Vanilla Caramel Popcorn

After a week off for vacation, I am back! Sorry to leave you hanging for so long. I wanted to start back up with a tasty snack recipe that I absolutely love! I apologize in advance for everyone who is dying from a heat stroke and won't even dare to turn on your oven to make this, but just bookmark it for cooler weather! 

I tried this caramel corn recipe a few months back and I really enjoyed the results! It was crunchy, sweet and had a really tasty flavor! It makes quite a bit of popcorn, so I suggest you bring it to a party or at least give some of it away so you don’t have it sitting in your cupboards to munch on throughout the day. It is a great snack to have during a movie night or anything like that! I will continue my search for more versions of caramel corn because I absolutely love this snack, but I think this recipe will be my go-to for a fairly simple and delicious version of the treat! Enjoy!

8-10 Cups popcorn, unsalted or salted lightly (about 5-6 TBS of kernels)
1 Cup light brown sugar
1/2 Cup light corn syrup
2 tsp molasses
1TBS butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 TBS vanilla

Pop corn and let cool. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with lightly greased foil. Preheat oven to 250F. Place large bowl in oven to warm while making the caramel.
In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, molasses and butter; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook until the mixture reaches 250F. You can use a candy thermometer to double check. This will take 2 to 3 minutes.
In the meantime, transfer popcorn to now-warm glass bowl (you may need two bowls so you can thoroughly stir the popcorn)
Remove caramel from the heat and immediately stir in salt, baking soda and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the popcorn, stirring until most of the kernels are coated. Pour popcorn onto baking sheet and spread out into an even layer.
Bake popcorn for 1 hour, stirring (and if necessary, spreading out) every 15-20 minutes.
Let cool and break into pieces. Store in an airtight container

Original post : http://bakingbites.com/2005/03/vanilla-caramel-popcorn/

Homemade Granola Bars or Granola

I am excited to share this recipe with you since I absolutely love granola bars and granola! I have yet to find a really good store bought granola bar that I love....I am just not very happy with them and the long list of questionable ingredients in some of the varieties can be somewhat scary! I would much rather eat something without all the additives and "junk"! I love granola as an afternoon snack or with my breakfast on top of yogurt and fruit! Also, a granola bar is a great snack to have around the house when you are running out the door or are in the mood for a sweet treat! These bars have only a few simple ingredients and are very tasty! Enjoy! 

Recipe: 

2 Cups Rolled Oats 

2 Cups Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (I used the honey almond flax flavor) 

1/3 Cup Almond Butter (could use peanut butter too) 

1/3 Cup honey (I used half clover and half raw cinnamon honey I bought at the farmers market-AMAZING) 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 handful semi-sweet chocolate chips 

Directions: 

Place Rolled oats and cereal in a bowl. In small saucepan, melt almond butter, honey and vanilla together until hot and well combined. Pour over cereal mixture and add in chocolate chips! Place in foil-lined square baking dish and press down mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and then remove from pan and cut into bars. 

A few of my bars were slightly crumbly, so I decided to make granola out of them, and crumbled them into a storage container! A perfect topping to fruit or yogurt! 

adapted slightly from: http://www.espressoandcream.com/2011/05/make-your-own-chewy-granola-bars.html

Whole Wheat Pretzel Bites

Last night I decided I wanted a simple salad for dinner because I was snacking on Amish Friendship Bread ALL day! Because I am one of those people that just can't eat one thing for a meal, I have to have a "side dish" or "appetizer" or it doesn't feel like a meal, I decided to try these whole wheat pretzel bites I have been wanting to make for awhile. All I can say is, Why did I wait so long? YUM! These are yummy and very addicting, thankfully I made a half batch and froze the other half of the dough for later or it would have made way too many pretzel bites for just me and the hubby! These are delicious dipped in mustard or ranch or if I would've wanted to get real crazy I could've made cheese sauce! Make these for dinner or for a snack when company is coming over and you will be glad you did!

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 TBS. light brown sugar
2 1/4 tsp. (or 1 package) active dry yeast
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
Olive oil 
Enough Water to fill a large pot 3/4 full 
3/4 cup baking soda
1 egg, beaten with 1 tbs. cold water
Kosher salt or Sea Salt for Sprinkling
Mustard, Ranch or preferred dipping sauce 

Directions:

1.  Using the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, sugar, yeast and butter.  Mix until combined and let sit for 5 minutes.  Add the salt and 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour and 2 cups whole wheat flour and mix on low speed, using dough hook, until blended together.  Increase the speed to medium and knead dough until it is smooth and begins to pull away from sides of the bowl, about 3-4 minutes. (You can also knead by hand if you don't have a stand mixer).  If dough appears too wet add flour, 1 tbs. at a time.  Remove the dough from the hook and shape into ball.  Place in a bowl lightly coated with oil, and turn dough to evenly coat with oil.  Cover with a cloth and place in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until dough doubles in size (I did this step and let it sit for about 4-5 hours, so that I could make sure the pretzel bites were made when it was time for dinner and it worked great for me).

2.  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Bring the water to a boil in a large pot over high heat.  Add in the baking soda.

3.  Meanwhile, dived the dough into 8 equal pieces and roll each piece into a long, thin rope (somewhere between about 15-55 inches, depending on size).  Place dough on a flat surface and cut into one inch pieces.  Repeat for all of the dough.  Working in small batches (about 15 pieces at a time), place the dough in the boiling water solution for about 30 seconds.  Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a baking sheet, that has been coated with cooking spray.  Make sure dough pieces are not touching.

4.  Brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sea salt.  Bake 15-18 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove and place on a baking rack; let cool for 5 minutes then serve with mustard (or other dipping choice) and enjoy! 

As I stated in the post, I made the whole dough recipe and then after it was done rising, I took half the dough and froze it in a freezer bag. This is a great trick for feeding just 2 people! When I am ready to use the dough in the freeze I will take out the plastic bag and soak in hot water in the sink for a few minutes and it will be thawed! 

Original Post from: http://www.simplylifeblog.com