Sweet Acorns

I am glad it is finally starting to feel like fall around

here.  I love the fall time.  Check out

these cute acorn donuts from Gracious Rain.

These would be a fun treat to make with your kids.

I know my kids would love these!

Click here for directions on how to make them.  

Orange Creamsicle Fruit Dip

Recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything

This is such a refreshing and yummy fruit dip. Perfect for summer!

1(8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1(3.4 ounce) small package instant vanilla pudding mix
1(6 ounce) container of frozen (concentrated)orange juice,slightly thawed
Fruit for dipping such as strawberries, apples, grapes, pineapple

Mix the whipped topping, vanilla pudding mix, and orange
juice together until well combined. If needed add a
little water to make it to the desired consistency.
Prepare the fruit by washing and cutting it.
Refrigerate dip until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 1lb box of Powdered Sugar

1 1/3 cups of Graham Cracker Crumbs

1 cup of Peanut Butter

2 sticks of Melted Butter

1 12oz pkg of Chocolate Chips

With a mixer mix together the sugar, crumbs, PB, melted butter until smooth.

Put in a 13x9 pan pat smooth.

Melt Chocolate Chips

pour and smooth on top.

Cool in refridgerator for 15-20 mins,

Cut into squares.

Cupcake Pops

Hey Yall, I made these yesterday. They are so yummy! I got the recipe from the Bakerella Blog!

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Chips

2 apples(1 red, 1 green) peeled, cored, and diced

1 c. strawberries, hulled and diced
1 c. kiwi, peeled and diced
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. raspberry jam

Mix all ingredients together. Add more brown sugar to taste if you like it sweeter(that would be me:). Serve with cinnamon chips: Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Spray with water or butter flavored cooking spray. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake at 475* for 5 minutes.

This is a great snack, appetizer, or something delicious to bring to a brunch!

Photo courtesy of allrecipes.com. Not their recipe though-I just stole their picture:)

Berry Patriotic Yogurt Cups

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs (10 graham
crackers, broken into pieces and finely crushed)

1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/2 cups blueberries, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups vanilla yogurt (or pudding)

1 1/2 cups raspberries rinsed& drained or 1 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced

Directions

step 1 Pulse graham cracker pieces in food processor until ground into fine crumbs.

step 2 In a medium bowl mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter and work into crumbs with a fork or fingers until well incorporated. Firmly press crumb mixture using hands or a flat-bottom drinking glass evenly into the bottom of cups or serving bowl or container.

step 3 Add blueberries in an even layer on top of crumb crust.

step 4 Add yogurt or pudding in an even layer on top of blueberries.

step 5 Add strawberries or raspberries in an even layer on top of yogurt.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill until ready to serve.

Magic Bars

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup butter or margarine
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk (NOT evaporated milk)
• 1 (12 ounce) package semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). In 13x9-inch baking pan, melt margarine in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter; pour EAGLE BRAND® evenly over crumbs. Layer evenly with remaining ingredients; press down firmly. Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill if desired. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

VARIATIONS

• 7-Layer Magic Cookie Bars: Substitute 1 cup (6-ounces) butterscotch flavored chips* for 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and proceed as directed above.
• Peanut butter flavored chips or white chocolate chips may be substituted for butterscotch flavored chips.
• Magic Peanut Cookie Bars: Substitute 2 cups (about 3/4 pound) chocolate-covered peanuts for semi-sweet chocolate chips and chopped nuts.
• Magic Rainbow Cookie Bars: Substitute 2 cups plain candy-coated chocolate candies for semi-sweet chocolate chips.

CINDA'S NOTES:
It's best if you melt the butter int he microwave, mix it all together with the crumbs and then press the sticky crumbs in the dish. You can really add any number of things. I like to make them half and half with butterscotch chips and chocolate. I also prefer without the coconut, but it's really up to you. Regardless, you MUST press the chips, nuts, coconut into the milk firmly - I usually use a glass to press down. If you have more than one-chip-high across the pan, those will fall off. They need to be pressed into the "glue" to stay on.

Savory Crescent Chicken Squares

I haven't made this one yet, but they were a HUGE hit at a party I was at last weekend. YUM.

This recipe makes 4 squares. Preheat to 350.

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3T butter, melted
2 cups cooked chicken in pieces or 2 cans (5 oz.) boned chicken
¼ t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
2 T. milk
1 T. chopped onion
8 oz. can crescent rolls
¾ C. seasoned croutons, crushed

In bowl blend cream cheese and 2 T. butter (reserve 1T). Add next 5 ingredients. Mix well. Separate dough into 4 rectangles, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Spoon ½ C meat into each rectangle. Pull 4 corners of dough to top center, twist (the dough, not you) to seal then close any side gaps. Brush top with reserved butter then dip into crouton crumbs. Place on ungreased or parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake 20-25 min.
Option: reduced fat rolls, cream cheese and croutons.

Buffalo Chicken Wraps

From my friend Beth, who says: "they're not gourmet, but they're easy!"

• Frozen breaded chicken tenders (the real white meat ones work best)
• Large burrito-size flour tortillas
• Louisiana Hot Sauce
• Tablespoon or two of butter
• Shredded carrots
• Mixed baby greens (as is) and/or shredded romaine
• Blue cheese dressing

Cook chicken tenders according to directions on bag. Depending upon # of tenders, melt one to two tbs. butter and combine w/Louisiana hot sauce. Coat chicken in hot sauce/butter mix. Warm tortillas in oven or better yet, grill in fry pan slightly coated with just a bit of butter or olive oil. Layer greens, shredded carrots, coated chicken tenders on tortilla, top with blue cheese dressing.

Voila, easy dinner!

Awesome Potato Casserole

From my friend Michelle, in a recipe exchange. She says "I could live off this stuff; It's great for potlucks, too."

• 2 Lbs Hash Brown Potatoes (thawed, if frozen)
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1 can cream of potato soup
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1 cup diced ham
• 2 cups shredded cheddar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup chopped onions, optional

Mix all ingredients in a gigantic bowl, transfer to a 13X9 casserole dish, add whatever topping you wish, Cover and Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Topping ideas: 2 cups corn flakes mixed with 1/4 cup butter works, but I usually just add about 1 c cheese when there's only 10 minutes left on the timer.

Ham and Cheese Sandwiches for a Crowd

For 100 sandwiches

• 100 soft bakery rolls, sliced but not all the way through
  (you can use buttercrust, kaiser, Texas or hamburger)
• 1-1/2 5-pound Krakus Polish Ham, sliced thin
  other hams work but are too salty, I think)
• 4-1/2 lbs Swiss cheese, sliced thin

Spread

• 2 lbs unsalted butter, softened (may need a little more)
• 1 9-oz jar horseradish mustard (may not want to use that much)
• 1 1-1/4 oz jar Poppy Seeds
• 1 cup minced onion or onion flakes

Spread filling on both insides of rolls. Add slice of ham and slice of cheese (if really thinly sliced, then use 2 of each). Wrap sandwiches individually in aluminum foil. Freeze. When needed, thaw and bake at 350* for about 15 minutes. If cooking directly from freezer, you'll need to increase time to approx. 30 minutes. Depending upon what roll you use, and the temperature variation in your oven, you may have to cook longer to get it hot in the middle.

This is another one of Aunt Diana's stand-bys - she always had these in the frezeer. It helps to have help making them (take a couple hours on a Saturday), but then you've got them for the winter - or a really big party.