Saltine Cracker Candy

Ingredients:

1 sleeve (about 24) saltines
1 C. sugar (white or brown, brown gives more of a "toffee" flavor)
1 stick butter
12 oz. (2 C.) chocolate chips

3/4 C. chopped nuts OR extra crushed Saltines

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°
Line a cookie sheet with foil.
Spray foil very lightly with cooking spray.
Cover cookie sheet with saltines in one layer.

Melt butter and sugar in a medium pan on medium-high heat. Stirring often, heat the mixture for about 3-5 minutes until it turns into a nice caramel looking sauce. Pour the sauce over the crackers until they are completely covered, spread evenly.
Bake 3-5 minutes or till bubbling over crackers.
Remove from oven.

Sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Let set one minute, then spread melted chips with spatula.
Sprinkle with nuts, or extra crushed saltines.
Cut on diagonal immediately or cool until firm then break up as you would brittle.

Quick & Awesome!

10-Minute Strawberries with Chocolate Creme

A delicious way to serve strawberries and a healthier alternative to a candybar when you just HAVE to have some chocolate!

3 TBS low-fat vanilla or soy yogurt
3 TBS organic cocoa
3 TBS maple syrup
1 pint strawberries

Directions:

Whisk yogurt, cocoa, and maple syrup in a small bowl. If your cocoa has lumps, sift it through a strainer before mixing with the other ingredients.
Place mixture in 2 small sauce cups on a plate and arrange the strawberries around the cups.
Dip strawberries into the chocolate créme and enjoy!

The taste of this recipe will vary depending upon the brand of yogurt used. A creamy, custard-type yogurt works best.

There is brilliant, then there is just plain ingenious!

A Girl's Best Friend

I like anything that will make my life just a tad bit easier, don't we all? And anything that can keep me from having to touch or go to close to any creepy crawly thing has my full attention! Hence, the Spider Catcher!

Aren't you tired of running for the Raid can only to find out it's empty?

Hairspray works okay.. and deodorant..., well that doesn't work too well at all. That nasty little hairy jumper will kind of sputter around for a moment or two but then quickly scampers away with nothing but a summer bloom smell clinging to his butt. That is why I love this gadget so much and I had to share. If you are interested in it, it can be found at http://www.spidercatcher.net/

Taylor's Easy Breezy Peanut Butter Cookies

1 egg

1 cup of peanut butter

1 cup of sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingredients together.

Drop by rounded spoonful onto a foil-lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes and enjoy!

Amish Baked Oatmeal

"This is my son's favorite. It tastes like a freshly baked oatmeal raisin cookie!"

3 cups quick-cooking oats
3/4 cup Granulated Pure Cane Sugar / or brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbl baking powder

2 Tbl brown sugar
2 eggs

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat together oil and sugar. Mix in eggs, milk, salt, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and oatmeal. Beat well, then by hand stir in the raisins.

Pour into a lightly greased pie pan. Sprinkle with a generous amount of brown sugar and cinnamon. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 25- 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown and pie is firm.

Immediately spoon into bowls; drizzle a little bit of warm milk over top.

You can also top with fruit if desired.

DELISH!

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Fool-Proof Piecrust

4 cups all-purpose flour, lightly spooned into cup

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 cup vegetable shortening at room temperature (do not use oil, margarine, lard or butter)1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon white or cider vinegar

1 large egg

In large bowl, stir together with fork (or pastry blender) flour, sugar and salt. Cut in shortening until crumbly. In small bowl, beat together water, vinegar and egg. Add to flour mixture and stir until all ingredients are moistened. Divide dough into 5 portions (4 if you use large pie plates). With hands shape each portion into a flat, round patty; wrap each patty in plastic wrap and chill at least 1/2 hour.

When you are ready to use the pie crust, lightly flour both sides of the patty and roll out on lightly floured board or pastry cloth.

Dough can be refrigerated for three days or frozen for weeks. If frozen, thaw and bring to room temperature before rolling out crust.

Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie

Filling
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 3/4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup milk
2 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

1. Heat oven to 425°F.

2. In 2-quart saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cooking and stirring until bubbly and thickened.

3. Stir in chicken and mixed vegetables. Remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust; seal edge and flute. Cut slits in several places in top crust.

4. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. During last 15 to 20 minutes of baking, cover crust edge with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.