You won't believe this!

I am about to tell you about the best recipe I've had in a very long time. I had these bars at church this weekend and they are PHENOMENAL! I love Snickers candy bars and now I can make my own at home! They are time consuming and are probably better suited as a special treat, but I can't wait to make them! Enjoy!!

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CANDY BARS (Homemade Snickers)

2 teaspoons butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips
¼ cup butterscotch chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
FILLING:
¼ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¼ evaporated milk
1 ½ cups marshmallow crème
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cup chopped salted peanuts
CARAMEL LAYER:
1 package (14 ounces) caramels
¼ cup heavy whipping cream
ICING:
1 cup (6 ounces) milk chocolate chips
¼ cup butterscotch chips
¼ cup creamy peanut butter
1. Line a 13in x 9in. pan with foil; butter the foil with 2 teaspoons butter and set aside. In a small saucepan, combine the milk chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and peanut butter; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Spread into prepared pan. Refrigerate until set.
2. For filling, in a small heavy saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add sugar and milk; bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; boil and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the marshmallow crème, peanut butter and vanilla. Add peanuts. Spread over first layer. Refrigerate until set.
3. For caramel layer, in a small heavy saucepan, combine the caramels and cream; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Cook and stir 4 minutes longer. Spread over the filling. Refrigerate until set.
4. For icing, in another saucepan, combine chips and peanut utter; stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Pour over the caramel layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
5. Remover from the refrigerator 20 minutes before cutting. Remove from pan and cut into 1 inch squares. Store in an airtight container.

Tortellini Salad

Earlier this summer, my mom found this recipe on Two Peas and Their Pod. She's made it a few times and it's a keeper! We all fight over who is getting the last bowl. :) Thought that I'd share it here so I can remember where it is. Enjoy!

Tortellini Salad

Yield: 8-10

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package cheese tortellini, cooked according to package instructions, rinsed and drained
2 cups water-packed artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 large yellow pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1/2 cup pitted sliced black olives
1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes
3/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup freshly chopped basil
1 1/4 cups balsamic dressing (use your favorite brand)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine tortellini, artichokes, peppers, olives, tomatoes, Parmesan cheese, and basil. Stir until combined.

2. Add the balsamic dressing and gently stir until all of the ingredients are coated with dressing. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place tortellini salad in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving. Serve chilled.

Butterscotch Bonanza Bars

When you have a 10 year old boy asking you for a recipe because he liked it, you KNOW you have a winner, right?! That's just the case with this recipe. Within 2 hours, the entire pan was gone!

I love to read murder mysteries with recipes. Diane Mott Davidson is a good author and my other favorite is Joanne Fluke. This recipe comes from Joanne Fluke's book DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE MURDER. I have already baked two recipes and they're both pretty good. This one is my fave of the two. They are soooooo super easy to stir up and they are loved by the boys of the house! Enjoy!


Butterscotch Bonanza Bars

Preheat oven to 350.

In a medium bowl, melt 1 stick of butter.

Stir in 2 cups light brown sugar until well mixed.

Sprinkle 2 tsp baking POWDER and 1 tsp salt over this and then stir until well mixed.

Add two beaten eggs. Stir well.

Stir in 1 tsp vanilla.

Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until you have added 1 1/2 cups.

Stir in 2 cups of (any combination) semi-sweet chocolate chips, butterscotch chips. white chocolate chips, or milk chocolate chips. ( I use 1 cup white and 1 cup SS)

Spread into a greased and floured 9x13 pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Cool completely before serving. Cut into 40 bars. (I don't usually get that many...I think I get about 30)

Because I love you...

And because I haven't made anything worth posting about, here's a hilarious video. Totally family friendly. My guts ache from laughing so hard tonight. Enjoy!

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Hello Again!

I've missed you! But, I am back with a fun and simple, super tasty recipe that is PERFECT for the holiday weekend! Fruit Salsa. My SIL Christine LOVES it when I make this and it's been years since I pulled it out, so it's time again. Enjoy your holiday and please be safe!


Apple Berry Salsa
from The Pampered Chef

2 granny smith apples, sliced thin, then chopped
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries
2 kiwi, peeled and chopped
1 small orange
1 tsp zest
2 tbsp juice
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp apple jelly

Gently stir together fruit. Mix rest of the ingredients in a small bowl and then pour over fruit and gently toss together. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with cinnamon tortilla chips.


Cinnamon Tortilla Chips

1 pkg flour tortillas
cinnamon sugar
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400*. Cut each tortilla into wedges. A pizza cutter works really well for this job. Arrange on a cookie sheet. Spray tortillas LIGHTLY with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Dulce de Leche

How did I ever go 31 years without trying dulce de leche?? Apparently that's a side effect of growing up in Wisconsin, eh? :) Anyway, you need to try this. Serve on ice cream or head to Joy the Baker and check out her February 27,2011 recipe for Dulce de Leche cupcakes. You'll thank me and you'll love her! here's how to make super yummy dulce de leche...take 2 cans sweetened condensed milk and pour them into an 8x8 glass pan, top with foil. Set this pan inside a larger pan like a 9x13 pan and fill it with water so the smaller pan has water halfway up the sides. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 for 1 1/2 hours. Check occassionally to keep the water level up. Cool completely. When cool, whip until smooth and enjoy!