Chewy Chex Mix ("Almond Holiday Mix")

Heather has been searching for this yummy recipe for ages! We found it in a cookbook that her little sister Amber put together for the Grangeville Idaho chapter of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) called "A Little Yummy for Your Tummy." This recipe was submitted for the cookbook by Kim Oxnam.

1 box Rice Chex Cereal
1 box Golden Grahams Cereal
1 1/2 cups butter (3 sticks)
2 cups sugar
2 cups coconut
2 1/2 cups sliced almonds
2 cups corn syrup

In a large bowl, mix together cereals, coconut and almonds and set aside. In a saucepan, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Pour over cereal mixture. Stir until completely coated and combined. Pour onto cookie sheets in a thin layer to cool.

Source: "A Little Yummy For Your Tummy." published by the Grangeville, Idaho Chapter of the FCCLA.

TIP: Use your pizza cutter!

We have discovered that with two small girls around the house, we are constantly cutting food into "bite size chunks" for little hands to handle. We used the standard knife and fork a lot, but it was kind of time consuming, especially with sticky foods. Well, we discovered a trick that somebody mentioned in Quick Cooking Magazine: Try the pizza cutter!! So we did, and were amazed. French toast? Swipe, swipe, swipe! Done! Pancakes? Waffles? Eggs? Grilled Cheese Sandwich? Quesadilla? You get the picture. So, this has become the most versatile cutting tool for food in our house, and we have essentially "reinvented" the pizza "wheel". We hope you enjoy discovering new uses for this age-old favorite kitchen utensil that may be collecting dust in your kitchen drawer, too!

Caramel Cream Cheese Dip

This is a delicious new dip for your apples. It's rich, gooey and just plain good!

16 individually wrapped caramels, unwrapped
1/4 cup water
1 (8 ounce) package Cream Cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, or in microwave, melt caramels with water, stirring frequently. Remove from heat. In a medium bowl, cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in caramel mixture.

Serve immediately

Source: www.allrecipes.com

Black Bean Salsa

This is a delicious salsa that our friend Britton makes. She finally shared her recipe with us and we couldn't be happier. Be aware that this make a huge amount of salsa so it's perfect for any party!

Ingredients:

1 large can diced tomatoes
2 small or 1 large can Rotel tomatoes (original or mild)
2 cans black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 (16 oz bottle of zesty Italian dressing (I like to use fat free)
3-4 medium/large tomatoes - diced
2 yellow onions - diced
1 bunch green onions - diced
1 bunch cilantro - chopped
3-4 jalapenos - seeded and diced
1 package frozen shoe peg or super sweet white corn
1 yellow or orange bell pepper, diced
Fresh garlic to taste (about 2 Tbsp.)

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Tips:

*2 small cans of diced tomatoes are a good substitute for the 1 large.

* I like more black beans so you can add another can if you like

*Use 1 large yellow onion in place of the 2 regular

*I would use only 2 jalapenos (I'm not into the really hot salsa)

*Salsa will store at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 2 weeks

source: Britton Blauer