Super Easy Party Snack

This is an easy snack to take to a party or to serve to drop in guests. It comes together so easily but it's pretty and everyone will love it.

The basic version only has 2 ingredients: 1 package of vanilla flavored almond bark and regular, unflavored popcorn (if you use microwave popcorn about 2 bags should do it).

Melt the almond bark on medium-low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and creamy. Poor over popped popcorn and stir until all the popcorn is coated. Spread popcorn on waxed paper or aluminum foil and let set. Break into smaller pieces and store in airtight container.

There are so many variations on this. You can add M&Ms, sprinkles, nuts or you can do the same thing with pretzel sticks, peanuts and Chex Mix cereal in place of the popcorn(we call it white trash when we make it that way). There's no wrong way to make it, unless you wanted to add bacon or something which would just be weird. :)

Favorite Recipes

Some of my favorite recipes from the past 2 years of 50s housewife.




Pot Roast and Ragu made with the leftovers

Easy Drop Cookies

Coffeehouse Scones

Tracy's Cinnamon Rolls

Challah

Easiest Cake Ever

Easy Homemade Salsa

Homestead Biscuits

Apple Cobbler

Buttermilk Bread

Banana French Toast

Pasta with Italian Meat Sauce

Beef and Cheese Calzones

Fruit Swirl Coffee Cake

I love to make this recipe for an easy weekend breakfast. It comes from this cookbook that Mike bought for me about 9 or 10 years ago. It's spiral bound so it will lay flat on the counter which is really nice.

The year that he gave it to me for Christmas we had ice and snow for the whole 2 week Christmas break and I made many of the recipes in it since I happened to have a big box of Bisquick on hand and we couldn't go anywhere. The boys got scooters for Christmas that year too and couldn't try them out until after they had to go back to school. I seem to remember that we even completed an entire game of Monopoly while we were "iced in". :) Maybe it's just us, but our Monopoly games tend to drag on for hours and hours and hours...



4 c. Bisquick baking mix (you could also use homemade biscuit mix)
1/2 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 (21 oz.) can pie filling (I used apple, but you can use cherry, blueberry, apricot...whatever you like)
Glaze (see below)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease jelly roll pan 15 1/2x10 1/2x1, or 2 square 9x9x2 pans. Mix all ingredients except pie filling and glaze. Beat vigorously for 30 seconds. Spread 2/3 of the batter (about 2 1/2 cups) in jelly roll pan or 1/3 of the batter (about 1 1/4 cups) in each square pan. Spread pie filling over batter (filling may not cover batter completely). Drop remaining batter by tablespoons onto pie filling. Bake until light brown, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drizzle with glaze while warm.

GLAZE:
Beat 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 to 2 tbsp. milk until smooth and of desired consistency.

Spritz Cookie Recipe

I don't know why I didn't think to post this recipe when I mentioned making these cookies earlier in the week. :)

Classic Spritz Cookies
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Thoroughly cream butter and sugar. Add egg, milk, vanilla and almond extract; beat well. Stir together flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture, mixing to make a smooth dough. Do not chill. Place dough into cookie press and press cookies onto a cooled, ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool on rack.

Gift Idea

This is a sweet little gift that I got from a friend. It has a cute bag of tea called "Friendship Tea" inside the mug and I love the poem on the tag. If you get a good deal on the mugs this would be a very economical gift for friends, teachers, or co-workers.

Spritz Cookies

I've been making Christmas spritz cookies today. My mom made them all the time when I was little and I thought it would be fun to make some. What sort of Christmas cookies do you like to make?

Reheating Cinnamon Rolls

I reheated some of last week's cinnamon rolls for breakfast this morning and they were so good! Maybe not quite as good as they were the day I made them, but certainly much more convenient! :)

I put them in the fridge last night to thaw and then heated them in the oven at 250 degrees this morning. I did have to warm them a little longer than the 15 minute the cookbook suggested. It was more like 20 to 25.