Loaded Potato Skins

Great as a late-night snack, appetizer, after school treat, or side dish.  The potato skins are full of crunchy goodness, and you can make soup, mashed potatoes, and casseroles with the "insides."

6 medium potatoes
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 teaspoon soy sauce (you can omit this and it still tastes great)
Coarse salt
Cheddar cheese, grated
Sour cream
Bacon bits
Chives (optional)

Bake potatoes at 400 for 45 minutes or until tender.  Cool, then cut in half lengthwise.  Scoop out the pulp, leaving 1/8 inch shells.  Increase oven temperature to 500.  Combine the butter and soy sauce; brush on both sides of potato skins.  Place on baking sheet, fill with grated cheddar cheese and bacon pieces.  Bake for 10 minutes or until crisp.  Top with salt, sour cream, and chives.  Yield: 12 pieces.

Granny Kay's Caramel Popcorn

Ingredients:

1 cup butter (2 sticks)

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup Karo syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

Bring first three ingredients to a boil, then add can of milk. Stir constantly. When it reaches a soft-ball stage, add 1 tsp. vanilla and remove from heat.

Pour over popcorn. Note to self: I think today I made 4 batches of popcorn, and it made enough caramel for one large bowl and large square tupperware perfectly.

Chow Mein Haystacks

2 bags small chow mein noodles

3/4 c. peanut butter

1 bag butterscotch chips

1 c. marshmallows

Melt the peanut butter over medium heat, then add butterscotch chips. Remove from heat and add chow mein noodles. Then after that is thoroughly mixed and it's cooled a bit, add marshmallows.

***Do NOT add marshmallows while sauce is still hot or it will just melt the marshmallows.

Spoon onto waxed paper.

Roasted Red Pepper and Herb Spread

Ingredients:
1 medium red pepper
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/2 c. loosely packed fresh parsely leaves, chopped
1/4 cup snipped chives or green onion
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves

Preparation:
1. To roast pepper: Preheat broiler. Line broiling pan (without rack) with foil. Cut pepper lengthwise in half, discard stem and seeds. Arrange halves, cut side down, in broiling pan. Place broiling pan in broiler 5 to 6 inches from source of heat and broil pepper until it's blackened and blistered, about 6 to 8 minutes. Wrap foil around pepper and allow to steam at room temperature 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.

2. Remove pepper from foil. Peel off skin and discard. Cut each pepper half into 4 pieces.

3. To prepare dip: In food processor with knife blade attached, blend roasted pepper with cream cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic until smooth. Transfer mixture to medium bowl, stuil in parsley, chives, and thyme. Cover and refrigerate if not serving right away.

Serve with baguette slices toasted and butter.  From Jill Kramer

Caramel Apples

(shown above: snickers apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory)

Here's the recipe for the carmel. After coating the apple, you can dip in chocolate, nuts, chopped snickers, crushed oreos....the possibilities are endless!

Caramel:

2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup karo syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 stick of butter (equals 1/2 cup butter--margarine is not as good in this recipe)

Mix all together in a big pot. Keep it on medium to high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Cook it to a soft ball stage. Ross carmel in a ball and set it on the counter. If it stays together then it is done. If it starts to fall out of a ball its not there yet

This recipe is also good for popcorn!

Harvest Turkey Melt

1 Tbsp. MIRACLE WHIP Dressing
1 Tbsp. KRAFT Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 slices multigrain bread
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Shaved Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
1 fresh pear, thinly sliced
2 KRAFT DELI DELUXE Mild Cheddar Cheese Slices

MIX dressings. Spread half of the dressing mixture evenly onto bread; place, dressing-sides down, in skillet.
SPREAD bread with remaining dressing mixture; top evenly with turkey, pears and cheese. Cover skillet with lid.
COOK on medium-low heat 5 min. or until bottoms of sandwiches are golden brown and cheese is melted.

Hula Bagel Melt

/2 of a plain bagel (4 inch), toasted
2 tsp. KRAFT or BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce
6 slices OSCAR MAYER Shaved Smoked Ham
1 canned pineapple ring, drained, patted dry
1 KRAFT DELI DELUXE Mild Cheddar Cheese Slice

SPREAD bagel with barbecue sauce; place on microwaveable plate.
TOP with ham, pineapple and cheese.
MICROWAVE on HIGH 30 sec. or until cheese begins to melt.

What can I do with my powdered milk?

Whole Milk: 1 c. water, 1/3 c. powdered milk

Evaporated Milk: 1 c. water, 2/3 c. powdered milk

Condensed milk: 1/2 c. hot water, 1 cup sugar, 1 c. powdered milk

Whipped Evaperated milk: 1 c. evaporated milk, 2 Tbs. lemon juice. Thoroughly chill evaporated milk. Add lemon juice and whip until stiff. Sweeten and flavor as needed.

Buttermilk: 1 c. water, 1/3 c. powdered milk, 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice

Drinkable powdered milk: To improve the flavor of powdered milk, mix it half and half with whole or 2 % milk. Another suggestion would be to try adding a little sugar or vanilla to enhance the flavor. Let it chill for several hours before drinking.

Corn Chowder

Fry until crisp 1/2 lb. diced bacon. Remove from pan and drain. Pour off all but 3 Tbs. of the drippings and then:

saute: 1/2 c. chopped onion and 1/2 c. chopped celery
add: 3 cups water, 2 c. diced or shredded potatoes

Simmer until tender. Beat or blend 1 cup water, 3/4 c. non-instant milk powder (or 1 1/3 cups instant), 2 Tbs. flour, 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper

Remove pan from heat and stir the thickenings and milk into the potatoes and water. Add one can of cream syle corn. Heat thoroughly. Stir in bacon.

Basic Pudding Recipe
To make 4 serving size, mix together

1/2 c. sugar
3 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. instant milk powder (1/3 c. non-instant)

Bring 1 3/4 c. water to a boil and beat in the mixed dry ingredients. Beat in 1 egg and cook 1 minute. Stir in 1 Tbs. butter and 1 tsp. vanilla. (I used both powdered egg and powdered butter and it turned out great).

Peanut Butter Balls (Easy and healthy treat for kids)

Mix together:
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. honey
1 c. powder milk
Press into small bite size balls

Chocolate Milk (1/2 gallon)

8 c. water
2 1/2 c. powdered milk
1/8 c. cocoa
1/4 to 1/2 c. sugar
pinch of salt (optional)
a few drops of vanilla (optional)

Creamy Apple Bites

5 RITZ Crackers
2 Tbsp. PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread
5 thin apple slices
1/8 tsp. cinnamon sugar

SPREAD crackers with cream cheese spread; top with apple slices.
SPRINKLE with cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately.

1 minute apple tortilla

1 whole wheat tortilla (6 inch)
1 KRAFT Singles
1/4 of an apple, thinly sliced

PLACE tortilla on microwaveable plate. Place Singles on half of tortilla. Top with apple slices. Fold tortilla in half to cover filling. Cover.

MICROWAVE on HIGH 30 sec. or until Singles melts.

Easy Homemade Torilla Chips

corn tortillas
vegetable oil
sea salt

Cut the corn tortillas into 6 sections, separate and fry in 350 degree oil until light amber. Drain on paper towel and salt while hot.

Mummy Pizzas

Mummy Pizzas (From the Family Fun magazine)

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:
English muffins
Pizza sauce
Black olives
Scallions
Red or green pepper
Cheese sticks or slices

1. Heat the oven to 350° F. For each mummy, spread a tablespoon of pizza sauce onto half of an English muffin (toast it first, if you like).

2. Set olive slices in place for eyes and add round slices of green onion or bits of red or green pepper for pupils.

3. Lay strips of cheese (we used a pulled-apart cheese stick) across the muffin for the mummy?s wrappings.

4. Bake for about 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the muffin is toasty.

Fruit Dip

This recipe is very complicated, I know.

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 7 oz. jar of marshmallow cream.

Let cream cheese soften at room temperature then blend marshmallow cream in with hand mixer. Blend until smoth then add a couple of squirts of lime juice. Serve with fruit.

Super Nachos

This is a yummy and filling snack. I've also made it for dinner before when I've had it as a craving, but I feel guilty serving "nachos" for dinner.

Layer of chips (any color)
Cheese sauce (see below)
Ground beef with taco seasoning
Black beans (drained)
salsa
green onions and black olives
sour cream

Cheese sauce:
Melt 2 T. butter and 2 T. flour together, add 2 c. milk and allow to thicken. Then add 2 c. cheddar or jack jack cheese. (As a side note, this is the same cheese sauce I pour over elbow noodles to make homemade macaroni and cheese).

Seven Layer Salad Squares

Seven Layer Salad Squares (Adapted from: Pampered Chef, Seasons Best, Spring/Summer 03) found it here

Ingredients
2 (8 oz) pkgs refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup miracle whip
1 clove garlic, minced
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and crumbled divided
1 cup frozen peas, thawed, divided
3 plum tomatoes, sliced 2 cups thinly sliced lettuce
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red onion

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375° F.
2) Unroll one pkg dough across one end of a bar pan with longest sides of dough across width of pan.
3) Repeat with remaining package of dough to fill the pan.
4) Using rolling pin or your fingers seal seams and press up sides to form crust.
5) Bake 12-15 min until golden brown.
6)Remove from oven to cooling rack, cool completely.
7) Mix cream cheese, miracle whip and garlic until smooth.
8) Add half the bacon and half the peas and mix well.
9) Evenly spread cream cheese mixture over cooled crust.
10) Arrange sliced tomatoes over cream cheese mixture.
11) Sprinkle remaining bacon, remaining peas, lettuce, cheddar cheese and onion over tomatoes.
12) Cut into squares and serve.