Snicker Apple Salad

Have you guys had this yet?  It's a pinterest favorite I believe.  Well - I pretty much love it.  You have to try it!

SNICKER SALAD
(tastes like a yummy caramel apple with nuts and chocolate)
recipe from Erica's Bloggity Blog

Ingredients:
Cool whip
one package of instant vanilla pudding (small box)
one cup of milk
Snickers (frozen or cold - easier to chop)
green apples (tart, with a little sweet and lots of juicy)

1.Add instant pudding into mixing bowl and pour in 1 Cup cold milk. Mix well and let chill while chopping candy.

2.Chop Snickers bars into bite size pieces (I usually use about 2 bags of mini sickers or more - I like A LOT or about 10-15 king size). I have added Milky way bars and Rolos in with the Snickers before or you can omit the Snickers and just add Rolos and Milky Way bars if there is a peanut allergy.

3.Chop green apples into bite sized pieces (I use about 8-10)

4.Fold in one 8 ounce container of Cool Whip (or more if you think it needs more. I usually buy the 16 ounce container just in case) into the pudding.

5.Combine candy and apples in bowl with pudding mixture.

6. ENJOY!! Be sure and control yourself or you might just eat the whole bowl yourself!

Peach Crunch Cake

Thought I'd try this yummy Peach Crunch Cake that Bakerella shared. It was super easy. I used our frozen fresh peaches which were tasty. Jimmy said he would have liked more peaches so next time I'll probably use twice as much fruit. I liked the brown sugar with the pecans (I didn't have walnuts). It was more moist than I expected, but it was very much like a cobbler. Give it a try... plus, it will make your home smell yummy. ... that cozy home-cookin' feeling.


Peach Crunch Cake (Bakerella)

24.5 oz jar of sliced peaches in light syrup
1 package yellow cake mix
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 16 pieces
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Layer ingredients in a 13 X 9 dish, in order starting with the peaches.

Bake for about 40 minutes.

Serve warm or cold… with or without ice cream.

Pear Crisp

Just wanted to give a shout-out to this Pear Crisp recipe from Pioneer Woman. I made it and it was tasty. As always, go to her site for scrumptious photos of this recipe.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 4

Ingredients

FILLING INGREDIENTS:
4 whole (to 5) Large Pears (Bosc Work Well)
⅔ cups Sugar
¼ teaspoons Salt
_____

Topping Ingredients
1-½ cup All-purpose Flour
⅓ cups Sugar
⅓ cups Firmly Packed Brown Sugar
½ teaspoons Cinnamon
½ cups Pecans, Very Finely Chopped
1 stick Butter, Melted

Preparation Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Peel, core, and dice pears. Place into a bowl and stir together with 2/3 cup sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Stir together. Drizzle melted butter gradually, stirring with a fork as you go until all combined.

Pour pears into a baking dish; top with crumb topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Place pan on top rack of oven for an additional 10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Caramel Apple Salad

This recipe is from our friends in Chicago, Kathy and Jerry. They took us to our first apple orchard, years ago in Michigan. Fresh picked apples are so yummy!

1- 20 oz. can crushed pineapple
4 c. miniature marshmallows
1/2 c. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1 egg, well beaten
1 1/2 tsp. white vinegar
1- 8oz. cool whip (room temp.)
2-3 apples, diced
1 c. salted peanuts

Drain pineapple, save juice. Mix pineapple and marshmallows. In medium saucepan combine:

cornstarch
sugar
egg
vinegar
pineapple juice

Cook until slightly thickened over medium heat; cool and combine with cool whip. FOLD in the marshmallows and pineapple mixture.

Add apples and peanuts. Refrigerate at least 8 hours.

Pineapple Upside-Down Biscuits

I found this Paula Deen recipe about a month ago and I have made it a few times now. And I really like it. I don't have any maraschino cherries so I haven't used them. Also one time I added a little cinnamon to the butter, sugar, and pineapple mix, I really liked it and will probably add cinnamon every time now. If you like pineapple upside-down cake you will probably like these too.

• 1 (10-ounce) can crushed pineapple
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
• 10 maraschino cherries
• 1 (12-ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count) or homemade biscuits

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease 10 cups of a muffin tin. Strain the can of crushed pineapple, save juice for later. Combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter, and mix well. Divide the pineapple mixture among the muffin cups. Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup, making sure cherry hits bottom of cup. Place 1 biscuit in each cup on top of sugar and pineapple mixture. Spoon 1 teaspoon reserved pineapple juice over each biscuit. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 2 minutes. Invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip

When Janey shared this post on Google Reader, I wanted to give this recipe a try. I've made it twice now and we've really enjoyed it.

Cream Cheese Fruit Dip
by Cooking a la Mode:

With a mixer, beat until fluffy:

1 8oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 cup Powdered Sugar

Add, the following, and blend until smooth:

1 small pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 cup milk

Gently fold in:

1 container cool whip

Serve with various fruits.

MMmmmm Jello Salad (Raspberries and Cream)

I did it! I'm officially a Mormon Wife! Heathy sent me this recipe from here and I couldn't help but try--anything with raspberries AND cream cheese has to be great. it has a slight taste of cheesecake, what could be a better side dish to our easter dinner? Here you go!


8 oz cream cheese (softened)

6 oz Sugar Free Raspberry Jello (the box says .6 oz, don't be fooled!)

10 oz frozen raspberries (defrost partially) (I took the remaining 2 oz from my bag and dumped them in with the cool whip so we'd have whole raspberries in there, too!)

3/4 C sugar

12 oz Cool Whip

2 tsp vanilla


Prepare Jello using only 2 1/2 C of water (1 1/4 hot, 1 1/4 cold). Add frozen raspberries, and let jello partially thicken in fridge. In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar. Add cream cheese mixture to partially thickened jello and whip together until well blended. Fold in Cool whip. Refrigerate 3 hours until well set. Mmmmmmm delicious!

Scandinavian Fruit Soup

I know the cousins have this recipe, but I wanted to share it for anyone else who might read this bloggie. This is a Nelson family favorite. It's a sunshine dish that we enjoy especially during the holidays. Though I've decided to make it a few times a year because I love it so much.

Scandinavian Fruit Soup (Shari Price)

1 cup water
1/4 cup sugar (optional: the fruit sweetens it)
3 Tbsp. minute tapioca
1 six ounce can frozen orange juice concentrate
2 1/2 cups water

Cook 1 cup water, sugar, tapioca until tapioca turns clear. Put into a large bowl. Add orange juice and 2 1/2 cups water. Chill. Will thicken slightly. Stir well with wire whip.

Add 1 pkg strawberries, raspberries, 2 oranges sectioned, 2 sliced bananas, 4 or 5 canned peach halves, cut up, or other fruits you like. chill thoroughly. I often double this recipe for a large group. It is also delicious served hot before dinner also. This they do in Europe.

What Heather likes: this time I used frozen raspberries, cutie clementines sliced, fresh frozen peaches (canned would have a better texture but the flavor was good on the ones i had frozen), bananas (will go bad after a day). If you don't like tapioca, you may not be in love with this as I am. :)

What else do you like in this dish?

Jell-O Pretzel Salad

This is the one from the family cookbook. Someone mentioned that it didn't set up fully so you may want to use half water/half pineapple juice. Amy might know. :)

Ann’s Jell-O Pretzel Salad (Amy DeMordaunt)

2 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pretzels
1 large package frozen strawberries or raspberries
1 1/2 cubes butter
3/4 large carton Cool Whip
12 ounces cream cheese
2 cups pineapple juice
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large package Jell-O

Beat cream cheese and sugar. Set aside. Mix pretzels and butter. Press into a 9x13 dish. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Spread cheese mix over pretzels. Spread cool whip over cheese. Chill. Dissolve Jell-O in hot pineapple juice. Add strawberries. Allow to set. Pour over top and refrigerate. Also excellent with graham cracker crust instead of pretzels. Much easier too!

Berry Pie

While I'm still gathering Thanksgiving recipies from friends here is another one that comes from Brenna Palkki. I usually just make the Marie Calendar Rassleberry pie, which is pretty good, but this is better.

filling :
6-8 cups berries (thawed)--we use a mix of blackberries and rasperries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/8 tsp salt

topping:
1/2 cup flour
2 Tbs butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
oats if desired--we use 1/2 a cup or so

1. Mix together sugar, flour, salt. Add berries.
2. Let mixture stand 1/2 hour. Stir again.
3. Pour into unbaked crust. Crumble topping mixture on top.
4. Cover edges of pie with foil. Bake 375degrees F for 20 min. Remove foil.
Bake 25-30 min more until golden. Cool on wire rack.

Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Mandarin Cookie Salad

For the first time ever I find myself faced with having to do Thanksgiving alone with my own little family. We have always gotten together with friends or family, but being in a new town we haven't established a group of friends. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, but I am trying to be positive. I have been gathering recipes that I want to make and remembered this yummy salad we have had the past two years on Thanksgiving. The recipe comes originally from Ashley Tanner. It is sooooo yummy. Believe me you will go back for seconds and thirds on this one.

2 cups buttermilk
1 pkg large vanilla instant pudding
1 container of cool whip (somewhere between sm & large, however much you want)
20 - 24 oz of drained mandarin oranges
1/2 a package of Sandies Pecan Cookies broken up
Mix the buttermilk & pudding
Fold in Cool Whip
Add Mandarin Oranges & Sandies Cookies
Stir

Frozen Peach Salad

Here's a recipe that I love to make during fresh peach season. It allows you to enjoy peaches in a slushy salad all year long.

1 scant cup sugar
1 ½ c orange juice (actual juice, not concentrate)
¾ c lemonade (actual juice, not concentrate)
1/3 of large can crushed pineapple
6 c diced peaches (approximately 13-14 medium peaches)

Mix together and immediately freeze in pint bags (I use 4 bags per batch). When ready to serve, partially unthaw (for approximately 20 minutes) and serve as slushy frozen fruit salad in bowls.

F.Y.I. To chop peaches I use a Pampered Chef chopper and only chop each peach half 6-7 times.

Blue and White Oatmeal Chippers

These are tasty cookies Heather led me to from http://pickypalate.com.

Blue and White Oatmeal Chippers

1 Cup softened unsalted butter
3/4 Cup brown sugar
3/4 Cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 Cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 Cup quick oats
1 1/2 Cups frozen blueberries (we bought some tiny ones in a tub that were great!)
1 Cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 bag white chocolate chips (12oz)

1. In a stand mixer, cream the butter, brown sugar and sugar until well combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Slowly add flour, baking soda, salt, quick oats, blueberries, coconut and chocolate chips until just combined.
2. Chill dough for a few hours until firm.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Drop or scoop dough by the Tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet and Bake for 9-11 minutes or until edges start to crisp. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.

Apple Dumplings

Pioneer Woman is nothing short of a culinary genius!!! I will forever be singing her praises after tasting these dumplings. I was treading very lightly going into this experience because the term 'dumpling' kind of freaked me out. It just never sounded appetizing before. Holy moly - my opinion has changed! You must try these. You must, must, must!

2 Granny Smith apples
2 cans crescent rolls
2 sticks butter (I KNOW - 2!!!)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
cinnamon
1 small can Mountain Dew (about 8 ounces)

Peel and core apples. Cut apples into 8 slices each. Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll. Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan. Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir. Add vanilla, stir, and pour over apples. Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Serve with ice cream (we did whipped cream), and spoon some of the sweet sauce from the pan over the top.

So ridiculously good. Read her post here.

Caramel Apple Dip

(you might say "what?" when you read that it has skor bits in it, but it really is so good!)

8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 t. vanilla
1/4 c. white sugar
1 c. skor bits

Beat together cream cheese with sugars. Add vanilla. Stir in skor bits. Serve with apples.

Raspberry Peach Cobbler

I found this recipe in the Famiy Fun magazine and we have really enjoyed it. Hope you like it too.












1/3 cup unsalted butter
3 cups sliced peaches (about 4 large)
1 cup raspberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped cream or ice cream, for topping

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Measure the butter into a 2 1/2 -quart casserole dish (ours measured 11 by 8 inches by 2 1/2 inches deep) or a cast-iron skillet (11 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep).

2. Place the pan in the oven to melt the butter. Combine the peaches and raspberries in a medium bowl and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the sugar over them. Gently stir the fruit, then set it aside.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the remaining sugar, the milk, and the vanilla extract and stir until the mixture is evenly blended.

4. When the butter has melted, pour it into the batter, stir quickly but gently to mix it in, then immediately pour the batter into the casserole or skillet. Add the fruit with its juices, distributing it evenly and lightly pressing it partway into the batter with a spatula.

5. Return the pan to the oven and bake the cobbler until the top is a rich golden brown, about 1 hour. Serve hot or warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Raspberry-Lemon Fruit Dip

1/2 cup raspberry reduced-fat cream cheese spread, from 8-ounce container, softened
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 container (6 ounces) Yoplait Original lemon burst yogurt

Assorted fresh fruit pieces or Berries

Mix cream cheese and marshmallow creme in medium bowl with wire whisk until smooth. Stir in yogurt. Serve dip with fruit.

Mini Fruit Pizzas

These were served at our wedding reception and are an easy, fancy-looking dessert.

First, make sugar cookie dough and bake large cookies (we used a full cookie scoop). Since we had the Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix from the S'mores recipe, we used that tonight, making the drop cookies and baking at 375 for 10 minutes.Cool.

Spread cream cheese stuff on cookies (beat this all together until fluffy):
8 oz. cream cheese (fat free didn't work--low fat is great)
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. lemon juice

Then put fresh fruit on top--placing any fruit that might brown in lemon juice or fruit fresh if you might not eat them all in the next few minutes :)

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Makes 2 dozen mini pizzas.

Wonderful Fresh Peach Pie

With peach season coming up, I thought you'd enjoy this recipe for fresh peach pie (I got it from a friend, Camille, who is a great cook). This recipe makes two 8-inch pies.

2 shortbread, graham cracker crusts, or regular pie crusts (see recipe for pie crust below)
1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar
6 ½ cups of sliced peaches, skinned (approx. 7-8 large peaches)
½ cup orange juice
3 Tbs. cornstarch
¼ cup lemon juice

Mix the cream cheese and ½ cup sugar until smooth, spoon half in one crust and half in the other. Spread around to cover the bottom of the crust. Be careful when using the shortbread because it is very fragile and will crack easily.

Blend (in a blender) together: 1 cup of peaches (approx 1-2 peaches), orange juice, ½ -3/4 cups sugar (depending on sweetness of peaches) and cornstarch until smooth.

Stir mixture over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens (about 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice. COOL for about 25 minutes! Stir occasionally.

Slice the peaches and neatly layer over the cream cheese mixture. When the glaze is cool, pour the glaze over the top of the peaches, make sure all peaches are covered equally. Cool for about 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Shortbread Pie Crust (makes 1 crust)

3 cups butter, softened
5/8 cup light brown sugar
5/8 cup confectioners' sugar
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

Using your hands, mix butter, brown sugar, white sugar and flour together in a large bowl. Squeeze and work dough until it holds together. Press into a 9 inch pie pan and chill for 2 hours. Bake for 15 minutes, or until lightly brown around the edges.

Grilled Pineapple

One great idea to use if you are already grilling is to cut big strips of fresh pineapple and roll them in brown sugar then grill till just warm. (We don't leave the skin on...)Yummy! It's a sweet addition to the steak or hamburgers or whatever. Personally I like a huge fresh fruit salad with watermelon and the works!