Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn with Chocolate Drizzle

For the original recipe, see http://realmomkitchen.com/3688/after-school-peanut-butter-and-honey-popcorn/

• 2/3 cup unpopped popcorn
• coconut oil
• salt
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup + another dollop of peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• half a bag of Ghirardelli chocolate chips, minus a few handfuls that were devoured as a late-night snack

Melt a tablespoon or more (enough to coat the bottom of the pan) in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add one kernel of popcorn to the pan and cover with lid.  When the test kernel pops, add 1/3 cup kernels, cover the pan, shake to coat kernels with oil.  When popping slows down, remove from heat.  Dump popped corn into a large bowl (try not to add too many unpopped kernels) and repeat with the remaining popcorn.  Add salt to taste while still warm.

Put honey and sugar into a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 2 minutes or until the sugar is all melted and smooth.  Stir in the vanilla (so much fun to watch the alcohol bubble and fizz), then remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter until it's all melted.  (I used Skippy, but I bet this would be delicious with unsweetened PB or even almond or cashew butter.)  Pour the mixture over the popcorn and stir until it's all coated.

Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir (keep stirring until the chips start to melt into one another and the bottom of the bowl isn't quite so warm).  Heat for an additional 10-15 seconds on full power, stirring and repeating until nice and smooth.  Drizzle chocolate over popcorn in a decorative criss-cross pattern.

Eat too much, but feel virtuous anyway, because popcorn is a whole grain and chocolate has antioxidants.  If you used local honey, feel even more virtuous for supporting local farmers and saving the environment.

Cookie Dough Dip

Ingredients

• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 1 cup toffee bits

Instructions

1. Cream together cream cheese and butter.
2. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined.
3. Serve with graham crackers or apple wedges.

Notes

Do NOT use reduced fat cream cheese as it may cause your dip to have the wrong consistency.

recipe from this blog

Spinach, Bacon, Cheese Dip

• 1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained
• 1 lb. (16 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) cream cheese, cubed
• 1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes & green chilies, undrained
• 8 slices bacon, cooked, crumbled

Microwave all ingredients in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. or until VELVEETA is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 3 min.

Serve with tortilla chips and cut-up fresh vegetables.

Or you can throw it all in the crockpot on high for an hour.

From Denise: Classic Belgian Dish – Preistoemp with beef steak

   - 4 beef steaks
   - 4 slices bacon, salted
   - 2.5 lbs potatoes
   - 5 leek whites
   - 2 TBS butter
   - Nutmeg
   - Pepper
   - Salt

 Preparation:

-Peel potatoes and cut them in half lengthwise. Put in a pan of boiling
water and add a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat 25 minutes until they are
well cooked.

-Cut the leeks into rings of ¼ inch thickness. Melt a little butter in a
frying pan (over low heat) and add the leeks and 200 ml of water. Season
with salt, pepper and nutmeg, to taste. Allow 20 minutes, warn gently
without a lid.

-Cut the bacon into strips and cook in a pan.

-Drain the potatoes. Mix in the leek with the cooking juices and the bacon.
Mash finely. Stir in a clump of butter.

-Fry the steaks in butter to taste and serve with mashed potatoes.

Warm spinach and artichoke dip

2007 Ellie Krieger, All Rights Reserved.

Prep Time:

10 min

Cook Time:

25 min

Serves:

12 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon canola oil 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 (9-ounce) package artichoke hearts, defrosted, rinsed and dried
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, excess liquid squeezed out.
• 1/2 cup reduced fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces) Neufchatel cheese (reduced-fat)
• 2 ounces (about 1/2 cup) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• Pita wedges or crudites, for serving

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add onions and cook stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until onions are light golden but not browned. Remove from heat and cool.

In the bowl of a food processor combine artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, mayonnaise, neufchatel, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Add cooled onion-garlic mixture to the food processor and pulse a few times to combine.

Transfer mixture into an 8-inch glass square baking dish or 9-inch glass pie plate which has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve with pita wedges or crudites.

Carmelitas

Carmelitas
(this recipe makes an 8x8 pan, I doubled it to make enough for a 9x13)

32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup butter, melted
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low heat.

Stir until completely smooth; set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats, and baking soda.

Pat half of the oatmeal mixture into the bottom of an 8x8" pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust.

Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips.

Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel.

Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned.

Remove from oven and cool completely before cutting.

*A stint in the fridge will help them cool off if you're pinched for time. They shouldn't be served cold, but all of that molten caramel takes a long time to cool down. They should be stored and served at room temperature.
**To make a 9x13" version, simply double the amounts.

Recipe from: http://luluthebaker.blogspot.com/2010/10/carmelitas.html

Mini Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Icing

Makes 16 mini cinnamon rolls

Ingredients:

1-8oz tube crescent roll dough (if you can find the sheets of dough instead, that's easier to use)

2 Tablespoons butter

cinnamon

brown sugar

For the maple icing:

1 teaspoon maple syrup

1 Tablespoon skim milk

3/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven according to crescent roll dough package directions. Layout half the dough (4 triangles) and pinch all the seams together. Flip over and pinch the seams on the back side together too.

2. Using a rolling pin, smooth the seams and roll the dough into a square about 1/4″ thick. Brush with half the butter, and sprinkle with as much cinnamon and brown sugar as you want. Roll into a log and cut into 8 pieces.

3. Place mini cinnamon rolls into a non-stick sprayed mini muffin tin. Repeat steps 1 and 2 with the other half of the crescent roll dough. Bake according to package directions.

4. Meanwhile whisk together maple syrup and milk in a bowl. Add in powdered sugar until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle over warm cinnamon rolls.

Recipe from: http://iowagirleats.com/2011/11/23/8-minute-mini-cinnamon-rolls/ - see website for good how-to pictures