Pretzel Pumpkins

I love foodie fun like these adorable 'pumpkins'!! 

 I've seen this recipe in many varieties, changing ingredients or process. And maybe you have too...I first saw them at Pinterest, and finally settled on making them after I found some orange candy melts on sale! =) 

So...I didn't have to add the food coloring. 

Sweet and Salty is always a wonderful combo.  
Add E-Z to that and you've got a winning recipe!!  

These are fun little treats to help celebrate fall!!  Some of them look like Jack-O-Lanterns, don't you think??

(I did add more crisco after taking this photo...mixture was too thick).

 Before melting the chocolate, I added water to crockpot and turned on high til it was steaming, then I turned it to low and placed my glass bowl on top to keep the chocolate runny, after it was melted.

PRETZEL PUMPKINS 

 1 (12 ozs) bag (Orange) Wilton Candy Melts or 
1 (12 ozs) pkg. white chocolate chips
2 - 3 tsp. crisco 
(Start with small amount, adding more if needed)

 orange food coloring, if needed

1 bag tiny twist pretzels
Green M & M's or Skittles 

In a glass bowl, melt melts (sorry I couldn't resist saying that!=) or chocolate, according to package directions, adding crisco first. (Do not use butter or oil, only crisco - and don't overheat...do it nice and slow, stirring every 30 seconds or so)

Add food coloring if necessary - red & yellow or 1/8 tsp. orange food gel

Dip pretzels with a fork; remove excess by tapping on edge of pan; rest 'pumpkins' on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper.

Immediately place a green M & M (or Skittle) sideways at the top of the pretzel. Let stand until chocolate sets up.

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You may also enjoy 

Hershey's Kiss Acorn Treats

Peanut Butter Pumpkins

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3 Favorite SOUP-er Soups {Blast from the Past}

One of the bestest recipes on my blog!  Delicious and Satisfying!

Love letting my slow cooker do most of the work for me. 

Slow Cooker Cheeseburger Soup

This is mighty good soup. Very filling and lots of veggies. 

Tortellini Vegetable Soup

A good friend has served this soup to company and told me they decided it was better than what a well-known chain restaurant serves. It's perfect to enjoy with a grilled cheese sandwich. 

HOMESTYLE CREAMY TOMATO SOUP

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Farmhouse BBQ Cups

I've been making this easy entree since my kids were young. 

It's fast and delicious - using canned biscuits for the base makes them a popular and simple dish for this family. 

You can use your own BBQ sauce to flavor the meat...or you can use the recipe included here.

Have the kids help. This dish is definitely kid-friendly!

FARMHOUSE BBQ CUPS 

1 can (10 count) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

1 lb. (lean) ground beef

1/2 c. ketchup

3 Tb. brown sugar

1 Tb. cider vinegar

1/2 tsp. chili powder, optional

1 c. (4 ozs) shredded cheddar cheese

(I use strips of Velveeta and criss cross them over the top)

Preheat oven to 375. Grease 10 (regular size) muffin cups.

Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten into 5" circles. Press each into the bottom and up the sides of prepared pan; set aside.

In a skillet, brown ground beef; drain.  Add ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar and chili powder to beef; stir until blended well. 

Divide meat mixture evenly among biscuit-lined muffin cups, using about 1/4 c. for each. Sprinkle with cheese. 

Bake 16 - 18 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool for 4 minutes before removing from pan.

Yield: 10 cups 

Linked to Weekend Potluck
               Meal Plan Monday

You may also enjoy...

Easy Taco Pie

Beef Cabbage Crescent Rolls

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Crockpot Cabbage Casserole

I just love the every day simple recipes that Christy Jordan shares at her Southern Plate blog.  She is always upbeat and shares a lot of 

inspiration and encouragement as well as recipes.
Here's a sample of one of her weekly Lifesavers

Just gotta love a gal like that! 

This was a deliciously simple recipe - layer 4 ingredients (Plus water & seasonings) in the crockpot - let it cook a few hours, or all day, and dinner will be ready.  And your house will smell great too. 

It's a GOOD-FOR-YOU COMFORT DISH! We loved it!

CROCKPOT CABBAGE CASSEROLE 

• 1/2 head cabbage, chopped
• 1 lb. ground beef, browned and drained
• 1 med. onion, chopped
• 1 (18 ozs) jar spaghetti sauce 
• (I substituted part salsa for sauce)
• 1 c. water
• salt, pepper, herbs, garlic powder, etc. to taste
• 
  
• In 4-5 quart slow cooker, place 1/2  the chopped cabbage. 
• Top with 1/2 of onions, 1/2 of beef, and 1/2 of spaghetti sauce. (I did use part salsa instead of all spaghetti sauce). Repeat, adding seasonings as you prefer (or you may add them after). Pour water around the sides into the slow cooker.
• Cover and place on low 5 - 6 hours or high, 3-4 hours. Serve over rice if desired, or just as it is. 

Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
Weekend Potluck

You might also like

Cabbage Lasagna and Easy Garlic Bread

Cheese Scalloped Cabbage

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The Leader Enterprise - October 1, 2014 - Breads

 

Butternut Squash Bread (Healthier Choice) 

Welcome October! What a lovely Indian summer we have enjoyed, don't you think? We must get ready to face another wicked winter and this sunshine sure has been welcome! Be sure to enjoy the outdoors as much as you can. The leaves will be in their glory very soon.

One never can tell what direction my foodie brain will go. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about bread, and what a wonderful product it is. I'm especially fond of toast, slathered with peanut butter for protein. (The smell of toast always reminds me and my daughter, of my mom because she had it for breakfast every morning, along with her coffee). Here's some fun facts about bread in general, found at The Southern Lady Cooks blog.

Fun facts about bread:

Bread is probably the one food eaten by people of every race, culture and religion.  

Assuming a sandwich was eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, it would take 168 days to eat the amount of bread produced from one bushel of wheat.

Breaking bread is a universal sign of peace.

1,500: The number of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches the average American student will have consumed upon graduation from high school. (Source: Great Food Almanac)  

Sliced bread was introduced under the Wonder Bread label in 1930.

This lovely coconut toast makes for a great breakfast or anytime snack. It can be baking while the kids get ready for school. I use to make it for my kids when they were growing up so it carries a lot of memories with the taste.

Quick Coconut Toast

QUICK COCONUT TOAST 

1/2 c. butter, melted (no substitutes)

2/3 - 3/4 c. sugar

1 c. (unsweetened) coconut flakes

1 tsp. vanilla 

1 egg, beaten 

9 - 10 slices bread

Preheat oven to 350. In a small bowl, combine butter and sugar. Stir in coconut and vanilla; then add egg, blending well. Spread over each slice of bread; (the mixture is thick so feel free to put a thick layer on each slice of bread) place on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly browned. 

All righty, let's talk about quick breads. I have countless recipes for them, and am always willing to try a new recipe. This summer, I enjoyed making some fantastic zucchini breads, after my friend Kate Semer from Kunkle (we both grew up in that area), so kindly shared her amazing recipes with me. ANOTHER reason why I've been thinking of bread! I'm not real fond of sandwiches, but I am truly in love with quick breads.

You can freeze quick breads for up to 3 months for best flavor or keep in refrigerator up to a week. Some quick breads will crack on top while baking. Don't fuss; it's normal. Be cautious not to over stir when mixing quick breads or they can be tough. Always spray or grease the baking pan. 

This superb recipe is my favorite of the couple I got from Kate. 

German Chocolate Zucchini Bread

GERMAN CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI BREAD 

4 eggs

2-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. oil

(I used 1/2 c. melted coconut oil, 1/2 c. applesauce)

2 tsp. vanilla

2 c. (white wheat) flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 c. baking cocoa

1 sm.box (4-serv. size) instant chocolate pudding

(sugar free works fine too)

3 c. grated zucchini, peeled or unpeeled

1 c. (unsweetened) coconut

1 c. chopped pecans, (toasted) optional

1 c. mini choc chips

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease and flour 2 loaf pans, OR a 9" X 13" OR a bundt pan. (Baker's Joy spray with flour works super!)

In large bowl, with mixer, beat eggs lightly; add sugar and oil; mix well. Add vanilla. In a medium bowl, stir dry ingredients into flour (a whisk works well). Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, a little at a time until well blended. 

Stir in zucchini, nuts, coconut and chocolate chips. (Dredge chocolate chips in a little flour so they won't sink to the bottom). (I saved a little of the nuts/coconut and sprinkled over the top before baking. The coconut gets nice and toasted - I think it just gives it that German Chocolate 'Flare'!).

 Pour into prepared pan(s), filling bread pans about 2/3 - 3/4 full.

 (You may have some left over to bake a small one too). 

Bake 30 - 50 minutes, depending on which pan you're using. 

Just check with a toothpick stuck in the middle - if it comes out clean, remove bread from oven, but be careful not to overbake.

Let stand in pans for 5 - 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks until room temperature. 

Kate suggests wrapping cooled bread in plastic wrap, then Press & Seal, then placing in a ziploc freezer bag. It will keep in the freezer for months.

 Dust with a little powdered sugar before serving if desired.

You probably already know I love being sneaky and 'hiding' ingredients in recipes. This one tastes much like pumpkin.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH BREAD

1 c. butternut squash puree

2 eggs

1/2 c. vegetable oil

(I used 1/4 c. applesauce, 1/4 c.oil)

1 c. white sugar

1/2 c. brown sugar

1-3/4 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. cardamom (or pumpkin pie spice)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour one 8" X 4" X 2"loaf pan.

In large bowl, mix together the squash puree, eggs, oil, and sugars until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamom.

Stir in the dry ingredients into the squash mixture. Combine just until incorporated; do not overmix. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 55 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. 

Add any 'extras' you'd like: dark, semi sweet, or white chocolate chips, nuts, craisins, etc. Enjoy surprising your family and guests with a 'hidden' (healthy even!) ingredient!