Stove Top Granola

Adapted from Allrecipes

I was looking for a snack my kids would enjoy and thought granola would be perfect!  I didn't have all the typical granola ingredients on hand, but this recipe was quick, simple and delicious!  I admit, this particular recipe is not the most healthy I've seen, but it's so yummy! It's great for snacking or to add some crunch to your yogurt! Cook the brown sugar mixture more or less to make more or less crunchy. I tried cooking the brown sugar mixture less once and it produced more of a chewy granola treat!

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon olive oil

2 cups rolled oats

1/3 cup butter

2 Tablespoons honey

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup chopped almonds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oats and then stir until starting to turn brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and spread out on a cookie sheet to cool. Melt the butter in the same pan over medium heat. Stir in the honey and brown sugar; cook, stirring constantly until bubbly. Return the oats to the pan. Cook and stir for another 5 minutes or so. Just before pouring onto the cookie sheet, add almonds and cranberries. Pour out on the cookie sheet and spread to cool. 

Werewolf Fangs

An oh so yummy combination of sweet and salty.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 1/2-2 bags Bugles

Cherry chips, optional

Spread Bugles on two cookie sheets. Combine butter, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil. Turn down to medium-high. Cook for 2 minutes. Pour mixture over Bugles. Stir to ensure even coating. If using cherry chips, melt and drizzle over Bugles.

Mummies

Fun, spooky, and tasty!

Ingredients:

Hot dogs

Pilsbury Crescent Rolls

Mustard

Cut crescent rolls into strips. Wrap around hot dogs. Bake at 375 until golden brown. Use mustard to make eyes!

Veggies and Finger Dip

Here's a fun way to eat veggies around Halloween!

Ingredients:

Cut up vegetables

Unpeeled carrots

Cream cheese

Almond slices

Your favorite vegetable dip

Peel carrots. Using knife, carve "knuckles" on carrot fingers. Use cream cheese to hold "nail" to carrot. Arrange carrot fingers in vegetable dip. Serve with cut up vegetables.

Eye of Newt

Another fun recipe that can be adjusted just a titch to use at Halloween time!

Ingredients:

Hard boiled eggs

Mayonnaise

Mustard

Salt and pepper

Paprika

Olives, sliced

Boil eggs. When cooled, peel and cut in half. Remove yolks and put into a bowl. Add mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, and paprika to taste. Put a spoonful of yolk mixture into hard boiled egg center. Top with a slice of olive.

Witch Fingers

This year for Halloween I wanted to make sure I had plenty of kid friendly treats. These were simple, spooky, and scrumptious! And a hit with my little guy!

Ingredients:

String cheese

Cream cheese

Sliced almonds

Break apart string cheese stick in the center. Use knife to carve "knuckles." Use cream cheese to hold "nails" in place.

Chex Mix

Adapted from Chex.com

My husband and little boy love eating this as a snack!

4 1/2 cups Corn Chex

4 1/2 cups Wheat Chex

2 cups pretzels

2 cups garlic flavor bagel chips, broken in pieces

12 tablespoons butter, melted

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2- 3 teaspoons seasoned salt (depending on how salty you like it)

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Mix cereals, pretzels and bagel chips in large bowl. Set aside. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour sauce over cereal mixture until evenly coated. Spread evenly on baking sheet-use 2 if necessary. Bake 1 hour stirring every 15 minutes.

Muddy Buddies

Source Unknown

I've had this recipe for forever.  I'm not sure where it came from, but I do remember my Grandma making something similar when I was young and calling it "Puppy Chow".  I have always liked the combination of chocolate and peanut butter.  Even better, this is a very fast and easy recipe to make.  Perfect for a Friday night when you just want to relax, like I did.  This recipe is easily halved or make the entire amount, since it preserves well. 

Ingredients:

• 9 cups Chex cereal
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup margarine
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar

Directions:

• Pour cereal into bowl; set aside.
• In 1 quart, microwave safe bowl combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and margarine.  Microwave for 1 to 1 ½ minute or until smooth, stirring after 1 minute.
• Stir in vanilla.  Pour chocolate sauce slowly over cereal, stirring to coat evenly.  Pour cereal into large plastic bag.  Add powdered sugar and secure; shake to coate well.  Spread on wax paper to cool.

Marshmallow Popcorn

Adapted from a recipe from Chelsey Ercanbrack

For family night, I wanted to make a fun treat our little boy would like. Since he's crazy about marshmallows, I thought we'd let him try this recipe. It is really ooey gooey good! We didn't add nuts or pretzels this time, but they make it a little bit more of a sweet and salty treat when added. We gobbled this up pretty quickly! If you don't want extras, I recommend halfing the recipe. However, the popcorn saves really well!

Ingredients:

3 cups miniature marshmallows

2 cups nuts (optional)

pretzels (optional, add amount desired; no more than 2 1/2 cups)

2 bags microwave popcorn

1 cup butter or margarine

1 1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

Mix popcorn, marshmallows, nuts and pretzels together. Mix margarine, sugar and syrup together and bring to a boil. Boil for three minutes. Pour over popcorn mixture and mix well.