Patriotic Marshmallow Pops for the 4th of July!

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

I feel so thankful to have been born in the USA!

We will be celebrating the 4th with family, food, fireworks and a boatload of gratitude for all the blessings that God has poured out upon us.

I pray everyone has a safe and happy holiday as we celebrate our country's independence.

GOD BLESS AMERICA! 

 To make 10 pops I used:

Two bags Ghirardelli white melts

Twenty pieces red candy melts

Royal blue gel color

One bag marshmallows

Star sprinkles

Red lollipop sticks

Place two marshmallows on lollipop stick.

Melt one bag of white candy melts and add blue gel color. (I could not find blue candy melts anywhere so I just made my own.)

Dip marshmallow pop in melted candy.

Place pops on parchment paper, add star sprinkles and let set to harden.

Now we get to make the red and white stripes!

Place about twenty each of the red and white candy melts in a decorator bag and melt in microwave at 30 second intervals on 50% power stopping to knead the bags each time.

With scissors, snip off just the small tip of each bag and pipe alternating colors to form stripes.

Woohoo, it's beginning to look a lot like the 4th of July and I needed a little sparkle for my flags, so I sprinkled on just a tidge of white luster dust.

"Oh, say does that star spangled banner yet wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? 🎜🎝🎜🎝🎝

Now let's go celebrate BIG! 

That's all folks!

"til we sweet again, Karen💗

White Chocolate Covered Marshmallow Daisy Bouquet

One Daisy For You

One Daisy For Me

One Daisy For Mom

She's As Sweet As Can Be!

These Daisy Pops with their bright, sunshiny yellow color and sweet tiny bluebirds make my heart happy and my face smile! 

I hope they will for you too!

I'm sharing these with all the sweet Moms in my life.

They're so simple to make and the kids can really have some fun helping you with these! 

"Where Flowers Bloom, So Does Hope."

 For your daisy pops you will need:

Daisy icing decorations

White chocolate (or vanilla) candy melts

Marshmallows

Yellow food color

Green foodwriter pen

Lollipop sticks

Bluebird sprinkles (optional)

Melt candy melts at 50% power at 30 second intervals stirring each time until melted smooth.

Mix in a couple of drops of yellow food coloring stirring to combine well.

Pop two marshmallows onto each lollipop stick and dip in melted candy. Place daisy onto dipped marshmallow and place on parchment paper to completely harden. Draw stems onto set candy.

 I found these adorable tiny bluebird sprinkles and had to add them to my daisies!

Tweet! Tweet!

I would like to wish you all

a very Happy Mother's Day!

'til we sweet again, Karen💗

Caramel Corn

Y'all, I can't even tell you how many bags of quarantine popcorn I've eaten in this long, six week lockdown.

It's kind of a running joke now with my "hunkered down" hubby because my habit has been to pop a bag late in the evening right after he's brushed his teeth! Haha..oopsie!

So after I managed to finish off the first box, my sweet hubby brought home two more. Only he got the wrong kind. My favorite is, Orville Redenbacher's Naturals Simply Salted. Well, by the time he came home with the correct flavor, we had accumulated quite a lot of popcorn. If you could see my haul you might think we were- bum bum bum...hoarders!!

Now what can I do with all this extra popcorn? 

💡 Make Caramel Corn, that's what!!

I have made a few batches and given some away and this is my favorite recipe 

from ➤ Jenny Can Cook! 

The only thing I changed was to double the recipe and I used my microwave popcorn. I do love home popped corn as that is what I grew up with, but this is quicker and I simply needed to whittle down my stash. Plus, this is still really delicious!

Let's get poppin'!

For my own caramel corn, I have tried several different varieties including, butter, salted, and light. I say use your favorite!

These are the ingredients needed although not necessarily the correct measurements as I experimented with a few variations.

Microwave popcorn bags, peanuts, butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, salt, baking soda, and vanilla.

 Pop two bags (to equal 16 cups) of microwave popcorn. Remove unpopped kernels. Pour 1.5 cups of peanuts (or your fave nuts) over the top. Set aside while you make the caramel.

 To make the caramel coating, add butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt to a medium sized heavy bottomed saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. Set your timer and cook 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda to incorporate well. It's fun to see the chemical reaction with the baking soda. It will spit and sputter and change to a light and lovely caramel color.

Pour mixture over the popcorn and peanuts and gently fold to coat well.

 Mmmmmmm....

 Spoon mixture onto a parchment lined pan and bake in a 250 degree F. for one hour. Remove pan from oven at each 15 minute interval to stir.

Pour finished caramel corn onto clean parchment paper to cool completely.

 Caramel Corn Recipe

2 bags (to equal 16 cups) microwave popcorn

1 1/2 cups peanuts

10 tablespoons butter (I use salted in all my recipes)

1 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pop 2 bags of popcorn and remove unpopped kernels. Place popcorn in a large container and pour nuts over the top. Set aside.

In a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan, add butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil. 

Continue cooking without stirring for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla stirring well to incorporate. 

Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and fold in to coat well.

Place onto a parchment lined pan and bake in 250 degree F. oven to bake for one hour. Remove from oven at each 15 minute interval to stir.

Pour finished caramel corn onto clean parchment paper to cool completely.

This is good, y'all! Jenny knows her stuff!

If there's any left, you can store your caramel corn in an airtight container for several days! Lol!

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

'til we sweet again, Karen 💗

Marshmallow Bunnies

Happy Spring!

Easter Sunday is almost here. And although this one will look nothing like Easters past, we plan on celebrating big! We will dress up in our new holiday finery and worship our Risen Saviour as millions of others will. Online with our church!

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 

I am thankful for the Hope we have in our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ!😃

Other festivities such as our annual Easter family picnics and egg hunts will merely be postponed. And oh how joyous we will be when we are reunited with all our family and friends!

I pray everyone is staying safe and healthy amid this dreadful COVID-19 virus and that it will disappear as quickly as it came.

And while we're all hunkered down and sheltering in place, here are some sweet and fun marshmallow bunnies to make with your kiddos!

I used: regular size marshmallows, white candy melts, pink Sixlets, candy eyes, Shimmies sprinkles, and Wilton Easter bunny feet candies. I also used colored lollipop sticks.

To make the bunny ears, I cut the marshmallows on an angle..

 and then simply pressed the sticky cut side into the sprinkles. 

 They're already looking adorable! We've melted a few candy melts, attached two marshmallows on the stick and dotted some melted candy to place the eyes and nose.

Eeek! This sweet little bunny just needs a little help! 

Let us attach his feet and ears with more melted candy. And Boom! He is finished!

Well hi there little buddy!

 Wishing you all a very Happy Easter!

My heart truly goes out to you all and I will be praying for you and your families!

We will get through this!

'til we sweet again, Karen 💗

Almond Brittle

Happy Leap Year Day!!

2.29.2020

I don't know a single soul born on a leap day, but just in case some of you were,

Happy Birthday, Leaplings!

And hey, if you'd like to celebrate your very rare and special day with a sweet treat, how about trying some of my yummy Almond Brittle?!

It's crunchy, buttery, and just downright deee-licious!

When I saw Recipe Girl's Almond Brittle made with slivered almonds, I knew I had to make some!

Any time I have a chance to try some good old fashioned homemade candy...count me in!

I made good use my super yummy Peanut Brittle Recipe as the base and just switched out the peanuts for the almonds. Then I went a little nutso and added an extra cup of almonds to use a total of three! 😛

Y'all! This is addicting and I think you're going to like it!

My hunky hubby sure does!

 The ingredients I used: slivered almonds, butter, sugar, corn syrup, water, baking soda (make sure it's fresh), and vanilla.

You will also need a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Place pan in a 200 degree F oven to warm while making candy.

 Couldn't you just dive right into this bowl of crunchy almond heaven!?

To make this delicious brittle, in a heavy bottomed 4 quart pot, combine sugar, salt, corn syrup, and water. Set heat to medium and stir mixture constantly.

Attach candy thermometer and continue stirring until it reaches 250 degrees F. Add almonds and butter and continue cooking and stirring until candy reaches 305 degrees F. 

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and baking soda combining well. Watch out for some fun bubbling!

Pour mixture out onto heated baking sheet. Use a fork to spread candy being careful not to touch this really hot sugar!

Oh my brittle goodness!!

Let candy cool.

Can you stand it?!

I usually let my candy set just enough to harden before I break it up into pieces because nothing beats a still warm piece of sweet brittle!

  One more shot to make you want some! Ok! Now here is the recipe!

Slivered Almond Brittle Recipe

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt 

12 ounces (3 cups) slivered almonds

3 Tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (make sure it's fresh)

Place a parchment lined baking sheet into a 200 degree F oven to warm while preparing candy.

In a heavy bottomed 4 quart saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn syrup, and water. Attach candy thermometer and stir continuously until candy reaches 250 degrees F. Add almonds and butter continuing to stir until candy reaches 305 degrees F.

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla to incorporate well.

Pour candy out onto warmed parchment lined baking sheet. Use a fork (or two) to spread the brittle.

Now all you have to do is wait until candy sets so you can break it up into pieces.

I L💗VE it warm!!

Thanks for stopping by!

'til we sweet again, Karen 💗

Peach Cake

So I wanted to make a Peach Cake.

I based this recipe on my favorite Strawberry cake recipe and just switched out the fruit and jello flavors. I will post my Strawberry Cake soon!

This Peach Cake is really yummy and moist with nice chunks of peaches throughout. It is topped with a sweet, peach filled frosting. 

It does not have that super peachy flavor I was expecting but still good!

Hunky Hubby loves it!😋

 Oh yeah!

For the cake you will need:

White Cake Mix

Frozen Sliced Peaches

Peach Jello

Eggs

Oil

Water

Vanilla Extract

 Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Bake at 350 degrees in 13x9 (greased and floured) pan for 35 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center.

Place cake on rack to cool.

 For the frosting you will need:

Confectioner's Sugar

Sliced Frozen Peaches

Butter

Vanilla Extract

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix on medium speed until fluffy. (3-5 minutes) 

 Frost cooled cake.

Peach Cake Recipe

               1 box white cake mix

               4 large eggs

               1 box (3 ounces) peach jello

               1 cup sliced frozen peaches (thawed)

               3/4 cup oil

               3/4 cup water

               1 teaspoon vanilla extract

               Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

               Grease and flour 13x9 pan.

               In mixer, combine all ingredients and mix

               on medium speed for 2 minutes.

               Bake for 35 minutes or until cake springs 

               back when lightly touched in the center.

               Cool on baking rack.

      Peach Frosting Recipe

               1 stick butter (softened)

               4 cups confectioners sugar (more as

               needed)         

               1 cup sliced frozen peaches (thawed)

               1 teaspoon vanilla extract

               Combine all ingredients and mix on

               medium until fluffy. (3-5 minutes)

               Frost cooled cake.

Enjoy every bite!

Thanks for stopping by!

'til we sweet again, Karen 💗