Microwave Caramel Popcorn

• 4 quarts popped popcorn
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Place the popped popcorn into a large brown paper bag. Set aside.
2. In a 2 quart casserole dish, or other heat-proof glass dish, combine the brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup, salt and vanilla. Heat for 3 minutes in the microwave, then take out and stir until well blended. Return to the microwave, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove from microwave, and stir in the baking soda.
3. Pour syrup over the popcorn in the bag. Roll down the top once or twice to close the bag, and shake to coat the corn. Place bag into the microwave, and cook for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Remove, shake, flip the bag over, and return it to the microwave. Cook for another 1 minute and 10 seconds. Dump the popcorn out onto waxed paper, and let cool until coating is set. Store in an airtight container.

Banana Bread

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

 Ingredients:
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla
1 3/4 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 sour cream
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 cup mashed banana

Directions:
Add ingredients to bowl.
Stir to combine.
Pour into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 to 55 minutes.

Rate It!!!

*Did not get ratings...it was yummy though and everybody ate it!

Cheddar Bacon Muffins

Recipe adapted from Macaroni and Cheesecake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tbsp. sugar
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup (or so)  Hormel Real  Bacon Bits 
1 cup milk
1 egg
1/4 cup oil

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, & sugar.  Stir in cheese & bacon crumbles, set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together egg, milk & oil.  Add in dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
Spray a muffin tin liberally with cooking spray.  Spoon muffin batter into tins, filling them approximately 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Serve immediately or let cool and store in airtight container.

Rate It!
Jen: 8
Kile: 8
Kiley:
Madee: 7.5
Destrie:  7

Oreo Truffles

Ingredients

• 36 Oreos (NOT Doublestuff)
• 1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
• 16 oz. white chocolate almond bark

Directions

• Set a long sheet of wax paper over a cookie sheet, set aside. 
• Place 36 Oreos in a food processor and pulse until finely crushed (alternately if you don't own a food processor you can place Oreos in a large Ziploc bag, seal bag and crush with a rolling pin until finely crushed). 
• Pour crushed Oreos into a mixing bowl.
•  In separate mixing bowl blend cream cheese.
•  Add cream cheese mixture to crushed Oreos and using a the back of a spoon, stir mixture while pressing it along the bottom of the bowl, until well combine and evenly moistened.
•  Scoop mixture out and form into 1 inch balls
•  Place truffles in freezer for 10 minutes. 
• Melt almond bark according to directions on package. Remove truffles from freezer and dip in melted chocolate and evenly coat then allow excess chocolate to run off (I barely made it with 16 oz. of the melted bark but you may need a little more). Return to baking sheet,  allow chocolate to set. 
• Store in an airtight container in refrigerator. 

Rate It!
Kile:
Jen: 10
Kiley:
Madee: 9
Destrie: 1000

Creamy Chicken and Noodles

 *Recipe and Photo found on Pinterest


 Ingredients:
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2-10.75 cans of cream of chicken soup
 1/2 cup of butter (sliced)
  42 oz. of chicken broth
24 oz. Egg Noodles

Directions:
Spray crock pot with cooking spray.
Add Chicken to pot.
Arrange butter slices on top of chicken.
 Combine broth and cream of chicken soup.
 Pour mixture over chicken.
 Cover & cook on low for 8 hours.
Take chicken out of crock pot and shred with a fork.
 Add bag of egg noodles to crock pot and put chicken bake in pot.
Cook for 20 to 30 minutes-keep an eye on noodles so they don't get soggy.

Rate It!
Jen: 7
Kile: 7.5
Kiley:
Madee: 7
Destrie: good

Teriyaki Chicken in the Crock Pot

Recipe and Photo from Jamie Cooks It Up!

5 chicken breasts (about 3 pounds)
1 1/2 C water
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C soy sauce
1 t granulated garlic
1 t sesame oil (optional, but wonderful)
3 T corn starch + 4 T cold water

1. Spray the inside of your pretty crock pot with cooking spray. (I used a 4 quart crock)
2. Place 5 chicken breasts into the pot. If you are using chicken that has been frozen, be sure that it is completely thawed before you add it to the crock pot.
3. In a separate bowl combine 1 1/2 cups water, 1 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic and 1 t sesame oil. Give it a nice stir to combine and then pour it over the top of the chicken. Cover the crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 7.
4. When the chicken is cooked through and easily shred-able remove it from the crock pot and place in on a plate.
5. In a small bowl combine 3 tablespoon of corn starch and 4 tablespoons of cold water. Pour it into the crock pot and stir it in thoroughly.
6. Take two forks and break the chicken breasts up a bit.
7. Place the chicken back into the crock pot and stir it around allowing the sauce to mix with the chicken.
8. Cover the crock pot and let the mixture cook and thicken for 30 minutes.
Serve over brown or white rice. Enjoy!

Rate It!
 Jen: 8
Kile: 7.5
Kiley: 8
Madee: not home
Destrie: 7.8

Blueberry Crumble

This is really called a Blueberry Dump Cake, but I am not a fan of that name!

Ingredients:
1 can blueberry pie filling
1 16 oz can crushed pineapple (not drained!!!)
1 yellow cake mix
1 cube butter
1 small package pecan gems

Directions:
Grease a 9x13 glass baking dish.
Dump blueberries and pineapple in dish.
Sprinkle cake mix on top.
Cut butter in to chunks and place on top of cake mix.
Sprinkle pecans on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes
*Serve with vanilla ice cream

Rate It!
Jen: 8.5
Kile:
Kiley: 9
Madee:
Destrie: 9