Caramel Delight Bars

Another super simple recipe for very delightful bars.

Ingredients

1 pkg. caramels
3/4 c. butter, softened
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 c. chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 c. evaporated milk
1 pkg. yellow cake mix

Grease a 9x13 pan. In large mixing bowl, combine dry cake mix, butter and 1/3 cup evaporated milk (and if desired walnuts). Mix by hand until dough holds together.
Press half of dough into prepared pan. Reserve remaining dough for topping. Bake at 350º for 6 minutes. Melt caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk over low heat or microwave until melted. Set aside. Spread caramel mixture over baked crust.
Crumble remaining dough over caramel mixture. Return to oven and bake 15 to 18 minutes. Cool and cut into bars and serve.
Sometimes I add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips on top of the caramel mixture before topping with dough.

Creamsicle Fudge

One of favorite holiday fudge recipes is orange fudge.  It tastes like a Creamsicle ice cream treat.  The easy recipe yields 2 1/2 pounds of melt-in-your-mouth goodness!
Ingredients
1-1/2 teaspoons butter for greasing the pan
3/4 cup butter
3 cups sugar
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 package white baking chips (10 or 12 ounces)
1 - 7 ounce jar marshmallow creme
3 teaspoons orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
5 drops red food coloring
Directions:
Grease a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside.
In a large heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, cream and remaining butter.  Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a boil; cook for 4 minutes, stir continuously.  Remove from the heat; stir in  chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.
Remove 1 cup of fudge mixture and set aside.  Add orange extract and food coloring to the remaining mixture; stir until blended.  Pour into buttered pan.  Drop the reserved marshmallow mixture by tablespoonfuls on the top; cut through with a knife to swirl.  Cover and refrigerate until set.  Cut into squares.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

A great dip that tastes great and fits nicely into a low-carb. diet!  One of my favorites at a party as well.

2 (10 ounce) cans chunk chicken, drained
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup Ranch dressing
1 cup hot sauce (I used Space Aliens)
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Serve with celery, cleaned and cut into 4 inch pieces

Enjoy!

Holly Wreath Treats

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package large marshmallows
• 1 stick of butter
• 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoons green food coloring
• 4 cups cornflakes cereal
• 1 package cinnamon red hot candies

In a saucepan over low heat, melt together the marshmallows and butter.  Add vanilla and food coloring, then stir in the cornflakes.  Drop by spoonful on to wax paper, shape into wreaths and decorate with red hots.  

Eight Minute Cheese Cake

This is a quick recipe for making a cheese cake or mini cheese cakes for dessert.

Prepared graham cracker crust
1 - 8 oz package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 8 oz container of Cool Whip

Cream together the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar and vanilla.  Fold in the Cool Whip.  Pour into prepared crust and top with your favorite cheese cake topping.

Pound Candy

This candy is easy to make, tastes great and makes a very nice gift!

1 pound chopped walnuts
1 pound brown sugar
1 pound butter
12 oz milk chocolate chips

In sauce pan over medium heat melt the brown sugar and butter.  Bring this mixture to 300º on candy thermometer.  Line a cookie sheet with foil, butter the foil and sprinkle with with walnuts.  Pour the brown sugar mixture over the walnuts.  Top this mixture with the chocolate chips.  When the the chips melt spread the chocolate over the mixture.  Cool over night, then break apart.

Christmas Chocolate Butter Cookies

These are one of the easiest holiday treats I make.  They can be enjoyed year-round.  Simple, soft, chewy and good!

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup of butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 (18 oz) boxed cake mix
confectioner's sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º.  In a large bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese until smooth.  Beat in the egg, then beat in the almond extract.  Beat in the cake mix.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Roll the batter into Tablespoon sized balls and and roll in confectioner's sugar.  Place on cookie sheet and bake 12 minutes.  Can sprinkle with more confectioner's sugar if desired.

Easy Toffee Bars

One of our favorite holiday goodies is Toffee Bars.  These bars are easy to make, taste great, and only require 6 ingredients!
Hope you enjoy this holiday favorite as much as we do!

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg yolk
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 - large Hershey chocolate bars

Cream butter, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla together.  Add flour, and spread onto a 12x15 inch cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes at 350º.
Break up 2 large hershey bars and put on top of the hot toffee crust.  When the chocolate melts spread evenly over top.  Cut into bars while still warm.

Holiday Greetings from the North Pole!

You can send a message to your favorite elf for Christmas.

The Portable North Pole makes creating a personalized message with photographs easy.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

The temperature is dropping outside, and nothings warms a family like a bowl of soup!
One of favorites this Chicken Tortilla Soup, easy to make and filling.

1 can fiesta nacho cheese soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
2 2 /3 cup milk
1 pound cooked and cubed chicken breast
1 can enchilada sauce
1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies

Put ingredients into a crock pot.  Cook on low for up to 8 hours.  Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour crean and tortilla chips.

Oreo Truffles

We started our holiday baking today.  One of our favorite treats are the Oreo Truffles!  A small bit of yummy!

One package of Oreo cookies, crushed into small crumbs
1 - 8 oz. package of softened cream cheese
Almond bark
Crushed candy canes

Mix Oreo crumbs and cream cheese together, chill.  Roll into small balls and dip into melted almond bark.  Place on parchment paper, and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.  Let set and store in air-tight containers.