Muddy Buddies

9 cups Corn Chex®, Rice Chex®, Wheat Chex® or Chocolate Chex® cereal (or combination)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1. Into large bowl, measure cereal; set aside.
2. In 1-quart microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter uncovered on High 1 minute; stir. Microwave about 30 seconds longer or until mixture can be stirred smooth. Stir in vanilla. Pour mixture over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Pour into 2-gallon resealable food-storage plastic bag.
3. Add powdered sugar. Seal bag; shake until well coated. Spread on waxed paper to cool. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.

Ham and Cheese Braid

HAM AND CHEESE BRAID

1 cup warm water
1 Tbsp yeast

Dough:
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 1/4 cup flour
1 cup flour

Toppings:
Pizza Sauce
Ham
Veggies
Cheese
(any variation)

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Mix in all other dough ingredients with the yeast mixture. Knead and let rise. Roll out into 2 rectangles. Down center put toppings (sauce, meat, veggies, cheese, etc). Cut diagonal one inch strips down both sides. Pull strips over center, alternating sides (so it looks like you're braiding someone's hair.) Pinch ends closed so that the braids don't leak. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Dough makes 2 braids.

(Without anything else for dinner, my family could prolly eat a half of a braid or more by ourselves, but otherwise, we usually cut it into thirds and add other stuff for dinner.)

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

2-1/2 c. pumpkin
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. oil
2 eggs
2 t. vanilla
4 c. flour
4 t. baking powder
2 t. baking soda
2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1/2 t. nutmeg
chocolate chips

Mix together. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes. Be careful not to overcook.

Cabbage Ramen Noodle Salad

1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped
4 green onions, chopped
1 pkg. ramen noodles (beef or chicken), crumbled
1/2 c. sliced almonds
1 pkg. sunflower seeds, optional

Dressing:
2 T. sugar
3 T. vinegar
1/2 c. salad oil
1/2 t. pepper
Flavor packet from noodles

Mix dressing ingredients together and pour over all other ingredients except the ramen noodles. Refrigerate a few hours. Add ramen noodles a little while before serving.

Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
5 tbl. packed brown sugar
1-2 tbl. honey
2 tbl. cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water

Mix all but cornstarch and 1/4 c. water in a saucepan and begin heating. Mix cornstarch and cold water in a cup and dissolve. Add to sauce in pan. Heat until sauce thickens to desired thickness. Add water to thin if it's too thick.

Cornbread pancakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons cooking oil

In a large bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of this mixture. In a smaller bowl use a fork to combine the beaten egg, milk, and oil. Add egg mixture all at once to flour mixture. Sitr just until moistened (batter should be slightly lumpy). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour batter onto a hot, lightly greased skillet or griddle, spreading batter is necessary. Cook over medium heat for 1-2 minutes on each side or until pancakes are golden brown, turning to second side when pancakes have bubbly surfaces and dry edges. Serve warm and ENJOY!!!

*These are really good with honey butter, maple syrup, or jam on them!

Creamy Italian Chicken

Chicken (I usually do about two pieces but you can definitely do more)
8 oz. package of cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken
about a 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Italian dressing

Put it all in a crockpot and cook. Serve over rice or pasta

Aunt Annie's Pretzels

I have been dying for some good pretzels lately and this recipe looks very promising. I'll let you know after I try them how they turn out.






1 1/4 cup warm water
1 TB plus 1/4 teaspoon yeast
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2TB powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 1/4 cups baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
kosher or pretzel salt


Bath: 4 cups warm water


Toppings:
Salted: Kosher or pretzel salt
Cinnamon Topping: 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon


1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a small bowl or cup. Let sit for a fewminutes.
2. Combine flour, powdered sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water with yeast and vegetable oil. Stir with a spoon and then use your hands to form dough into a ball. Knead the dough for 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface. (Dough will be nice and smooth when ready). Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, coverit, store in a warm place for about 45 minutes or until dough rises to double in size.
3. When dough has risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
4. Make a bath for the pretzels by combining the baking soda with the warm waterand stir until baking soda is mostly dissolved.
5. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 8 (I do 16) even portions. Roll each portion on a flat non-floured surface until it is about 3 ft long. Pick up both ends of the dough and give it a little spin so the middle of the dough spins around once. Lay the dough down with the loop nearest to you. Fold the ends down toward you and pinch to attach them to the bottom of the loop. The twist should be in the middle.
6. Holding the pinched ends, dip each pretzel into the bath solution. Put each pretzel on a paper towel for a moment to blot the excess liquid. Arrange the pretzels on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. If you want salt, sprinkle pretzels with kosher salt or pretzel salt. DON'T salt any pretzels you plan to coat with cinnamon sugar. You will likely have to use two baking sheets and bake them separately. Bake the pretzels for 4 minutes and then spin the pan around and bake for another 4-5 minutes or until the pretzels are golden brown.
7. Remove the pretzels from the oven and let them cool for a couple of minutes. If you want to eat some now, brush them with melted butter first before serving.
7a. If you want the cinnamon sugar coating, make it by combining the 1/2 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl. Brush the unsalted pretzels with melted butter. Sprinkle a heavy coating of the cinnamon sugar on the pretzels over a large plate.