Gooey Caramel Corn.....or do you like it Crunchy?

My friend Gretchen was kind enough to be my guest columnist this week for my article in The Ledger - it was such an easy and awesome recipe, she gave me the "A-OK" to post it on the blog as well.  Here it is - I hope you'll will try it, come back to comment, and let us know how much you enjoyed it!  Happy 1st Day of Fall!!!

Post and photo credit:  Gretchen Wakeman

I purchased this recipe almost 30 years ago at an Elementary Bake Sale.  Along with all of the freshly prepared baked goods, my elementary school also sold recipes for a quarter to help with the fundraising. 

My 25 cent purchase bought me a recipe that has become somewhat of a legacy in my family. 

Even as a little girl I loved to bake.  I became an expert at this recipe at a very young age.  I had it memorized and could whip up a batch of Gooey Carmel Corn at any given family event.  We looked forward to it at family movie night, birthday parties, or any event that called for a little sweet celebration.   

The original recipe has since been lost, but I had written the instructions down on a plain notecard. 

Recently, my mom found my hand written recipe tucked away in her cookbook.  She smiled when she gave it back to me,  “Remember when you used to make your Gooey Caramel Corn?”   

To celebrate the return of Fall, I have already whipped up several batches to share with my two little girls.  Without a doubt, this recipe will be in my family for years to come.  Enjoy!



 

Gooey Caramel Corn

Makes 8 Cups 

1 packed cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup of butter (one stick)

1/2 cup of light Karo syrup

1/8 teaspoon of salt

1/8 teaspoon of baking soda

Approx. 8 cups of popped popcorn 

Prepare popcorn without butter or salt.  Place popcorn in a large mixing bowl. 

On stovetop combine brown sugar, butter, Karo syrup and salt.  When mixture gets to a rapid boil add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda and stir.  (The baking soda will cause the mixture to expand and turn foamy)

Immediately pour the hot mixture over the popcorn.  Fold in caramel until popcorn is well coated.  I normally stop here.  I love to eat it gooey and warm.    

If you prefer Crunchy Caramel Corn and have the willpower to wait, you can bake it in a large roaster pan for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Spread on waxed paper to dry.

Thanks for taking the time to read my guest column.  I hope you will try the Gooey (or Crunchy!) Caramel Corn. 
 

For my local followers, if you are looking for a family and lifestyle photographer, please visit Gretchen's site at Gretchen Wakeman Photography to see her work and contact information.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars

I recently received a spiral bound cookbook filled with recipes from my mom’s side of the family.  One of her cousins spent quite a bit of time collecting the recipes, adding old family photos, and even including the nutritional content of each dish.  I am so happy to have this in my possession now, what a great way to relive memories of food I was served as a child and start to make new memories for my boys. 

I wasn’t surprised to see the recipe for my mom’s Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars, I grew up eating these and they are a tried and true favorite.  I was reminded of them earlier this spring and during a visit in May, my mom brought down a batch from Colorado for my family to share.   

Oh, and on the same page as the recipe, is a photo of my maternal grandparents on their wedding day...August 31, 1940, so it's fitting that I post this to my blog today.  The hubby and I share the date with them, but our wedding was just 17 years ago today :)

After receiving the cookbook, it was easy for me to figure out which recipe I wanted to make first.  I made these in an 8x8 pan, but they could also be made in a 9x11 pan which would result in a thinner bar.  

I certainly hope that you will try this recipe and either come back to this post or visit my Facebook page to let me know what you thought of them!

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Bars
Can be made in an 8x8” or 9x11” pan

1 cup sugar
½ cup margarine
½ cup super chunk peanut butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 10-oz package of chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)

Grease baking pan and preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, add sugar, margarine, and peanut butter.  Using an electric mixer, stir together combined.  Add egg and vanilla, beating until smooth.  Stir in flour, baking powder, and salt using a spatula.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Turn into prepared pan and spread out until even.  Bake in 350 degree oven 25-35 minutes or until set.  The smaller the pan, the thicker the bar, and the longer it will take to bake.  Cool; cut into squares.  Enjoy with a large glass of cold milk.  

Lemon Rosemary Goat Cheese Crostini with Aged Balsamic Drizzle

This crostini is beyond delicious!  If you like goat cheese, you are going to want to try this!  Not only does it taste good, but it is super easy to make. 

When planning this for a party, you can slice the bread in advance and store in a zip top container to keep fresh.  You will also want to make the balsamic drizzle ahead of time.  This can easily be stored in a squeeze bottle in your refrigerator.  Just before you are ready to serve, spread the cheese on the bread slices, broil, then drizzle with the balsamic.  These can easily be served warm or at room temperature - perfect for a party!

Lemon Rosemary Goat Cheese Crostini with Aged Balsamic Drizzle
Serves 6-8 as appetizer 

11 oz. log of goat cheese
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Peel of 1 lemon
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
¾ cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
Baguette, sliced

Place the log of goat cheese in a narrow pan...a loaf pan is perfect for this.  Add rosemary, salt, black peppercorns, and lemon peel.  Pour olive oil over goat cheese.  Cover and refrigerate overnight, periodically spooning more olive oil over the goat cheese.  You can also break up the goat cheese into large pieces so that more of it can marinate in the olive oil.  Note that the goat cheese will not absorb all of the oil. 

To make the balsamic drizzle, in a small saucepan over medium heat, add aged balsamic vinegar and brown sugar, stir to combine.  Watch the pan constantly and stir frequently until the vinegar reduces by about half.  This will take 15-20 minutes.  Once reduced, let cool and pour into squeeze bottle. 

Just before serving, preheat oven to broil.  To each slice of baguette, spread a generous amount of goat cheese and place on a baking sheet. Spoon a small amount of the marinated olive oil to each slice.  As you start to spread the cheese, it will start to break apart in the marinating dish.  Goat cheese can be very crumbly!    It's OK - just keep scooping it up, along with the oil, with your spreader. 

Broil until cheese is bubbly and toasts are golden, about 5-7 minutes.  

Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Using squeeze bottle (or spoon) to drizzle balsamic glaze over each baguette slice.  Serve.  Store any remaining balsamic glaze in refrigerator.

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Not too long ago I purchased a de Buyer Kobra Adjustable Slicer .......a.k.a a mandoline.....a.k.a. a tool that slices stuff super thin for you from Williams Sonoma.  I decided to try it out on sweet potatoes and make baked sweet potato chips.  A mandoline is not required for this recipe, you can always use a knife, just watch those fingers!

The slicer was very easy to use and most important for me, a no brainer to clean.  This is an easy and tasty way to enjoy a nutritious snack.  Sweet potatoes are high in vitamin C, calcium, folate, potassium, and beta-carotene.  Making them into a baked chip by only adding a little bit of olive oil and salt is perfect.

 

 

Baked Sweet Potato Chips

Serves 4

2 large sweet potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Slice potatoes very thinly using a mandoline or a knife.  In a large bowl, toss the potatoes in olive oil, making sure to separate them getting olive oil on each and every slice. 

On large baking sheets (you may have to do a couple of batches), lay out potatoes in a single layer. 

 

Bake, turning occasionally until curled, dried, and done.  This will take about 30-35 minutes.  The thicker your potato slices, the longer it will take. 

 

As soon as you remove them from the oven, season them with salt.   

Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips

This year I will be focused on healthy eating!  There will of course be posts from time to time about not-so-healthy eating, and of course fun cocktails to drink!  But to start off the year right, I made Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips - sounds gross, right?  Actually not too bad!  I found the recipe on Foodess and she got the original recipe from The Cleaner Plate Club.  I modified the recipe slightly - but overall, not too bad of a way to get in lots of great nutrients into your body!

I hope you give it a try and let me know what you think!

Salt & Vinegar Kale Chips
Serves 4
Recipe adopted from Foodess

1 bunch kale (I had 4 big stems)
2 tablespoons olive oil (I of course used Tuscan Estate EVOO from Queen Creek Olive Mill)
3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar - you could also use regular balsamic vinegar or just regular white vinegar here.  I am a HUGE fan of vinegar, I could probably drink balsamic vinegar straight if someone asked me too!  So, you may want to take this down to 2 tablespoons if you think it might be too much.
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (I used my convection oven for this).  Wash and dry kale thoroughly - if you have a salad spinner, use it.  If not, plan on a lot of towels!  Tear kale into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl.  Toss kale with olive oil and vinegar and rub the leaves to make sure each gets a coating of oil. 

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper (not sure if I needed the parchment, but it was an easier clean up), place the kale in a single layer on the sheet.  Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. 

Bake for about 5 minutes, then turn kale over. Bake another 3-4 minutes and remove from oven.  Larger pieces may take a little bit longer, I tried to make all of mine the same size so that they would cook evenly.  If some start to crisp and others have not, remove those that are done to prevent burning. 

 

Pumpkin Snowballs

I ran across this cute little recipe in my November issue of Parenting magazine - it looked easy, somewhat healthy, and a great way to finish off Thanksgiving weekend.   There are a couple of modifications to the original.  While getting the oatmeal out of the pantry, I decided to add some wheat germ and then dropped in a couple of more tablespoons of pumpkin puree to balance it out. 

The result?  My boys loved them - as did I and my visiting mother-in-law.  Total prep time was 10-15 minutes (includes time spent defending myself from lightsaber attacks in the kitchen from a 3 year old and 6 year old).    Quick and easy!

Pumpkin Snowballs
Makes approximately 12 snowballs
Recipe adopted from Parenting magazine

1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
5 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
3/4 - 1 cup powdered sugar

Combine oatmeal, wheat germ, pumpkin-pie spice, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and raisins in a bowl.  Form into 1-inch balls and roll in powdered sugar.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's that time of year again, for carving pumpkins and toasting the seeds!  I would have liked to have posted this before Halloween, but haven't had the time or energy to do so!  But here it is - a couple of days late!

My family LOVES toasted pumpkin seeds - it's the hubby's job to make them each year.  We do not follow a specific recipe - it all depends on how many pumpkin seeds you have and how you like them to taste! 

What I've shared below are the types of seasonings he adds to our pumpkin seeds (yielded from 4 pumpkins this year).  We taste along the way and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  Since we recently visited Kauai, I had to include some of our Guava Garlic Salt to the sauce that we purchased from Salty Wahine Gourmet.

Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds - washed, drained, and dried
Melted Butter
Olive Oil
(note the above two items are used to also help the seasonings stick to the seeds)
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Salt
Pepper
Italian Seasoning
Guava Garlic Salt (from Salty Wahine Gourmet)

Spread out pumpkin seeds in a large pan.  Toss with above ingredients (plus more or less!)  Cook in the oven....low and slow.  We set the oven at 200 degrees F.....for hours.  My big brother even cooks them overnight.  If the heat is too high, the pumpkin seeds will toast way too fast and the inside will be chewy.  Continue taste testing them as they cook - add more seasoning as you go if needed.  Once they are crunchy and taste the way you like them, you are done!  Enjoy!

Candy Corn and Dry Roasted Salted Peanuts

One of my favorite fall treats!  I have two of these little pumpkins and used to just fill them with candy corn until last fall when a friend of mine suggested I add dry roasted peanuts and eat them together.

Thanks to the woman with whom I share a fence line for the tip - I will never look back and fill these pumpkins with candy corn alone!

Seasoned Ritz Crackers

A friend of mine gave me this recipe - I think it probably came straight off of the side of the cracker box at some point, but I have used it for years and everyone loves it! 

Seasoned Ritz Crackers

Serves 10-12

3 boxes of Ritz Cheese Bits

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Original Ranch Salad dressing

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 heaping tablespoon dried dill

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place crackers in a large sealable container.  In a bowl, mix all other ingredients and invert over crackers to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the container periodically to coat crackers.  Bring mixture to room temperature before serving.

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Super Bowl Sunday

Although we were cheering on the Patriots (mostly because the older boy's teacher is a HUGE Patriot's fan!), we enjoyed a fun Super Bowl party with lots of food, drink, and fun for the kids!  I served a homemade salsa with multi grain tortilla chips, cantaloupe and strawberries with a Grand Marnier fruit dip, a super yummy cheese, spinach, artichoke heart, plus a-whole-bunch-of-other-good-stuff dip baked in a bread bowl, a tried and true favorite of ours and our friends - seasoned Ritz crackers, BBQ pork sliders, and last but not least, homemade cheese pizza for the kids!!!

Recipes below!!!

BBQ Pork Sliders

These are always a huge hit and super easy!  Best of all - they make your home smell wonderful!

BBQ Pork Sliders
Serves 8-10

4 pounds pork tenderloin
Two 28 oz BBQ sauce - I use Jack Daniels Original, but you can use whatever, or make your own!
1 dozen slider rolls
coleslaw

Pour some of the BBQ sauce into the bottom of a crock pot.  Add the pork and pour the rest of the first bottle of BBQ sauce over the top.  Add more if the pork isn't quite covered.  This will cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 4-6.  When I use the crock pot, I always start everything on high in the morning, then turn it down to low by lunch. 

Continue to turn the pork throughout the day.  Later in the day, the pork will begin to fall apart, at that point, take two forks and shred it. 

Serve on the slider rolls with the coleslaw and extra sauce. 

Grand Marnier Fruit Dip
I can't take credit for this recipe - it came from Pomegranates and Prickly Pears, a cookbook by the Junior League of Phoenix, but I did change it up this time by using Grand Marnier instead of Amaretto - which is what is in the original recipe.  It was still delicious!

Grand Marnier Fruit Dip

Serves 4-6

2 cups sour cream (I used low fat)

1/4 brown sugar

2-4 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Combine all ingredients.  Chill, covered, for several hours or even overnight.  Serve with fresh cut fruit.

Homemade Salsa

Homemade salsa always tastes so much better than something out of a jar!  Plus - you can be so creative with it and add whatever you'd like!   The unique ingredient this time around?  Pomegranate seeds - loved them!

Homemade Salsa

Serves 6-8

Two 14 oz cans fire roasted tomatoes, drained

Medium onion (I used a sweet onion this time, would also recommend red), diced

Two 4 oz cans chopped green chilies

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

4 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-3 scallions, chopped (green part too!)

15.5 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 1/2 - 2 cups corn - best if you have grilled the cob and cut it off, but frozen or canned will work too!

2 teaspoons cumin

Handful cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

4.3 oz tub of pomegranate seeds

Juice of one lime

Avocado, chopped

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, green chilies, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil, scallions, black beans, corn, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper.  Let this sit for several hours.  When ready to serve, I always drain off the excess liquid (that's why I add the lime juice last!).  Add the pomegranate seeds, lime juice, and avocado.  Transfer to a serving plate and pair with tortilla chips!  I love the multi-grain tortilla chips - they taste wonderful with this! 

Seasoned Ritz Crackers

A friend of mine gave me this recipe - I think it probably came straight off of the side of the cracker box at some point, but I have used it for years and everyone loves it! 

Seasoned Ritz Crackers

Serves 10-12

3 boxes of Ritz Cheese Bits

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Original Ranch Salad dressing

1 teaspoon celery salt

1 heaping tablespoon dried dill

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Place crackers in a large sealable container.  In a bowl, mix all other ingredients and invert over crackers to coat.  Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, turning the container periodically to coat crackers.  Bring mixture to room temperature before serving.

Bread Bowl Cheese Dip

You can certainly play around with the ingredients on this one - but wow, is it good! 

Bread Bowl Cheese Dip
Serves 6-8

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

8 slices of bacon, cooked and chopped (I use turkey bacon - but only Oscar Mayer turkey bacon)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (I did use fat free!)
2 cups sour cream (I used low fat!)
14 oz can artichoke bottoms, chopped.  You can also use the hearts, I just like the bottoms better!
2 scallions, chopped
4 oz can green chilies
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese (so...used full fat, it can't be ALL low fat!)
8 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and dried
1 round loaf of bread, hollowed out.  Reserve inside of bread for dipping later.
crackers, carrots, celery, etc to serve with the dip

Combine the bacon, cream cheese, sour cream, artichokes, scallions, green chilies, cheddar cheese, and spinach in a large bowl.  Mix well.  Pour mixture into hollowed out bread bowl, wrap in foil, and bake for 1 hour.  Serve with crackers, remaining bread pieces, carrots, etc. 

Homemade Pizza
My boys love pizza, so do their "best friends".  Instead of ordering pizza, I love to make them one from scratch - it is really very easy and you know exactly what your kids are eating!  I even make the sauce, but I'm not QUITE ready to share that recipe!  They are young - they still only want cheese on their pizza, but hey, I'm OK with that! 

Homemade Pizza

Makes 1 pizza

1 cup warm water

1 packet yeast

3 cups flour (plus more for kneading)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar (you can substitute honey here too)

3 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

2 cups Mozzarella cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoon cornmeal

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour the water into a mixing bowl and add the yeast.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Add the salt, sugar, and 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Start mixing, I use a stand mixer for this with the dough hook attachment.  Slowly add in the flour, one cup at a time, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides and is forming into a ball.  If it is too sticky, add more flour, if it isn't coming together, add more water. 

Knead on a floured surface for a few minutes to stretch out.  Coat a large bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add the dough and turn to coat with the olive oil.  Cover with a damp towel and put bowl in a warm place, free from drafts.  Let rise for at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours. 

Once you are ready to make the pizza, punch the down down and roll out dough.  I use a pizza stone, so I spread out the cornmeal on the pizza stone to prevent the pizza from sticking.  Place the pizza dough on the stone and roll up the edges.  Add the sauce, toppings, and cheeses.  Before putting in the oven, drizzle the final tablespoon of olive oil to the top of the pizza. 

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.  Once done, let sit for 5-10 minutes out of the oven before slicing. 

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