Apple-Snickers Salad

Hi Tami! I believe you are the only die-hard who still reads my cookbook blog—a belief that stems from Melanie telling me that you do read it regularly. So, this recipe is for you, and it is to die for!

We had this the other night at our Cub Scout Blue-and-Gold Banquet. From a distance I thought it was potato salad; then, as I got closer to it I thought it looked more like apples. But what were the darker colored chunks? Ham? Bacon? Maybe grapes?
I was standing in the line, and had just determined to try it out, when the chef of this salad said, "It's really good. I know, it sounds weird, but it is so good." And so I found out that it was, indeed, apples, and the darker bits were chunks of Snickers bars. She didn't have to convince me that it would be good. It sounded excellent!

Just imagine getting one of those great-big, gourmet candy-apples—the ones that are double-dipped in caramel, and then coated in chocolate, and then possibly more chocolate, and then dipped in nuts. Well, take one of those, slice it up, and then dip it in dunk it into a sweet, creamy dip before taking a bite. Heavenly!

Now, I don't know if you can rightfully call this "salad" since it has candy-bars in it. But Michelle Moon, who gave me the recipe, says it is healthy because there's apples in it. So you can decide for yourself. Here is the recipe:

APPLE-SNICKERS SALAD

1 large pkg. instant vanilla pudding

1 3/4 cups milk

1/2 tub Cool Whip
8 regular-sized Snickers bars
6 medium-size tart apples [I think Granny Smiths are too tart. Try Jonathons, or Pink Ladies.]

In a large bowl, mix together the pudding, milk and Cool Whip.
Cut the Snickers bars into bite-size pieces. [You could use the bite-size bars, but I think the regular ones are better because you get more caramel and a tiny bit less chocolate.]
Add the Snickers to the pudding stuff; mix in.

Core and cut the apples into bite-size pieces. (Peeling them is optional.)

Hurry and mix the apples in with the rest of the stuff before they turn brown!
If it seems too thick, mix in about 1/4 cup more milk.
Cover and refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

Enjoy it with other people. It's not that healthy!

Tami's Really Cool, Tasty and Delicious Pretzel-Jello Stuff

I've eaten this jello salad that Tami, my niece-in-law (niece-in-law?), makes; and it is really yummy! I know, pretzels with jello might make you think twice, but you should think a third time and just try it.

I missed out when she took it to Thanksgiving dinner at my mom's house, because I spent Turkey Day at my in-laws. But Tami graciously gave me the recipe, and now I am going to propel her to culinary fame by posting it here, on my cookbook blog. ;-)

TAMI'S PRETZEL-JELLO SALAD

CRUST:
2 1/2 cups crushed pretzels
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cubes melted butter
FILLING:
8 oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
8 oz cool whip
JELLO:
6 oz jello pkg.
water
2 cups cold orange juice (optional)


CRUST:
Mix the crushed pretzels, 2 Tbsp. sugar, and butter together.
Flatten the mixture into a 9x13 inch pan; bake at 400* for 10 minutes, then cool completely.
FILLING:
Mix the cream cheese, 1 cup sugar together until smooth; blend in the Cool Whip.
Spread over the cooled pretzels, making sure to seal the edges so the Jello mixture won't leak through.
JELLO:
Make the jello according to package directions, substituting the 2 cups juice INSTEAD of the 2 cups cold water, if desired.
Slowly pour the jello over the top of the cream cheese mixture. Do this slowly and carefully so you don't pour a hole into the cream cheese. [Refrigerating the cream cheese stuff first might help; it might harden it up a little. Maybe also letting the jello cool to room temperature before you pour it—Loralee].
Refrigerate until jello is completely set.
EAT:
Serve to your family and friends at the next big gathering (like New Year's Eve).
It's yummy, but don't eat it all by yourself!

Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day

Every year I use a few special recipes for Thanksgiving, and I was actually going to post these recipes before Thanksgiving so that you could try them if you wanted to. But it's too late now. Still, you could use them for Christmas. :-)

These are the specials of the house:
1. A yummy stuffing bread that makes great stuffing. Make sense? Probably not, but you'll see. And the bread also makes great turkey sandwiches on the day after.
2. A delicious veggie dip--a family recipe I inherited by marrying Bruce.
3. Chip dips. Actually, we only have chips and dip when we Thanksgiving with the North side of the family. (I know; you're thinking, "What about the South side?" We don't talk to them.)
4. Egg-nog cream pie. Actually, I don't make this every year. But my kids ask for it every year.

So to make up for never posting new recipes, I'll post all of these holiday recipes here, today. And, as a bonus, I'll include a new cranberry recipe that I tried out this year. (What good is a family dinner if you can't experiment on the family?)


STUFFING BREAD
Bread that tastes like stuffing. Bake this a few days before turkey day, dry it, and use it to make extra-yummy stuffing. See? Or use it for sandwiches.

1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/3 cups chicken broth, warmed up (think bath-water, not boiling)
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. yeast
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. celery seed
5 - 5 1/2 cups flour

Melt butter in a frying pan, add the onions and saute until onions are soft. Set aside to cool.
While the onions & butter are cooling, mix the warm broth, sugar and yeast in a large bowl to proof (wait about 5 minutes, until it's bubbly and/or foamy).
After your yeast is proofed, whisk in the eggs and the butter/onion mixture.
Add salt, poultry seasoning, pepper and celery seed.
Mix in 3 cups of the flour. Then add more flour, to make a soft dough.
Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic.
Place dough in a clean, covered bowl; cover and let rise until doubled--about an hour.
Punch dough; knead for about 30 seconds and shape into two loaves. Place loaves in greased pans, cover with a towel and let rise until about doubled--about an hour.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes (until it looks, smells and feels done).
Remove from oven.
Slice it and dry it or just eat it. Yummy!

BRUCE'S MOM'S VEGGIE DIP
Well, actually I think it was around before Bruce's mom got it. But I got it from her. :-)

3/4 cup Miracle Whip (I use light, but never fat-free)
3/4 cup sour cream (light is good, fat-free is yuck)
1 1/2 tsp. dill weed
1 1/2 tsp. Bon Apetit seasoning
3 Tbsp. dry minced onion (I like to use onion powder because it makes the dip smoother)

Mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Dip your veggies in (no double-dipping!) and enjoy!


CLAM DIP (for chips)

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 (6.5 oz.) can minced clams, drained, but reserve the broth
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce (optional)
dash Bon Apetit seasoning (optional)

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, clams and 2 Tbsp. of the reserved broth; mix with electric beaters until smooth. If it's too thick, add more reserved broth, 1-2 tsp. at a time until desired consistency.


GREEN ONION CHIP DIP

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
2-6* green onions, finely chopped (*how oniony do you like it?)
milk, to taste

In a small bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, onions (to taste), and 2 Tbsp. milk; mix with electric beaters until smooth. If it's too thick, add more milk, 1-2 tsp. at a time until desired consistency.


EGG-NOG CREAM PIE

1 baked pie crust
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 1/2 cups egg-nog
3/4 cup milk
nutmeg, to taste
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. rum extract
2 Tbsp. butter
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, whisk sugar, cornstarch, egg-nog and milk together.
Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and boils.
Remove 1 cup hot mixture and quickly whisk into egg yolks. Return to saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla, rum extract and butter. Stir until butter is melted and completely combined.
Cover closely with plastic (put the plastic right on the surface of the pudding) and let cool completely to room temperature.
Pour egg-nog pudding into the pie shell. Refrigerate. When it's cold, make the whipped cream:
In a medium bowl, whip cream, sugar, and vanilla with a mixer at high speed. Stop when cream forms peaks, or you'll be making butter! Spread cream on pie and garnish with fresh grated nutmeg. Slice and serve!


CRANBERRY JELLY
All right. It's still really tart. But not bad . . . for cranberries.

zest from 2 oranges
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. water
2 cups cranberries
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves

Process orange zest and sugar in a food processor until the sugar turns orange and the zest is chopped fine. (If you don't have a food-processor, a blender works. If you don't have either, you can skip this step.)
Put zest, sugar, lemon juice and water into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Add cranberries to pot and cook until they begin to pop. Cook for 3-5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cinnamon and cloves.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.


So, there you have them. SIX new recipes! Enjoy.

Popcorn Balls

These are soooo easy to make and the kids LOVE them! And, since they are made with Jello, you can make different colors to suit the seasons: Tonight we made orange for Halloween, but you could make red and green for Christmas, pink, purple or yellow for spring--Oh! The possibilities are just endless! :-)

JELLO POPCORN BALLS

9 cups popped popcorn [I prefer air-popped, with no butter, but microwave popcorn will work.]

1 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1 (3 oz.) package jello, any flavor

Put the popcorn into a bowl large enough to hold all of it.

In a heavy saucepan, bring corn syrup and sugar to a boil. Add the Jello and stir until dissolved. Pour over the popcorn and stir in well. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. [I learned the hard way that the balls just won't stick together if you try to make them while it's still hot. Besides that, you will burn your hands!] Lightly butter your hands--just like putting on lotion. Now scoop up handfuls of the popcorn goo and make it into balls.

When you're all finished making the popcorn balls, give your kids some spoons and let them clean up the bowl for you.

This recipe makes about 18 balls the size of tennis balls.

Slime Punch

Hmmm. Guess it's been a while. But since no one ever looks at this blog, I suppose it doesn't matter much.

I found this cool recipe in Family Fun Magazine a few years ago, and its intended use is (obviously) for Halloween parties. It looks disgusting, but it tastes great! To make this really cool, mix it in a cauldron (a black pot or a cast-iron Dutch-oven would work nicely). Then, using tongs, glide a piece of dry ice over the surface of the punch until it has a nice fog over and around it. Drop the dry ice into it and you'll have a nice pot of bubbling witches brew!

SLIME PUNCH

1 pkg. (.13 oz.) lemon-lime Kool-Aid
1 cup sugar
8 cups water
1 can (12 oz.) frozen orange juice concentrate
4 cups ginger ale
3 scoops orange sherbet

Empty Kool-Aid into punch bowl. Add sugar, then water and stir until dissolved. Stir in the orange juice concentrate. Just before serving, add the ginger ale; float scoops of sherbet on top. Before long, the punch will be green and slimy-looking.

Toasted Almond Spread

Last night we celebrated my dad's 80th birthday. (He turned 80 on Sunday.) Almost all of my relatives that came to the open house/birthday party asked for a recipe for this yummy cheese spread. I'd like to claim it as one that I, with all my inspiration and talent, created. But I didn't. This recipe is a Christmas tradition of the Forsyth family, friends of ours who kindly shared it with us.

TOASTED ALMOND SPREAD

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (6 oz.)
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
2 Tbsp. chopped green onions
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/3 cups sliced almonds, toasted *

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients; mix well. Spread mixture into a 9-inch pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring after 8 minutes. [oops! I didn't stir after 8 minutes!] Garnish with additional toasted sliced almonds, if desired. Serve with assorted crackers or toasted bread.

*You can toast the almonds one or two tablespoons at a time in your hot-air popcorn popper. Just let it run for about 10 seconds. Otherwise just stir them in a hot frying pan on the stove. Be careful! They are nasty if they burn. But they are so much more delicious toasted than raw!

Yum!