Homemade Almond Joy

Almond Joys... Where to begin.... Hi I'm here cause I'm an Almond Joy addict. I could eat these candies all day long but only the ones dipped in dark chocolate. Because in all honesty dark chocolate helps cut the sweetness in my opinion. Now I wont lie, I did have some reservations about this, I was a skeptic... Could these homemade candies really be as good as the store bought candy? Are they going to satisfy my cravings?! Make all my Life goals come true?? YES, they will!!! These are the most incredible candies I have ever made, and just to prove it they are Boy/Man approved. Which means that you should make these right this minute!

I made bite sized squared with a whole almond sitting on top. They were beautiful. Elegant. Delicious! So go out to the store buy the ingredients and then earn brownies points and give some of these to all the people in your life you want to make happy campers and impress... Their eyes will literally light up and listen as their "Mmm's" Fill the room. It's a great feeling to know your food made somebodies day that much better!

By the way, since these have almonds on them that means they are good for you, right?? Right! Leave the guilt and reservations by the door and live on the edge for the day!

Homemade Almond Joys

from: http://www.greensnchocolate.com/2011/03/homemade-almond-joys.html

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Sweetened Condensed Milk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cups Powdered Sugar

14 oz Sweetened Shredded Coconut

50 Whole almonds

2 cups Dark Chocolate Chips

Directions:

Line a 9x9" baking dish with parchment paper or saran wrap. (I used Saran wrap)

Combine Sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and a a large bowl. Add the powdered sugar 1/2 a cup at a time, stirring to fully incorporate. Add coconut and stir until well combined. Press mixture in the prepared pan and chill in the freezer for a 1-2 hours. (OKAY, DON'T DO WHAT I DID.. which was adding the condensed milk to the coconut and then dump all the powdered sugar in at one time.. Oops )

After 30 minutes, cut the chilled coconut mixture into small squares.

Melt a 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips in the microwave checking and stirring every 15 seconds. Top each of the bars with a small amount of chocolate and press the almond on top on each bar. Place back in the freezer for 1-2 hours. I did this so when it's time to dip them they don't defrost so quickly and fall apart in your chocolate.

*Bring out only a few at a time, so they don't defrost sitting it before you get a chance to dip them!

Melt the remaining chocolate chips. Once the bars are chilled , dip each bar into melted chocolate to coat completely. I did this by using a meat fork, dipping it in chocolate so the bars stick and then dragged them through the chocolate, or using a spoon to pour it over it and then sliding it off with a knife. Make sure you dip the bottoms so they are coated.

Not all of the chocolate will be completely coated on the bottom but that's okay!

Place on waxed paper lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to cool until the chocolate is set.

Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Cranberry Walnut Chicken Salad on Cresent Rolls

Ooooh, Chicken Salad.... I have a love hate relationship with Chicken salad. Considering I make it three days a week at work,I vowed, "I will never make Chicken Salad at home!" And what did I do? I made Chicken Salad. However we had a fridge full of stuff and nothing that really paired well together and had to throw something together, thus the birth of Chicken Salad! Granted its a very good version; a blend of Cranberries instead of Grapes and the addition of Walnuts. I use Sour Cream, Mayo, garlic powder, and lots of sugar!

Ingredients:

3 Chicken Breasts
1/3 cup Chopped Walnuts

1/3 cup Minced Celery

1/3 cup Chopped Cranberries

1/2 cup Soup Cream

1/4 Mayo

1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 cup Sugar

1 tube Cresent Rolls

leaf lettuce

Directions:

Cook the chicken and place it in the fridge to chill.

In the mean time, lightly chop the walnuts and cranberries and mince the celery .

In the mean time, lightly chop the walnuts and cranberries and mince the celery .

Dice the chicken into small cubes.

Combine the Sour Cream, Mayo Garlic Powder, and Sugar.

Mix the Celery, Walnuts, Cranberries, and Chicken in a large bowl.

Mix in the sauce and let chill.

Bake the Cresent rolls at 375 for 11-13 minutes

Assemble and enjoy!

Hello Summer

This is summer to me!

Banana Cream Pie with... Candied Pecans!

I'm addicted to the Cooking Channel.. No, not the Food Network, The Cooking Channel home to some of my favorite shows like Chucks Day Off, B*tchin Kitchen, Jamie at Home, and a plethora of others. I've had two Pre-made (I know, Blasphemy) Graham Cracker pie crusts staring me in the eyes.... I couldn't think of anything to make. Until I saw banana's, a box of vanilla pudding (Another Blasphemy) and a pint of heavy whipping cream; and it came to me, like mana from heaven, a Banana Cream pie.. Ohh but it gets better; while watching B*tchin Kitchen's show she was making candied pecans for a strawberry spinach salad so I checked my freezer and I had 2 cups of pecans screaming "Candy me, CANDY ME!" Well, I certainly couldn't ignore them now could I! No, I couldn't! Never ignore food that speaks to you, bad things will happen! Banana Cream Pie and Candied Pecans, the ultimate Banana Cream Pie. I honestly cannot even express how delicious this pie was it was like an explosion of flavors the candied pecans really added a whole new dimension.. Sweet, Salty and Nutty... Mmm.... They also added some texture to the pie, which a Banana Cream Pie definitely needs in my opinion.

Ingredients:

1 Pre-made Graham cracker crust

1 40z box of Vanilla Pudding

2 large Banana's

1 Pint of Heavy Whipping Cream

Candied Pecans: (http://bitchinlifestyle.tv/Recipes/Bitchin-Kitchen/Recipes/Candied-Pecan-and-Strawberry-Salad.html)

2 cups Whole Pecans

2 Egg Whites

4 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon

Pecans:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl beat 2 egg whites, 4 tablespoons brown sugar and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon.

Then add raw pecans.

Mix with your hands until all pecans are evenly coated.

Arrange pecans in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or longer. Sprinkle with extra brown sugar.

I broke them up after 30 minutes because the egg white was still slightly gooey and popped them back in for another 5-10 minutes until it dried out. Cool on a wire rack.

Chop about a cup of the pecans and set aside.

WARNING: These are highly addicting and make a great snack!

Pie:

(Apparently I forgot to take a picture of the first two steps... Face Palm.)

Mix the pudding pouch and 2 cups of cold milk and mix with a hand mixer for 2-3 minutes or until thick and set up. Cover and place in the fridge.

Next mix the pint of heavy cream and 1/2 tablespoon of sugar together until it forms soft peaks. I don't like my whipped cream very sweet.

Spoon half the pudding into the pie crust. Slice one banana and spread them around the pie.

Chop the nuts.

Sprinkle on half of the nuts.

Add the rest of the pudding banana's and nuts.

Add the whipped cream and decorate with some of the chopped Pecans and finish it with some whole pecans.

ENJOY!!!!

Homemade Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Ahhh it's time to get in the Christmas spirit. But how can we get in the spirit when we all know that the snow is coming (AKA People freak out and forget how to drive in the snow, thus a plethora of accidents) It happens every year. Crazy Holiday shoppers! I'm not even kidding while walking through Walmart a woman in front of us Loudly proclaims " I FREAKIN HATE RUDE HOLIDAY SHOPPERS." Well excuse me. I've never seen so many heads turn at once and they looked right at us! It wasn't us, Scouts Honor, and I'm not even a scout! Also Christmas music... It's all I'm listening to!! I have a serious addiction to christmas music, Love It, Love it, Love it.

Also I thought that I would just let everyone know this year my color theme for christmas is silver, white, and blue's.

And you all need to check out ,

www.fancyflours.com

Definitely an amazing site for Cookie Cutters, Flavorings, Colored Sugars, Sprinkles and much much more.

So since today is the 1st of December and we had the first snowfall I thought, Peppermint Hot Cocoa, how perfect is that?! I also plan on giving it out as Christmas presents with homemade marshmallows. No time like the present! Lemme tell you what; this was the creamiest hot chocolate I have ever had, hands down! I sat in an arm chair reading copious cookbooks watching the snow fall and enjoyed the right cocoa. A fireplace would have only made this picture even more beautiful!

NOTE* I made myself a singling serving I used 2 tablespoons of the cocoa, and 1/8 cup hot water and a cup of milk and nuked it :) Yes, I said Nuke. I packaged up the rest of the peppermint cocoa mix in plastic Ziploc bags.

So here's to starting the Christmas season out right!

Homemade Peppermint Hot Cocoa

Ingredients:

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

1/3 cup boiling water

3 1/2 cups milk

3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup half-and-half cream

1/2 cup of candy canes

Directions

Add about 10 or 12 mini Candy canes in a food processor and grind them up until they are powdery.

Combine the cocoa, candy cane, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Stir in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature. Add whipped cream and crushed candy canes on the top and enjoy .

Kick Off to Fall

It's almost FALL!! And I can't even express how excited I am! Here is what I love about it : Campfires, Apple Cider, S'mores, Caramel Apples, Corn Mazes, and the changing leaves! My dad brought home Apple Cider Sunday and I came up with these cupcakes that to me just sum up fall :) Apple Cider Cupcakes with Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting, another of my Original ideas! And Let me tell you what they didn't disappoint! Here are a couple pictures to tide you over until I can perfect this recipe!

Chocolate Chip Cherry Chocolate Muffins

A mouth full I know!! This is another one of my original creations and I tested them on my Partner in Crime!! The good news. He said they were "Awesome". I was so pleased! I was praying the entire time "Oh dear lord PLEASE let these muffins turn out!" Hallelujah! I was sending them to a friend so they just had to work out! They were moist and not very rich they were made with Oil and Yogurt. Delish, I would know I ate 5 of them while making them! Unfortunately it's another one with no recipe yet !