Candy Cane Popcorn

4 qts. popped corn (can be measured using a 2 qt. pitcher)
2 c. whole nuts
3 c. mini marshmallows
1 1/2 c. spiced gumdrops
1 c. butter
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/2 c. corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Mix popcorn nuts, marshmallows and gumdrops in large mixing bowl. Melt butter in large saucepan, add sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Simmer 3 minutes. Add vanilla. Blend well. Pour over popcorn mixture. Mix well. Let stand 2 minutes to cool. With dampened hands, shape mixture into candy canes, balls, or whatever you would like. Arrange on wax paper to set. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Yields: 9 large servings.

Crockpot Orange Chicken

I found this recipe on the A Year of Slow Cooking Website (I just call her the Crockpot Lady). It was great! I think that I would have preferred it to be a little more spicy and a little less orangey (I think it could be solved by adding either a little bit of water, or less concentrate), but it was great nevertheless!


Orange Chicken

1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, cut in 2-inch chunks
1/2 cup flour
olive oil, for browning the chicken
1 tablespoon kosher salt (or less)
6 ounces (1/2 can) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed (I'd opt for little-to-no pulp. The pulp can taste a bit bitter when cooked)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup



The Directions.

Use a 4 quart slow cooker for best results. Dredge the chicken pieces with the flour, and shake off the excess. Go ahead and throw away any remaining flour, we won't need it. Heat olive oil in a large skillet on the stove and brown the chicken on all sides. There is no need to fully cook it, just sear it enough for the flour to stick and get a nice coating.

Plop the chicken pieces into your slow cooker. In a small mixing bowl, combine the orange juice concentrate, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt, and ketchup. Taste. If you'd like the chicken to be a bit sweeter, add a touch more sugar. Pour sauce mixture evenly over the chicken, and toss gingerly to coat.

Cover and cook on low for 6 hours, or on high for 3 to 4. Serve over white or brown rice.

DELICIOUS!!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Our camera really needs to be replaced. The pictures are coming out fuzzy, and the focus is off, and the button used to fix it is broken. Sorry!

These muffins are so good! I found them on Baking Bites. They are light, easy, and delicious!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups diced apple

3 tbsp coarse sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and spices.
In a large bowl, whisk together brown sugar and egg. Whisk in melted butter, vegetable oil and vanilla. Working in two or three additions, alternately stir in flour mixture and buttermilk, ending with an addition of flour and mixing only until no streaks of flour remain visible in the batter. Stir in diced apple.
Divide batter evenly into prepared muffin cups filling each to the top, or slightly over.
In a small bowl, stir together coarse sugar and additional 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon. Sprinkle generously over muffins.
Bake for 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed.
Cool muffins on a wire rack.

Makes 12.

Notes: I didn't add the sugar on top, and they were still delicious. Also, it made about 14 muffins.

BBQ Chicken Bacon Pizza

I stole this from Michele's recipe blog. It was SO Yummy! Thanks Michele!
Barbecue Chicken Bacon Pizza with Caramalized Onions

Makes 2 pizzas*

1/2 recipe bread dough
your favorite barbecue sauce (I used hickory flavored Bullseye)
1 chicken breast
1/2-1 lb. bacon
1 medium onion
mozzarella cheese

Peel onion and cut into thin slices. Heat a little oil in a frying pan, add onion, separating rings, then reduce heat to medium and cook until golden. Place bacon on cooking sheet and bake at 400 for about 12-15 minutes. While bacon is cooking, preheat barbecue grill; cut chicken breast into 3 tenders and coat with barbecue sauce. Grill 3-4 mintues on each side. Let rest and cut into tiny pieces. Remove bacon from oven and blot on paper towels. Crumble or cut into small pieces.

Make bread dough according to recipe, except don't let the dough raise. Use half of the dough for 1 pizza. Roll out dough on a pizza stone; spread barbecue sauce first then layer the chicken, bacon, onions then cheese. Bake at 425 for about 15 minutes. You can do both pizzas at once if you have 2 pans or one at a time, just roll out the second half of the dough after you slide the first pizza off. I actually only make one pizza at a time and just bake the other half of the dough as a loaf of bread. In that case, separate the dough right after it's done mixing and immediately put it in the loaf pan to let it rise for 25 minutes. Bake at 350 for 25minutes.

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

I got this recipe from my Taste of Home cookbook. It was so moist and super yummy!

Chocolate Chip Pound Cake

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
4 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 c. sour cream
1 (12oz) bag semisweet chocolate chips (minus 1/4 cup)

Glaze:
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 Tbs. butter
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350*. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, powder, and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour into greased and floured 10 inch fluted tube pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. Cool completely.

For glaze, in a saucepan, melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat. Remove from heat; whisk in the sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Working quickly, drizzle over cooled cake.

Foot scrub that works wonders

Foot Scrub

Sugar
Olive Oil
Vanilla

Put some sugar in a cup, add olive oil until the sugar mix spreads relatively easy. You don't want it to be runny. Add some vanilla (or scented oil if you have it) to make it smell a little better if you want.

Daniel and I used this for pedicures last night, and it works wonders!

Michele's Lime Rice

Lime Rice

2 cups rice
2 cans chicken broth (plus some water)
cilantro, to taste
Juice from 1 lime
1 small onion chopped

Saute the onion in some olive oil. Add rice. Stir constantly until rice becomes opaque (3-5 minutes). Add broth and water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cook on low for 15 minutes. Add cilantro, and lime juice. Stir. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, or until rice is done.