish or serve it with a salad for a complete meal!! You could even add some chicken in there...or meatballs!! Incredibly delicious!!!!


Gnocchi with Mozzarella and Basil

2 - 3 cups marinara sauce (depending on how saucy you like things)
1 17-ounce package potato gnocchi
1 8-ounce ball of mozzarella cheese - diced (or grated if you prefer)
3 tablespoons fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and set aside. 

Heat marinara sauce in a small sauce pan. Add basil and salt and pepper. 

In the same pot that you boiled the gnocchi, combine the gnocchi, sauce and cheese. Stir to combine. 

Transfer to a serving bowl.

Here's all you need. 

 Prepare your gnocchi. Drain and set aside. 

 Combine the sauce, gnocchi and salt and pepper. 

Dice your cheese.  

Combine the gnocchi, sauce and cheese. Stir. 

Transfer to a serving bowl....and enjoy!!!!

Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo

Nothing's better than throwing a bunch of ingredients into one pot and then basically walking away from it until you're ready to eat. That's what this dish is all about. Aside from cooking some pasta, you don't really have to do much with this except give it a few stirs throughout the day. Really easy...really yummy. Really.

Crock Pot Chicken Alfredo



3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups frozen broccoli florets
1-8 ounce package cream cheese ~ cubed
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup butter ~ melted
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta

Place all ingredients into your crock pot.

Stir.

Cook on low for 5 - 6 hours, stirring occasionally.

Serve over fettuccine noodles.  

Here's what you need.

Throw everything in the crock pot....

...and give it a stir.

Then a few more stirs throughout the day.

Boil up some pasta and you're good to go!

Apple Spice Cake

I reposted the recipe for Sharron's Carrot Cake the other day and someone asked about a spice cake recipe. I didn't have one until NOW!  I reworked the carrot cake recipe and turned it into something delicious! I added some grated apple and applesauce and the result was an extremely moist cake that's extremely good. The addition of the cinnamon cream cheese frosting just adds to the yumminess!

Apple Spice Cake



2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 1/3 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups grated apples (I used Golden Delicious)
2 cups applesauce


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, oil and eggs. Mix on low until ingredients come together then increase speed to medium. Mix for 2 minutes.

Stir in grated apples and applesauce.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 - 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool then frost.

Frosting for cake:

1/2 cup butter ~ softened
1 8-ounce package cream cheese ~ softened
1 tablespoon cinnamon
2 - 3 cups powdered sugar
A little milk to thin frosting, if needed.

Combine butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl.

Add powdered sugar and cinnamon and mix on low to combine, adding a few tablespoons of milk to thin and create a spreadable frosting.

Frost cooled cake.

Our ingredients.

Mix the flour, sugar, eggs, spices,

 baking soda, oil and salt until combined.

Stir in the applesauce and the grated apples.

Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake!

For the frosting:

Combine the butter and cream cheese.

Then add the powdered sugar and the cinnamon.

A little milk...

..to make it spreadable.

Then spread.

Then eat! Moist and delicious!