Happy Holiday Crispies from Woman's Day magazine

Clover Crispies picture from Taste of Home

1 bag white chocolate chips *or Wilton Candy Melts
4 tbsp. butter
4 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies®
2 cups M&M’S® Brand Holiday Mix Milk Chocolate or Peanut Chocolate Candies
* I added holiday sprinkles.
1. Place 1 bag (12 oz.) of white chocolate chips and 4 tbsp. butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat at medium power for about 1 minute. Do not allow chocolate to burn.

2. Stir until mixture is smooth; combine with 4 cups Kellogg’s® Rice Krispies® and 2 cups M&M’S® Brand Holiday Mix Milk Chocolate or Peanut Chocolate Candies. Add sprinkles if you'd like to.

3. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with foil, then pour the mixture. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares.

In my opinion: I made these for Valentine's Day this year using the Valentine mix M&Ms. The white chocolate wasn't as fluid as I'd like it to have been so I panicked and thought it wasn't going to mix well so I melted some pink Wilton candy melts and smoothed it over the top plus I added sprinkles. They tasted wonderful, but were very hard to cut and did not make perfect squares. Next time I'll try scoring the melts.

Valentine's Day

There are so many wonderful things you can do with food for Valentine's Day...

don't forget to make heart-shaped ice cubes, heart-shaped sandwiches, or heart-shaped pancakes. We let our kids spray whipped cream on their pancakes and use chocolate syrup and leftover sprinkles.

Valentine Pizza by Pillsbury

1 can (13.8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated classic pizza crust or 1 can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated thin pizza crust
1 can (8 oz) pizza sauce
24 slices turkey pepperoni with 70% less fat
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (3 oz)

1. If using classic crust: Heat oven to 425°F. Lightly spray or grease large cookie sheet. If using thin crust: Heat oven to 400 F. Spray or grease 15x10-inch or larger dark or nonstick cookie sheet.
2. Unroll dough on work surface. With sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into 4 rectangles. Place rectangles on cookie sheet. Cut 1-inch slit in center of wide edge of each dough portion; on opposite wide edge across from slit, pinch dough together to shape point of heart. Slightly separate each cut slit, and gently press dough into a 6x5-inch heart, creating slight rim on edge of dough.
3. Divide pizza sauce evenly onto hearts, spreading to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top each with 6 slices pepperoni and 3 tablespoons cheese.
4. Bake classic crust 13 to 16 minutes, thin crust 9 to 13 minutes, or until crust edges are golden brown and cheese is melted..

Heart Shaped Breadsticks by Pillsbury

1can (11 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated breadsticks
1egg, slightly beaten
1/4cup finely crushed nacho-flavored tortilla chips

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Separate dough into 12 breadsticks; stretch each until 12 inches long. Twist and shape each breadstick into heart shape; place on ungreased large cookie sheet.
2. Brush breadsticks with beaten egg; sprinkle with crushed chips.
3. Bake 10 to 13 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm..

Valentine Chex Mix by Betty Crocker

1/2 recipe

4 1/2 cups Rice Chex® cereal
1/2 cup white vanilla baking chips
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup red, white and pink candy-coated chocolate candies
2 tablespoons red or pink jimmies sprinkles

1.Place cereal in medium bowl. In small microwavable bowl, microwave vanilla chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute to 1 minute 30 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds, until melted and smooth. Pour peanut butter mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.
2.Place 1/2 of the cereal mixture in 1-gallon food-storage plastic bag. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.
3.Meanwhile, stir candies and sprinkles into remaining cereal mixture. Spread on waxed paper or foil; cool about 15 minutes.
4.In serving bowl, mix both cereal mixtures. Store in airtight container.


In my opinion: This was quick and easy or I would not have had time to make it with 4 small kids and an elderly father to take care of. It is super yummy!

Caramelized Onions and Potatoes Crock Pot

by Betty Crocker


Makes: 6 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 6 to 7 hours (low) or 3 to 3 1/2 hours (high)

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Ingredients
2 large sweet onions (such as Vidalia, Maui, or Walla Walla), thinly sliced (2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds tiny new potatoes, halved
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup beef or chicken broth
3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pepper

Directions
1. In a 3 1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine onions and potatoes.

2. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, broth, brown sugar, salt, and the 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Pour mixture over onions and potatoes in cooker.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Stir gently before serving. Serve with a slotted spoon. If desired, sprinkle with additional pepper.

In my opinion: These were really good potatoes after I salted them more than the recipe called for. I think 2 onions is way too much and I'll definitely use 1 next time.

Cranberry-Chipotle Country-Style Ribs

by Betty Crocker

2 1/2 to 3 pounds boneless pork country-style ribs
Salt and ground black pepper
1 16-ounce can whole cranberry sauce
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce,* finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Directions
1. Trim fat from ribs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

2. Place ribs in a 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker. In a medium bowl, stir together cranberry sauce, onion, chipotle peppers, and garlic. Pour cranberry mixture over ribs.

3. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer ribs to a serving platter. Stir sauce. Drizzle some of the sauce over the ribs. If desired, serve remaining sauce.

Tip: Because hot chile peppers, such as chipotle peppers, contain volatile oils that can burn your skin and eyes, avoid direct contact with chiles as much as possible. When working with chile peppers, wear plastic or rubber gloves. If your bare hands do touch the chile peppers, wash your hands well with soap and water.

In my opinion: These were good, flavorful ribs. Somehow they turned out a little dry, I suppose I let them cook too long. We had these with Caramelized Onions and Potatoes (Crock Pot)also by Betty Crocker.

Slow Cooker Chorizo, Pecan and Cheddar Stuffing

by Betty Crocker

1 pound chorizo sausage, casing removed and crumbled or 1 pound bulk chorizo sausage **I used Italian Sausage
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
3 medium celery stalks, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1 package (16 ounces) seasoned cornbread stuffing crumbs (5 3/4 cups)
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 teaspoon rubbed sage
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-ounce carton)
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 cup pecan halves, toasted


Total Time: 4 Hr 20 Min
1.Cook sausage, onion and celery in 10-inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is no longer pink; drain.
2.Place sausage mixture, stuffing crumbs, butter, sage and pepper in 4- to 5-quart slow cooker. Pour broth over mixture; toss to combine. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 3 hours to 3 hours 30 minutes. Gently stir in cheese and pecans.
3.Serve stuffing, or keep warm in slow cooker up to 1 hour. Or use this recipe to stuff Southwestern Turkey or one 12- to 14-pound turkey. See the Variation in Tips from the Kitchens.

In my opinion: I have never had cornbread stuffing before so maybe this is what "didn't do it" for me, but this stuffing did not resemble the flavors of stuffing that I am used to for Thanksgiving and Christmas. It didn't taste bad, just totally different than the traditional flavors I was looking for. It got great reviews on Betty Crocker.com.

Andes Peppermint Crunch Cookies by Andes

1 cup unsalted butter, softened **all I had was salted and they turned out great
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut** we left it out b/c my hubby doesn't like coconut
1 1/2 cups Andes mint baking chips
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2 Using an electric mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy (about 3 minutes).
3 Beat in egg and vanilla extract.
4 On low speed, add baking soda and salt, and then flour. Mix completely.
5 Stir in oats, coconut, pecans, and Andes baking chips.
6 Measure out 2 tablespoons for large or 1 tablespoons for small cookies. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet two inches apart. Press lightly.
7 Sprinkle some of the remaining chips (from the 10 oz. bag) on top of each cookie.
8 Bake for 20 minutes for large cookies or 12-15 minutes for small. Do not overbake.

In my opinion: These are absolutely wonderful!! I will be making these every Christmas for sure. You must try them.

Fun Christmas Cookies

On my family blog, I listed 40+ things to do with your family for the Christmas holidays. Included are several great cookie recipes for kids. Check out the post here.

Bubbles

Bubbles (not edible) by Robin Ward

My Godmother gave me a wonderful cookbook for Christmas. It was put together by Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church in Allen, Texas. That's my other aunt and uncle's church. I flipped right to the back and found some neat stuff for kids. Enjoy and have fun with your kids!

6 c water
3/4 c corn syrup
2 c dishwashing liquid (Joy works best)

Mix together and let set 4 hours to let bubbles settle. Put the bubble solution in a shallow pan and use fly swatters as bubble wands.

Christmas Pinecones

Christmas Pinecones
Soak pinecones in any of the following solutions. When the pinecones are thrown into your fireplace fire, they will burn different colors.

1/2 lb soda to 1/2 gallon water OR
1/2 lb borax to 1/2 gallon water OR
1/2 lb salt to 1/2 gallon water

After soaking pinecones overnight, remove from solution and place in mesh bags to dry thoroughly.

Classic Salt Dough Recipe

2 cups flour
1 cup salt
1 cup water
Directions:
1. Mix salt and flour.
2. Add in half the water, then gradually add the remaining water.
3. Knead until the dough is smooth, this can take up to 10 minutes.
4. For flat dough ornaments roll out the dough on baking paper Or be creative and make odd shapes and wreaths (takes longer to bake)
Create: Use cookie cutters, cut-out templates, or just use your hands.Dust dough with flour and begin to add details to the ornaments with a toothpick, popsicle stick, and knife. Don't Forget: Use a straw to make a hole so you can hang the ornament.
Baking: Time varies based on thickness of ornamentTemperature: 325 degreesTime: 1 1/2 hours - or until dry
Decorate: Let cool before you beginPaint with acrylic paintsGlue on beads, buttons, or any fun accessoryPreservation: Making them last a long timeCoat with acrylic varnish when everything is dry

Graham Cracker Toffee

Yesterday at work we had a bake-off. My friend, Gretchen, made these fabulous toffee bites. I hope she doesn't mind, but I have to post this recipe.


2 sticks butter
1/2 c. sugar
chopped pecans
1 box graham crackers

Melt butter and sugar together on stove and boil for 2 minutes; arrange graham crackers on a foil lined cookie sheet, pour hot mixture evenly over the crackers, sprinkle with pecans, Bake in oven at 350 for 8-9 minutes!! Cool and break into pieces

If you want to add chocolate I found this recipe on eatboutique.com:
■About 12 whole (24 squares), (honey) graham crackers (perforated) broken into quarter sections
■1/2 lb butter (2 sticks)
■3/4 C light brown sugar
■3/4 C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
■3/4 C Chocolate chips
■1T milk
Line up the 44 pieces in a jelly roll pan (or cookie sheet with low sides), sides touching. Over low heat melt butter. Stir in the sugar – simmer (not boil) about 10 minutes – until it melts. Occasionally stir. Pour mix over crackers – spread evenly. Sprinkle w/nuts. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Keep an eye on them so they don’t burn. Cool & separate onto aluminum foil.

Over low heat melt chocolate chips and stir in milk. Top crackers with ribbons of melted chocolate by dribbling off a spoon. Add more milk if chocolate is too thick to form a ribbon. Package and give away to friends!

Iced Pumpkin Scones by Cookie Madness Blog

I found this recipe on the Cookie Madness Blog.
Picture coming soon


2 cups all-purpose flour (9 oz) — spoon and sweep carefully
7 tablespoons granulated sugar sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
6 tablespoons cold butter
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
3 tablespoons half-and-half
1 large egg

Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Spiced Icing
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 pinch ginger
1 pinch ground cloves

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl or in bowl of food processor. Cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly.

3. Whisk pumpkin, half and half, and egg together in a mixing bowl. Pour the dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture and shape into a ball.

4. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick 9×3 inch rectangle. **NOTE from Stephanie: I read this wrong and patted it out to almost 9x13. I cut it into many smaller pieces since I have many small hands in my home.

5. Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough twice through the width, making three equal portions. Cut those three slices diagonally so that you have 6 triangular slices of dough. Place on prepared baking sheet.

6. Bake for 14–16 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool.

Make Glaze: Mix the powdered sugar and 2 tbsp milk together until smooth. When scones are cool, use a brush to paint plain glaze over the top of each scone. This should give you more than enough glaze!

When the glaze has set, make the icing. Melt the butter in bowl. Gradually add the sugar and stir until moistened with butter. Add the milk and stir to get a drizzling consistency. Stir in the spices. Drizzle this decoratively over the glazed scones.

Makes 6 big scones

In my opinion: I've never had scones so I don't know how these compare to others. I do know I enjoyed the pumpkin flavor.