Chocolate M&M Pretzel Bites

I enjoy the taste of sweet and salty not to mention the taste of chocolate.  One candy that is beyond easy to make and even better to eat around the Holidays are these Chocolate M&M Pretzel Bites.  I promise that you cannot eat just one!

 

 

 

Ingredients:

• One bag of regular size pretzels
• One (or two-depending on how many you want to make) bag of Hershey Kisses Milk or Dark Chocolate
• Plain M&M's

Directions:

Turn your oven on to 200 degrees.  Line a cookie tray with wax paper and then make several rows of pretzels.  Next, add a Hershey Kiss to to the top of each pretzel.  Put in the oven for 2-6 minutes, allowing the chocolate to become soft enough that you can press the kiss all the way down on the pretzel.  Add an M&M to the top of each one.  Let cool and store in the refrigerator.



 

The first thing to do is turn your oven on 200 degrees. 
I line a cookie tray with wax paper and then make several
rows of pretzels.

Next, add a Hershey's Kiss onto the top of each one.
It can be the milk or dark chocolate kind.
Now, put them in the oven for 2-6 minutes, allowing the chocolate
to become soft enough that you can press the kiss all the way
down.



Once you take them out of the oven, add an M&M
to the top of each one and let cool.  Store in the refrigerator.

O is for Orange

I really love oranges.  As an FFA member in high school, our primary fundraiser was selling fruit.  Each year in November we would take orders for a December delivery.  There was nothing better than sinking your teeth into one of those fresh Florida oranges. 

Recently, I purchased a case of navel oranges from our local Shenandoah FFA Chapter and they have been delicious.  Of course there were about 80 in the box and there are only three of us to eat all of those.  Needless to say, we have had oranges for breakfast and dinner for the past two weeks.

 

Eating all of the oranges got me thinking about their value nutrionally and agriculturally.  According to the University of Florida IFAS Extension, citrus fruits are one of the largest commodities of Flodida agriculture.  Oranges mean so much to Florida that they selected it as the official state fruit in 2005. They made the orange blossom their state flower, and orange juice their state beverage. I'd say they have a serious love of oranges in Florida and they should because oranges are a major part of their economy.  In 2006, 67% of all the citrus grown in the United States came from Florida.

Oranges come in several varieties: Naval, Hamlin, Pineapple or Valencia.

The USDA recommends that you wash the orange under cool water and pat it dry before peeling and eating it.  It is also suggested that you keep them in the refrigerator.  We usually keep ours on the back porch where it's just cold enough that they won't turn.  The great thing about oranges is that they make an excellent (but sometimes messy and sticky) snack.  Oranges have only 60 calories and have no saturated or trans fat in them.They are a huge source of Vitamin C which every human needs for the repair and growth of tissue in the body, healing wounds and in some cases have even helped lower blood sugar.

So how about adding an orange to your weekly food menu?

Happy peeling:)

French's Green Bean Casserole

If you are just starting out and are a young wife learning different things to make, I would highly reccommend adding this simple recipe to your cookbook.

French's Green Bean Casserole tends to be a staple around most homes during the holidays.  It is a traditional casserole that requires few ingredients and doesn't take long to make.  Serve it with some meat and a salad and you have a complete meal!

French's Green Bean Casserole
source: http://www.frenchs.com/recipes/

Ingredients:

1 (10 3/4 oz.) can CAMPBELL'S® Cream of Mushroom Soup
3/4 cup milk
1/8 tsp.black pepper
2 (14.5 oz. each) cans cut green beans 
1 1/3 cupsFRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions

Directions:

MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions.
BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot.
STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

First thing I try to do is set out the ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, mix the soup, milk and pepper.

Stir in beans and 2/3 of the French Fried Onions.
We like a lot of the onions, so I usually add extra.

Pour the mixture in a 1.5 quart casserole dish.
I usually add the French Fried Onions to the top when I bake it rather than waiting.
Just be careful not to let them burn.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

And there you have it!

 

Variations:
You can substitute the French Style Green Beans instead of the regular beans. 
Try adding some ham in the mixture as well.
Sprinkle with your favorite cheese.

 

Mink!

As you know, I raise chickens.  Chickens can be prey for many different types of wildlife.  Over the last three weeks, I have found a dead chicken in one of my chicken coops almost every other day.  Not to gross you out, but their heads would be biten off and their bodies left in the coop.  Long story short - I was aggrevated and disgusted.  Action must be taken on whatever was killing my girls.

For two weeks, I was on patrol of the coop.  I would sneak down once it became dark (which right now is by 5:30 P.M.) with my pistol in hand and my two labs walking next to me.  We would search all over the coop to see if we could find the predator.  The coop would smell a little like a skunk, but I knew in my research that skunks don't usually kill chickens.  Although the dogs and I found lots of night time wildlife, I couldn't find the one killing my chickens.


Last Wednesday night, while feeding, my dog Libby started barking and scratching at a small opening in the side of the coop.  After a little further inspection and prying one of the boards loose, I could see two eyes staring at me.  We had FINALLY found this creature that was killing the chickens.  I went to get my pistol while Libby kept the creature in place.  When I came back, the creature had turned itsself around, but I had a clear shot, BOOM.  There was the first shot.  I saw it move again toward another small opening, so I shot it a second time.  Yes!  I had killed...what?  What was that thing?

Our friend Joey heard me hollaring with glee and came over to see what was going on.  He pulled the creature out and I thought it was a weasel, but it was actually a mink.  Long, slender, and dark in color it was finally dead.

I'm no Annie Oakley, but wildlife beware - Don't mess with the chickens!

Mom Mc's Oyster Dressing

Oyster Dressing

On our first Thanksgiving together, I learned that Bill liked Oyster Dressing.  At that point, I had never even tried an oyster, and well, had no desire to.  My mother-in-law, however, made Bill Oyster Dressing for both Thanksgiving and Christmas and one of our family members has an "Oyster Fry" each year.  Needless to say, I don't mind fried oysters, but don't you dare feed them to me raw.

With all of that being said, I learned to make Oyster Dressing for my husband, from his mom.  Although, I am calling this recipe "Oyster Dressing" I want you all to know that I make the entire recipe without the oysters first, so I can have my own batch, and then add the oysters to the rest of the dressing mix for Bill.

Here is the recipe:

Oyster Dressing

Ingredients:
1 loaf of white bread
1 pint of oysters
Parsley, fresh or dried, to taste
1 t poultry seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
Turkey and/or chicken broth
1 onion, diced
2 eggs
1/4 t sage

1 T butter

Directions:
READ ALL DIRECTIONS BELOW FIRST BEFORE ADDING ANYTHING TO THE BREAD.

Add ingredients as follows: bread, eggs, onions, parsley, poultry seasoning, sage, salt/pepper, oysters and broth.


Break up the loaf of white bread the night before.  Cook turkey for broth the night before or use canned chicken broth. 

 

Clean oysters by dumping them in a strainer and running cold water over them.
I usually cut mine in half. 

Dice onion and fry them in butter (about 1 Tablespoon of butter) to soften. 

Dice fresh parsley or use dry parsley to your liking.




Break eggs into mixture one at a time, working them all in.

Next, add the poultry seasoning.

 

Then add the sage.

 

Add enough of the broth that you get a good moist consistency.
At least 2 cup fulls, more if needed.

Once everything is mixed, pour into two greased pie plates and bake at 350 degrees until your desired done-ness.

 

Judy's Oreo Pie

My wonderful co-worker Judy has a dish called Oreo Pie, that all of us want her to make on our birthday's.  This dish is made the night before and I promise there will not be any left regardless of where you take it.

Oreo Pie

Ingredients:
3 1/2 c milk
1 lg box instant vanilla pudding
1 (12-oz) container of Cool Whip
1/4 c melted butter
1 (8-oz) package softened cream cheese
3 T powdered sugar
1 package of Oreos, crushed

Directions:
For base, crush Oreo's, reserving about 1 dozen for the topping, and combine with 1/4 c melted butter and press in bottom of a 9x13 dish. Combine the remaining ingredients (a mixer or Kitchen Aid is perfect for this task) and pour the mixture on the Oreo base. Top with remaining crushed Oreos. Place in refrigerator and serve the next day.

 

Step 1: Crush about Oreo's and place

in the bottom of a casserole dish.

 

Melt 1/4 cup butter and pour over the crushed

Oreo's to make the base.

 

Let the cream cheese come to room mixture

so it is easy to mic.

 

 

You will need one large box of instant

Jell-O vanialla pudding.

(Sometimes I use sugar free)

 

 

If you have a Kitchen Aid, utilize it for the mixing.

I actually find that I like using my mixer.

I usually mix the cream cheese with about 1/4 cup

milk to get started, then add the pudding mix, powdered

sugar and the rest of the milk (a little at a time). 

 

Next, add the whip cream.

I usually you light.  Again, use your mixer

or Kitchen Aid to really blend the ingredients

 to make a good creamy base.

 



 

Pour the base on top of the crushed

Oreo base.

 

 

You don't need these, but I like having extra

Oreo's on mine, so I added the bite size pieces.

 

 

Add the crushed Oreo's to the top.

 

 

Put in fridge and chill overnight.

Home-made Blueberry Muffins

Home-made Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
1/4 c butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c sour cream
1 1/2 cups flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1/2 c milk
1 c fresh (or frozen) blueberries

Directions:
In a small bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the egg and sour cream, mixing well.  Combine the flour, baking powder,  and salt.  Add these ingredients to the creamed mixture.  Pour the milk in a little at a time stirring as you go.  Fold in the blueberries.

Fill 12 paper lined muffin cups about 2/3 full.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from pan.


***You can also add 1 cup (chopped) fresh or frozen rhubarb to this recipe in addition to the blueberries.