SPRING candy coated POPCORN

Could it be??

From the depths of the cold frozen ground.

Months of gloom and cold, and the promise of spring appears.

It completely changes peoples' disposition, don't you think?

I could never live where sunshine hides for weeks on end.  

I need vitamin D like the cookie monster needs cookies.

Winter is so depressing and dull.

Once you get past the fun of the Fall and the holidays, it's just plain yuck.

I made up a batch of this popcorn to have around for company this past weekend,  it's a new twist on my "Crack Corn" - Candy Coated Popcorn.

We really liked the addition of the marshmallows and those spring white chocolate M&M's.

I think you will, too!

SPRING candy coated POPCORN

2 bags microwave popcorn, popped and unpopped kernels removed

2 Tablespoons Vegetable oil

3 squares almond bark

1/2 cup pink candy melts

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 cup white chocolate M&M's

Pastel colored sugar crystals and sprinkles

Pop your popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels. Place popcorn in a paper grocery bag.

In your microwave, melt almond bark and oil in 30 second intervals, stirring until melted and smooth.

Pour over popcorn, and shake in the bag to coat.

Sprinkle with sugar and sprinkles and continue to shake until coated.

Lay on a piece of waxed paper on the counter, sprinkle marshmallows over the top.

Melt pink candy melts in the microwave and drizzle over the top of all.

Leave on the counter for an hour or so, until it's set and dry.

Add M&M's and enjoy! 

Shared at: 

The Princess and Her Cowboys Wednesday Round Up

Dizzy, Busy and Hungry Wined Down Wednesday

21st Century Housewife Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Nibbles by Nic Wonderfully Creative Wednesday

Cake Batter Puppy Chow (Muddy Buddies)

I have been on a serious snack mix/puppy chow kick the last month!

I mixed up Pumpkin Spice Puppy Chow before Thanksgiving, and I ALWAYS make this Candy Coated Crispix Mix for Christmas. 

The other one I tried was Double Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow!  

If you want the links to these, here is where you will find them:

double chocolate peppermint

crispix mix

candy coated popcorn

pumpkin spice

I whipped up this Cake Batter Puppy Chow to have at our twins' 11th birthday party.  It was loved by 20 boys and girls who were hungry from swimming and playing in the gym at our local community center!

Cake Batter Puppy Chow

8 cups rice Chex cereal

6 squares white almond bark

4 Tablespoons oil

1 1/2 yellow cake mix

1/2 cup powder sugar

sprinkles

Pour cereal into a big bowl. 

Combine cake mix and powdered sugar in a small bowl.

Melt almond bark and oil in microwave for 30 second intervals, stirring in between until smooth.

Pour melted almond bark over cereal stirring gently to coat.

Dump powdered sugar/cake mix over the top and continue stirring until coated.

Top with sprinkles, combine.

Store in an airtight container.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

My kids love puppy chow, but my husband hates it!
He hates peanut butter... (I KNOW RIGHT?!? --- gasp!)
So this fall I made some Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies and they were a hit!  I started thinking about other ways to make puppy chow for the holidays.  Then I saw the White Chocolate Peppermint Kisses and M&Ms and the idea came to me.

Double Chocolate Peppermint Puppy Chow

2 cups white chocolate peppermint kisses, melted

1 - 14 ounce box of chocolate chex cereal

2 cups powdered sugar

1 package white chocolate peppermint M&M's

Melt kisses in the microwave in 30 second intervals until you can stir them smooth.

They are so pink and pretty! :)

Pour over cereal in a big bowl and stir to cover completely.

Top with powdered sugar and stir to coat.

Add the bag of Peppermint M&Ms!

Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies

I saw a recipe for these over a year ago on Pinterest, and I pinned it, thinking I would make them LAST year.

Well, all of the recipes that I found contained Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses.

So, for one second, allow me to vent about the fact that after Halloween, there is NOTHING fall in the candy aisle. EVERYTHING is Christmas.

It really chaps my chicken that we skip right over Thanksgiving anymore.

Maybe I don't WANT green and red M&M's for Thanksgiving??

Okay...I'll stop.

The guy that manages the grocery section at my Super Target did make me feel a tad bit better when he told me that they haven't been shipped Pumpkin Spice Kisses for a year.

Time to improvise.

I picked out the yellow, brown and orange M&M's from a regular package. 

(I guess because I am just that stubborn!)

I used about 1/4-1/2 cup was all, merely for color, they were so good, I didn't think it needed anything else!!

Pumpkin Spice Muddy Buddies

8 cups of Cinnamon Chex Cereal

6 squares of vanilla flavored Almond bark

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups powdered sugar

3-4 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (I used 4)

M&M's (optional)

Pour cereal in a big bowl.

In another bowl combine sugar and spices with a fork.

Melt almond bark in oil, in 30 second intervals, in your microwave. Stirring until smooth.

Pour over cereal and stir (gently) but well until completely covered.

BETTER than SEX CHEX Mix

I found this recipe on Pinterest.

When I saw it I knew I had to try it....

and not just because the person who created it said that I would say 

"I'll have what she's having!"

I mean, how can you go wrong?

Chocolate...caramel....marshmallows....peanut butter....

"oh baby!!"

I have posted the recipe below, but I encourage you to read the post by the blogger I got the recipe from.

I LAUGHED!!

quick dish by tablespoon

Better Than Sex Chex Mix

8 cups chocolate chex cereal

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

6 Tablespoons butter

3 Tablespoons light corn syrup

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup miniature Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 cup caramel bits

1 Tablespoon cream

1/2 cup milk chocolate  chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Pour cereal into a large microwaveable bowl , set aside.

Line a cookie sheet with wax paper.

In a two-cup microwavable measuring cup, combine sugar, butter and corn syrup.

Microwave on high for 1-2 minutes until melted and smooth.  Stir in baking soda until dissolved  Pour mixture over the cereal and stir to coat.

Place bowl in microwave and heat on high for 3 minutes, stopping after each minute to stir.

Spread onto cookie sheet and cool.

cooling...

When cereal is cool to the touch break into bite sized pieces.

Evenly sprinkle marshmallows and mini peanut butter cups over the cereal.

Melt the caramel and cream in 20 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Drizzle over the top.

Next comes the milk chocolate, melt in 20 second intervals and stir until smooth.

Drizzle over the top.

Lastly, the white chocolate.

Watch closely, so chocolate doesn't burn.

Drizzle over the top.

Sprinkle with sea salt while still wet.

Place in the fridge to set.

Break and store in an air tight container.

Candy Coated Crispix Snack Mix ---- Plus a Fun way to decorate a Pringle Can for your Cookie Exchanges

Crispix Mix

WARNING: This post contains a very addicting snack mix.  If you are someone who doesn't have a lot of will power, (like ME!) and love sweet and salty snacks, you might want to stop reading....

But seriously folks, this stuff is SO good and SO addicting!!

 I make two ice cream buckets full of it every Christmas.  

I love to put it in the middle of my cookie/candy trays.

It's great to grab a bag of it or a cute baking tin and take to parties.  

(or to give to your neighbor that loaned you corn syrup when you ran out 

and you were baking in your PJ's!!)

The best thing, you can jazz it up however you want.

crispix snack mix

Crispix Snack Mix

2 c. brown sugar

1 cup butter

1/2 cup lite corn syrup

17 ounces of Crispix Cereal

1 pound of M&M's

2 cups salted Dry roasted peanuts

1/2 t salt

1 t baking soda

In a large bowl, empty the cereal and the peanuts.

In a saucepan on the stove melt the butter, sugar, syrup and salt.  Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes stirring constantly.  Add the baking soda, stir, ingredients will foam and become frothy.

Pour mixture over the cereal and peanuts.  Mix quickly but carefully.  You don't want to smash all of the cereal.  Spread onto a cookie sheet lined with non-stick foil or sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.

Bake at 200 degrees for one hour, turning mix over every 15 minutes.

When mix has cooled, add the M&M's.

I usually use dark chocolate ones, because those are my favorite.  But this time, I used pretzel ones and dark chocolate.

I decided to make this for my annual  holiday cookie/candy exchange.

ready to exchange!

I found this cute idea on Pinterest to cover Pringles cans in scrapbook paper.

(my kids have been eating A LOT of Pringles over the last few months!!)

Didn't they turn out cute??

I doubled this recipe above and it more than filled 10 Pringles cans.

look out...this stuff is GOOD!!

I took a 12 x 12 piece of holiday scrapbook paper, and trimmed it down to size to fit a Pringle can.  I added some quick drying scrapbook glue around the edges and wrapped the clean Pringle can. 

I attached these recipes with the picture of the mix to each can

 I adhered the recipe I made for my Crispix mix, it was backed with an actual picture of the mix itself.

I decorated each one with a coordinating bow, and each of them looks different.

So excited for the exchange this week! 

Candy Coated Popcorn ("Crack-Corn!")

added this photo - 2013

My family and friends will confirm, this candy coated popcorn will be the hit of your next party!  I got this recipe years ago from a girlfriend, and have been making it ever since. It couldn't be easier, and I haven't ever taken this sweet treat somewhere and not written the recipe out for someone at the party. 

Once you begin to nosh you won't be able to stop! That's how I came to re-name this recipe.  My girlfriend called it "Almond Bark Popcorn."  The first time I took it to my friend, Betsy's house, she couldn't get over how tasty it was or the fact that she couldn't stop eating it.  She said to me, and I quote, "What on earth is on this popcorn? Crack?? I can't stop eating it!!"  Alas...from this point on it has been affectionately known as "Crack Corn."

I have made this for parties, cookouts, sleepovers, for teacher gifts and so much more. Today I was making some for the weekend, and decided I would share my recipe. I made it red, white and blue to go with the summer season!  Enjoy!!

the four ingredients you will need

Recipe for Crack-Corn

3 squares almond bark

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 bags microwave popcorn, "old maids" removed

sprinkles

Pop the popcorn as directed on the package.  Remove all of the unpopped kernels. Pour into a large bowl, or a paper grocery sack.  Melt almond bark squares and oil in your microwave for one to one and a half minutes, or until you are able to stir into a pourable consistency.  Pour warm mixture over popcorn and toss. 

(The reason I prefer to use a paper grocery bag is that you can roll the top down and shake it. it coats evenly and you don't end up with popcorn all over the floor....although my two puppies LOVE the ones that hit the floor!) 

After the popcorn is evenly covered, shake the desired sprinkles onto the corn and shake until you have it coated to your liking.  Let it sit in a large bowl to "dry" for a while, especially if you decide to put into treat bags.  I have also put M&Ms (TM) in before.  Use your imagination!

YUM!!

the finished crack-corn

cute little boxes filled for treats for some special Dads

From the Heart... Mom's Taxi Fuel

The last week of school is coming! The "lazy days of summer" haven't quite reached us yet, so I have been frantically trying to get everything done before the kids get out for summer break, and running them to and fro like a maniac! I think I need to paint my SUV taxicab/school bus yellow!!

I have snuck in a couple impromptu lunches with some girlfriends this week, and had this idea pop into my head! My family loves when I make snack mix.  You just never know what the next handful might hold! I had just mixed up a big batch of it this week. I thought, what a great thing to have in your car while you are running your errands and the munchies hit.... all of the sudden the idea pooped into my brain... "Last Week of School, Mom's Taxi Fuel." So, I bagged it up and made some labels for the front and viola! treats for the mom's at lunch!

simply put, enjoyed immensely