Toasted Almond Rice Pilaf

1/2 c. butter
1 1/2 c. white long grain rice
1 c. vermicelli pasta, broken into pieces
3 c. chicken broth
1 c. water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted

Melt butter in saucepan. Add rice and pasta and saute until golden brown. Add chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and toss in toasted almonds.

Hard Candy Suckers

Remember Mom making these for us when we were kids? So fun! I have two different recipes. One is the original way that Mom did it --on the stove. The second is a microwave version. It's so fast to use the microwave when using regular flavorings. If you are going to do butterscotch, peanut butter, or chocolate, then the stovetop is the way to go. Butterscotch is one of our favs. Stovetop method:

1 c. sugar
1/3 c. white corn syrup
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. Lorann or Wilton flavoring
food coloring

Prepare molds by lightly spraying them with cooking spray and adding sticks. Also, spray the flat surface you are using to cool your suckers on. Combine first three ingredients in pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, add thermometer, cook, stirring occasionally to hard crack stage (300 degrees). Remove from heat, add flavoring and food coloring. Pour hot candy into prepared molds. Remove candy from molds when cool and beginning to hold their shape. Place on another flat surface to continue cooling.

peanut butter - add 1/4 c. peanut butter at 275 degrees, cook to 310 degrees
chocolate - add 2 Tbsp Hershey's chocolate syrup at 275 degrees, cook to 310 degrees
butterscotch - add 1/4 c. butter and a pinch of salt at the start

Microwave method:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. light corn syrup
1/2 tsp. Lorann or Wilton flavoring
food coloring

Mix sugar and corn syrup in a 4-cup glass measuring cup. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes 15 seconds. Remove plastic wrap and stir mixture. IMPORTANT!!!---cover with NEW plastic wrap and microwave for another 3 minutes 15 seconds. Add flavoring and coloring, stir well. Pour into molds.

**Sometimes I just pour the candy onto a greased cookie sheet, break into pieces, and shake in powdered sugar to coat.

**I made these last weekend for a Valentine's Party. I didn't have the oil flavorings so I used extracts that I found in the Walmart baking aisle. I had to use 3 tsp. of it but they had a lot of flavor choices.

Easy French Dips

This is my go to meal on nights when I don't have much time. It's fast and my kids really like it. You can't beat that! We don't usually use rolls with sesame seeds, like in the picture. Actually I prefer them without.

1 pkg. soft French rolls

sliced deli roast beef

sliced provolone cheese

1 pkg. Au Jus gravy mix, made according to directions

butter
sauteed onions and mushrooms (optional)

Open rolls and butter insides of bread. Put under broiler (butter side up) til very light brown. Put cheese on one side and roast beef on the other. Put back under broiler until cheese is melted. Close sandwich and lightly brown under broiler. Flip to other side and put back under broiler again. Stay close when broiling...they can burn fast! Serve with little bowls or ramekins with Au Jus.

Chili's Honey Mustard Dressing

I have two favorite salad dressings. One is store bought - Brianna's Poppyseed. Soooo good! The other is Chili's Honey Mustard. Several years ago I went online and searched for a recipe for the Honey Mustard dressing. I love this dressing. It's so easy to put together and yummy! I'm thinking that I need to do a search for the poppyseed recipe and see what I come up with. 2/3 c. mayo (I often use light mayo)
1/4 c. honey
2 T. Grey Poupon dijon mustard
1 tsp. vinegar
pinch of paprika
pinch of salt

Mix all together and it's ready!!

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the frosting I used for the banana bars I made on Saturday. FYI: I used Tiffin's banana bar recipe that she posted on here already. The recipe comes from Melanie at My Kitchen Cafe.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 c. powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy; set aside. In another bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold whipping cream into cream cheese mixture.

Click here for printable version.

Butterscotch Bubble Loaf

We've made this the past few years on Christmas morning for breakfast. The kids love it!

Butterscotch Bubble Loaf

Serves 10-12

24 Rhodes dinner rolls, thawed but still cold

1/2 box butterscotch or vanilla pudding mix, non-instant

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter

Thaw rolls until soft (about 2 hours at room temperature). Spray bundt pan. Cut dinner rolls in half and dip in dry pudding mix. Arrange rolls in pan, alternately arranging and sprinkling pecans. Sprinkle remaining pudding mix over the top. Combine brown sugar and butter. Heat together until butter is melted and a syrup is formed (microwave about 1 1/2 minutes). Pour syrup over rolls. Cover with sprayed plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size or even with top of bundt pan. Carefully remove wrap. Bake at 350°F for 30-35 minutes. Cover with foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Immediately after baking, loosen from sides of the pan with a knife and invert onto a serving plate.

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

Mike likes to give a little gift to all of his associates (his crew that he manages) at Christmas. I needed something super-simple this year (but still yummy) and we decided on this popcorn I found at Our Best Bites.

It's really yummy and super easy to make!

Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

Recipe by Our Best Bites

12 cups popped popcorn (about 1 cup kernels)

1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C karo syrup

1 stick real butter

1t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

3 squares almond bark (about 4 oz) (I just used white chocolate chips)

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a large bowl and set aside. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well. Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more. Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine. Mixture will foam and rise.

Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir very well so everything is well coated. Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. Melt almond bark according to package instructions. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. When almond bark is hardened and popcorn is cool, break into chunks and enjoy!