Sweet and Salty Treat

This is a really simple and tasty treat you can make in a matter of minutes.  It's the perfect quick treat for teachers, a class party, or yourself!

For this tasty treat you will need pretzels (I found these waffle shaped one work really well), Hershey Kisses and M&Ms.  Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees.  Spread the pretzels onto a cookie sheet.

 

Unwrap and place one Hershey Kiss onto each pretzel, then put the cookie sheet into the oven for about 3 minutes.

 

Remove the cookie sheet from the oven and immediately press one M&M onto each softened Hershey Kiss, then place in the refrigerator to cool and set, preferably over night.

 

These are a really tasty treat - like chocolate covered pretzels without all the work of dipping.  You could easily adapt this treat to other holidays by using different colored M&Ms.  Enjoy!



Family Recipe Boxes

This post is a little late, but it all turned out so well I just had to share it.  I helped my son's teacher and his first grade class put together these family recipe boxes.

I ordered these adorable gingerbread boxes from Oriental Trading Company and was very pleased!  Each child received a gingerbread house box and this whole big sheet of stickers - they were in heaven!

A few weeks prior to this activity the teacher sent home a note requesting a favorite family recipe used during the holidays.  We received all kinds of tasty recipes from Cabbage Rolls and Kalakand to Chicken & Hot Peppers and Pastice.  There were also lots of traditional recipes for goodies like Snickerdoodles, Pumpkin Roll, and Buckeyes.

I found Alenka's site where I was able to type in the recipes and print them out on recipe cards, for FREE!

The kids worked really hard on these!  Each student decorated a gingerbread house, then received one copy of each of the recipes to put inside.  It was a really neat gift for them to take home to their families.

Chocolate Covered Pretzels

Chocolate covered pretzels are my go-to quick party snack to celebrate anything!  They are so easy to make but look so colorful and fun, and the kids LOVE them!

To make these, you need pretzel rods (short or long), chocolate chips (I like milk chocolate), vegetable oil, sprinkles and a wax paper lined cookie sheet.

I start by lining my cookie sheet with wax paper.  Then, I set up a double boiler to melt my chocolate chips.  I add a tablespoon of vegetable oil to the melting chocolate to help it adhere to the pretzels better.

Once the chocolate is melted, I spoon it onto the pretzels, leaving a small amount of the pretzel uncovered for holding.

Then, I hold the pretzel over an empty bowl and shake some sprinkles on (the bowl will catch the extra sprinkles).  After the pretzel stick is covered well in sprinkles, I lay it on the wax covered cookie sheet. 

After all the pretzels are done, I put the cookie sheet in the refrigerator over night to set.  If you need these right away, you could probably let them set for an hour or two in the refrigerator. 

If serving at a class party, I will just lay them out on a plate.  If adding them to goody bags, I slip each pretzel into a pretzel bag for the long pretzel rods or smaller treats bags for the shorter pretzel rods.

Chocolatey Peanut Buttery O's

Chocolate and peanut butter together has got to be one of my favorite things!  So when I saw this simple recipe combining the two with Cheerios, I knew it would be a hit not only just for me, but for the kids too!

To make these you will need:

• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups peanut butter
• 6 cups Cheerios
• 1 bag (12 oz) chocolate chips (we chose milk chocolate)

In a large pot, heat the corn syrup and sugar to boiling, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Add 1 cup of the peanut butter and stir until smooth.  Add the cereal and mix well.  I ended up putting on disposable rubber gloves and mixing with my hands.

Line a 9x13 inch pan with aluminum foil and press the cereal into the pan.  The aluminum foil makes for less mess and easy removal later.

In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate chips and remaining 1/4 cup of peanut butter over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.

Spread the chocolate evenly over the cereal mixture and refrigerate for about 30-40 minutes to set the chocolate.

If you used aluminum foil to line your pan, just lift the entire mixture from the pan and cut into bars.  I love these things and the kids do to!

Monkey Munch - Yummy!

One of my favorite sweet treats to make is Monkey Munch!  It is really easy to make and only takes a few ingredients to whip together.  I first saw this yummy treat on Jon and Kate Plus 8, and after snagging the recipe from the show's website, make it more often than I probably should.

Here's the recipe:

9 cups Corn Chex (I just use the whole box)
1 cup chocolate chips (I use milk chocolate chips)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup powdered sugar (sometimes I use 2 cups)

1.  Put cereal in a large bowl.
2.  Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter.  (I use the microwave.)
3.  Stir in vanilla.
4.  Pour over cereal and stir to coat.

This looks good enough to eat as it is...

5.  Put mixture into large plastic ziptop baggie with powdered sugar.
6.  Shake well to coat.

I can't believe it took me over 30 years to find this recipe!  It's been around forever and is also known as Puppy Chow or Muddy Buddies.  Call it what you like, but be sure to keep this recipe handy and indulge often!