Candy Corn Candy

2 cups coarsely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups candy corn
1 1/2 lb. white chocolate candy bark, coarsely chopped
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened consensed milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cover a cookie sheet, 15 x 10, with parchment paper.  In a large microwave safe bowl pour milk, white chocolate and salt.  Microwave 3-4 minutes stirring at 1 minute intervals.  When completely melted and smooth, stir in vanilla, nuts and candy corn.  Pour onto parchment paper and refrigerate at least 2 hrs.  Cut or break into pieces and store in a covered dish at room temperature.

Comments:  I found this recipe on Pinterest and couldn't wait to give it a try.  The original recipe called for the pecans to be toasted, I bypassed that step which gave my pecans a chewey texture instead of a crunch.  I also increased the amount of candy corn from 1 cup to 1 1/2 cups and used a mixture of regular and carmel flavored candy corn.  This candy has so many possibilities!  With the holidays coming, you can used colored white chocolate and/or holiday flavored candy corn... mint would be good.  You could also add one of my favorites - coconut instead or the nuts or 1 cup of nuts and 1 cup of coconut giving you the best of both tastes.  Think With Your Taste Buds!

Pineapple Lemon Jello Squares

1 yellow cake mix
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups cool whip topping
1 cup boiling water
2 pkg. (3 oz. each) Lemon flavored jello
1 can (8 oz.) crushed pineapple, undrained

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix cake mix and butter.  Press into 13 x 9" pan.  Bake 8 minutes.  Cool.  Beat together cream cheese, marshmallow cream and vanilla until well blended.  Whisk in cool whip.  Spread over cooled crust.  Refrigerate until ready to add next topping.  Add boiling water to gelatine.  Stir until completely dissolved.  Stir in pineapple.  Refrigerate until slightly thickened.  Spoon over cream cheese mixture.  Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. 

Comments:  This recipe originally came from Kraft Foods and called for a graham cracker crust.  I was out of graham crackers so I decided to give a dry cake mix a try.  It worked great!  The yellow cake mix gives you a sugar cookie type crust.  You can use any flavor of cake mix you want and compliment it it with a different flavor of jello.  You might want to use a chocolate cake and cherry jello.  Do include the pineapple no matter what flavor to keep the liquid mix correct.  The jello will carry over it's flavor to the pineapple making it not quite as strong.  This is a fun recipe to play with.

Oatmeal Peanut Cookies

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/3 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups plain flour
1 tsp. soda
3 1/2 cups oats, old fashion
1 1/2 cups dry roasted, salted peanuts
1 cup butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl cream butter.  Slowly beat in sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla.  In a 2nd bowl combine flour, oats and soda.  Stir in dry mixture about 1 cup at a time until all has been added.  Stir in peanuts and chips.  Spoon onto cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 12 minutes.  Makes about 6 dozen.

Comments:  While thumbing through an old cookbook created by the 'lunchroom ladies' from the Charlotte Mecklenburg School I ran across what was called Boyfriend Cookies.  The ingredients looked good to me but I did make a few changes.  The original recipe called for quick cooking oats, I used old fashion.  They used salted peanuts that were chopped, I kept them whole and their recipe called for chocolate bits, chopped and I used butterscotch chips.  These turned out to be some of the best cookies I've ever made.  If you closed your eyes and took a bite you would swear that you're eating coconut.  I think the combination of the texture from the oats and the taste from the butterscotch is what gives this illusion.  These are delicious!  And if 6 dozen are too many for you, simply cut the recipe in half.

Cheezy Chicken Pasta

2 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed
1/2 1 lb. bag of egg noodles (no yolk)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
8 oz. shredded cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup water
thyme
oregano
French fried onions (optional)

Cook noodles according to package.  While cooking, in a large frying pan melt butter over med. heat.  Add flour and whisk to combine.  Add wine, garlic and mustard.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add milk and water.  Allow to simmer 5-7 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.  Add cheese, chicken and pasta.  When dished up, sprinkle with thyme, oregano and French fried onions.  Serves 6-8

Comments:  The idea for this came from a recipe found on Home is Where the Holmes' Are and her recipe was for White Cheddar Chicken Pasta.  I made several changed starting with the chicken.  I had chicken that had been cooked the night before waiting on me to find something to do with it so eliminated the chicken cooking that the original recipe called for. I also made several changed in the cheese base of the dish.  There were a couple of things I didn't want to include and some that I wanted to add.  This all boils down to my Thinking With My Taste Buds which ends up creating an entirely new recipe. 

Coca Cola Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9 x 13 baking dish with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl mix:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

In a saucepan over medium high heat stir and bring to a boil:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup coca cola
1/2 cup buttermilk

Take off heat and add to flour mix and whisk until combined.

Add:
2 eggs
1 tsp., vanilla extract

Mix and pour into pan.  Bake about 30 minutes.  Don't over-bake.

When cake is nearly done make the glaze by mixing in a saucepan:
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup coca cola

Bring to a boil.  Remove and slowly stir in 4 cups of confectioners' sugar.  Whisk until smooth.  Add 1 cup chopped nuts.  Once cake is done and out of the oven  (toothpick should come out clean), pour warm glaze over hot cake.  Serve warm or cold.

Comments:  This recipe was on Pinterest and posted by MayFlaum I followed this recipe to the letter and apparently it's delicious!  I don't eat chocolate so I can't say personally but all of my food testers have raved about it's moistness, flavor and richness.  For my cocoa I used Dark Chocolate so the coloring came out almost black!  It really looked great.  A cherry on top would have been perfect.

Molasses Cookies (with our without pecans)

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 cups plain flour
3 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 to 3/4 cups chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, with a mixer combine butter, sugar, molasses and eggs.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and salt.  Gradually add to wet mixture.  Stir in pecans.  Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.  Form dough into 1" sized balls.  Place balls 2" apart on cookie sheet and press lightly to flatten.  Bake 10-12 minutes.  Makes about 5 dozen.

Comments:  I found this recipe on Grandparents.com. and I did added the pecans.  These cookies were such a hit with my food testers!  They were gone in no time.  For changes, add some shredded coconut or maybe some raisins.  They are great with the pecans but just as good without. 

Jiffy Pudding Cake

1 Jiffy cake mix
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix Jiffy cake according to package instructions.  Pour into 9 x 13 baking dish sprayed with non-stick spray and bake about 20 minutes or until done.  Cool completely

2 boxes (3.4oz.) instant pudding
1 1/3 cup milk
1 pkg (8 oz.) cream cheese softened
1 cup (very well drained if frozen) strawberries
1 small can pineapple tidbits/chunks very well drained

cool whip

nuts

coconut

In a large bowl mix pudding mix, milk and cream cheese.  Add strawberries and pineapple and mix well.  Spread over cake.  Top with cool whip.  Sprinkle with nuts and coconut.  Refrigerate

Comments - This recipe is a variation of the Jiffy Banana Split Cake.  I changed the pudding to vanilla instead of banana.  I added the strawberries and pineapple instead of the pineapple pie filling and added them to the pudding mixture.  Now for some wonderful changes.  Use pistachio pudding, omit the strawberries and use a large can of drained pineapple and fold in about a cup of mini marshmallows.  top with cool whip, nuts and coconut and you have Watergate Jiffy Pudding Cake!  Other changes can consist of changing the cake flavor, pudding flavor and fruit flavor.  I've been asked if you can use a full size cake mix and the answer is yes if you make 2 cakes.  Jiffy mix is cheap and simple to make so I suggest using it unless you want to get creative with the flavors since Jiffy, I believe, only comes in vanilla and chocolate.

Caramel Walnut Pie

Crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in flour until it forms a ball.  Press crust evenly into a pie pan pressing up the sides.  Bake 20 minutes.

Filling:
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 eggs, well beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a heavy 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, melt butter.  Stir in sugar, syrup and condensed milk.  Stirring constantly, bring to a boil.  Continue to cook until mixture turns golden brown (245 degrees).  Remove from heat and cool 20 minutes.  Stir in eggs.  Pour into pie shell.  Sprinkle evenly with walnuts.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until center sets.  Cool before slicing.

Comments:  The original recipe had a different pie shell recipe.  I used this crust recipe because I had used it with pecan tarts and it's wonderful!  The flavor from the butter and cream cheese really accents the flavor of the pie.  The original recipe also called for unsweetened chocolate to be sprinkled on the bottom of the crust before adding the filling.  I omitted that ingredient.  The texture of this pie is a little firmer than what you normally find in a pecan pie making it easier to cut.  For changes, add the chocolate, use pecans or even peanuts instead of the walnuts.  Or add some coco to the crust mixture making it a chocolate crust.  One tip, I cooked my pie about 35 minutes so your cooking time will vary depending upon your oven.  Also, it's important to use a thermometer to know when your filling reaches 245 degrees.

Mini Pecan Pies

Crust
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter at room temperature
1 pkg (3 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt

In a medium size bowl cream butter and cream cheese using an electric mixer on medium until smooth.  Add four and reduce speed to low.  Beat until dough forms a ball.

Filling
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1 egg
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon

In a medium size bowl, mix egg, sugar, butter, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon until well blended.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Divide dough into 4 equal pieces.  Divide each of the 4 pieces into 6 equal parts.  Roll each of the small pieces into balls.  Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick spray.  Flatten each dough ball into a circle that will fit inside each muffin tin forming a pie shell.  Spoon 1 tsp. of nuts into each shell.  Spoon in 1 1/2 tsp. of egg mixture over pecans.  Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees.  Lower temperature to 325 degrees and bake another 10 minutes.

Comments - I found this recipe in a magazine and knew it had to be delicious and it is.  I did delete and change a couple of ingredients.  I omitted the salt in both the crust and filling.  I also omitted the cornmeal that the original recipe called for in making the crust.  I also increased the amount of cinnamon from a pinch to 1/8 tsp.  Changes.  I want to make this recipe using dried apples instead of pecans.  I feel sure it will be delicious!

Banana Nut Rum Cake

1 yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 cup rum (2 mini-bottles)
4 med. ripe bananas
1/4 cup chopped pecans


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash bananas and set aside.  In a large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, water, butter and rum.  Beat with electric mixer about 1 minute.  Add bananas and pecans and beat until blended.  Pour into 2 loaf pans and bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 

Comments - This idea came to me when I discovered 2 mini-bottles of rum in the cabinet and some bananas that were ripe and needed to be used, quickly.  The 1/2 cup of rum mixed with the bananas gives this cake/bread a deliciously, unique taste.  The only changes I've come up with so far would be to add coconut instead of or with the nuts.  You could use strawberries instead of the bananas or change the flavor of the cake mix.  This is a must try!

Cheese Straws

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 cups shredded cheese, room temperature
1 Tbsp. spicy brown mustard
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl combine butter, cheese and mustard.  Add flour and mix until the mixture is completely blended and forms a large ball.  Pinch off pieces and roll into a ball about the size of walnuts.  Roll these balls into strings.  Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned.  Makes about 3 dozen.

Comments:  The original recipe for this called for 1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese.  I have about 1/2 cup of Parmesian and about 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheeses that needed to be used.  I combined these with 1 cup of cheddar for my cheese.  The original also called for a tsp. of pepper.  This I eliminated but did add a Tbsp. of a herb blend that included Rosemary to half of my mix.  This gave me 2 flavors and also helped me use up some leftover cheese.  So for this dish Think With Your Taste Buds!

Sweet Potato Pie

1 can (21 oz.) Bruce's Baked Sweet Potatoes
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmet
1/2 tsp. salt
1 unbaked deep dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  With a mixer beat potatoes, milk, eggs and spices until well blended.  Pour into pie shell.  Bake 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 350 degrees.  Bake another 60-70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Comments - About 30 minutes into baking at the 350 degrees I laid a piece of foil over the top to stop the browning of the crust.  This pie is thick and oh so good, as well as easy to make.  When my pie was done I dabbed it with thin slices of butter and sprinkled just a little sugar over the top.  Then I placed it back into the oven just long enough for the butter to melt completely.  Changes - top with marshmallows and pecans.  But for me, I loved this the way it is.

Cheddar Chicken Broccoli Soup

1 pkg. Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix (11.2 oz.)
8 cups chicken stock/water
2 chicken breasts
1/2 tsp. sage
1 cube granulated onion
1 cup shredded cheese
seasoned stuffing mix

Boil the chicken breasts until completely done.  Remove meat from bone.  Strain the broth and measure broth adding enough water to make 8 cups of stock/water.  In a large pot, bring to a boil.  Add onion cube and sage.  Whisk in soup mix and cook on low uncovered 10 minutes.  Add chicken and cheese.  Heat, stirring constantly until cheese melts.  Serve with seasoned stuffing mix. 

Comments:  This soup comes out a little thick but oh so good.  I decided to use the stuffing mix instead of crackers giving it just a little more of that heart warming sage taste.  This is a great recipe to have on hand using leftover turkey in place of the chicken.

For my review of Bear Creek Cheddar Broccoli Soup Mix, visit my site The Good, The Bad, The Maybe.

Triple Chocolate Cake

3 eggs
2 cups cake flour or all purpose flour (I like cake flour)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
3 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate, grated

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large bowl mix together flour, cocoa, soda, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.  In another large bowl cream butter until smooth.  Continue to cream adding sugar 1/2 cup at a time.  Start adding eggs one at a time to the butter mix.  Add 1/2 of the four mixture and whipping cream.  Mix until smooth.  Add remaining flour, milk and vanilla.  Fold in grated chocolate.  Pour into a angel food or bundt pan that's been sprayed with non-stick spray.  Bake 1 hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Drizzle:
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup cooking cream cheese

Mix together and spread over top of cake allowing to run down sides.  Sprinkle with chocolate (optional)

Comments:  If you like chocolate you can't help but love this cake.  It's full of chocolate and so moist that you can actually eat it with very few crumbs.  Changes can be to add a few finely chopped nuts to the batter or the drizzle.  You could also add a little coconut to the drizzle. 

Loaded Potato Bake

5 medium-size potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cooking cream cheese
1 Tbsp dehydrated onion
1/4 cup butter or margarine
4 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 string cheese sticks
French fried onions (optional)

Boil the potatoes in salted water to cover until tender. Drain.  Mash lightly with a fork. While still hot, add the sour cream, cream cheese, onion, butter, bacon, pepper and salt. Mix well.  Cut cheese sticks into small pieces.  Fold into potato mix.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place in a casserole dish sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake 20 minutes.  During last 5 minutes of baking top with French fried onions and bake last 5 minutes.  More cheese can be added at this time if desired.

Comments – you can add just about anything to this simple dish.  Broccoli would be a great addition.  The bacon can be left out and roast beef can be added making the dish a main course.  Spring onions would make a great substitute for the dehydrated onions.  You can also use instant potatoes but they won't be near as good as the real thing.  Think With Your Taste Buds!