Candy Corn Bark

Note: We love making this to send to teachers as a treat during the fall holidays. We usually tie a few pieces in a bag with fall ribbon and attach a note that says: "Not a trick, just a treat to tell we think you are really sweet!" This is a perfect happy not just for teachers, but for bus drivers, mail carriers and hair dressers!

Candy Corn Bark

Ingredients:

16 Halloween-colored chocolate sandwich cookies, chopped
1 1/2 cups broken small pretzels
1 1/2 pounds white chocolate, broken into squares
2 cups candy corn
orange and brown sprinkles

Directions:

Spread the cookies, pretzels and raisins evenly onto a lightly greased small baking sheet. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or in the microwave, stirring frequently until melted. Remove from the heat while there are still a few chunks, and stir until smooth. White chocolate burns easily. Drizzle chocolate with a spoon over the goodies in the pan, spreading the top flat to coat evenly. Top with candy corn and sprinkles. Let cool until firm. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.

Candy Corn Snack Mix

Note: We love snack mix. And we are really enjoying our fall snack mix using candy corn. The boys are particularly enjoying the caramel corn candy corn that we found.

Candy Corn Snack Mix

Ingredients:
1 cup candy corn
1 cup salted peanuts
1 cup M&M's
1 bag popped popcorn

Directions:
Mix together and store in an airtight container.

Spider Cupcakes

Note: Live, Love and Eat told me she was going to make this seriously cute scarecrow cake. I started looking around the website and saw this cute spider cupcakes and thought that they fit my spider theme really well. I'll be honest though. I don't think I am going to go to the trouble of making spiders out of gumdrops. I will probably just buy some of those spider rings and put those on top. The kids can wear those after eating the cupcakes!

Spider Cupcakes

Ingredients:
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® devil's food cake mix
Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
3 drops red food color
4 to 5 drops yellow food color
1 tube (0.68 ounce) Betty Crocker® black decorating gel
48 large black gumdrops

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Make and cool cupcakes as directed on box for 24 cupcakes. Tint frosting with red and yellow food colors to make orange frosting. Spread frosting over tops of cupcakes. Squeeze circles of decorating gel on each cupcake; pull knife through gel from center outward to make web. To make each spider, roll out 1 gumdrop and cut out 8 strips for legs; place another gumdrop on top. Place spider on cupcake. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Spider Pops

Note: I am the room mother for Little Guy's class. There isn't a class party for Halloween, but I will be sending a little "happy" for the kids to enjoy at snack time and to take home with them. I am basing my treats on spiders since that is what they are studying in school this week.

Here is their take home "happy":

Spider Pops

Ingredients:
Black pipe cleaners
Tootsie Roll pops
Googly eyes
Glue

Directions:
Hold all four pipe cleaners, center them at the base of the pop and wrap them around the stick once so there are four legs on each side. Bend the pipe cleaner ends to form eight feet. Glue on googly eyes.

New Recipe Blog

I found a new recipe blog. I haven't had a chance to really explore, but I LOVE the concept:

$5 Dinners

Cheese Straws

Note: I am fortunate to live in Mississippi. Home of the Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory. You will find cheese straws gracing the best of the best in weddings, bridal and baby showers, tailgating parties and just casual family nights. Flavors abound with traditional, lemon straws, mudpuppies, three cheese, key lime, pineapple coconut, asiago cheese.... ahhhhh! As their website says, the mouth has 10,000 taste buds. I hope that is enough.

Of course, if you are a Mississippi girl, you have a cheese straw recipe tucked away in your recipe box whether you use it or not.
 CHEESE STRAWS

Ingredients:
16 ounces of extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups corn oil margarine, softened
4 cups flour1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Beat the cheese and margarine in bowl of an electric mixer until blended. Sift the flour, sugar, cayenne, baking powder and salt together in a bowl. Add to margarine-cheese mixture and blend. Spoon into a cookie press. Pipe into straws onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 minutes or until light brown. Cool on pan for 5 minutes.

For more delicious recipes to fill your recipe box, visit Lisa at Tempt My Tummy Tuesday!

How to: Cook Rice In The Microwave

How to cook rice in the microwave:

Combine 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix well and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Microwave the rice on high for 5 to 10 minutes, until it starts to boil. Reduce the microwave heat to medium (50% power) and continue to cook according to the times in the chart. The rice will be just tender. Fluff the rice up with a fork, then cover with plastic wrap again, poke a couple of wholes in the plastic and let sit for about 5 minutes, until completely tender.

Type of Rice Cooking Time Required

Long grain white rice 10 - 15 minutes

Converted white rice 10 - 15 minutes

Short and medium grain brown rice 25 - 30 minutes

Long grain brown rice 25 - 30 minutes

Converted brown rice 10 - 15 minutes

Wild rice 35 - 40 minutes

Basmati rice 10 - 15 minutes

Jasmine rice 10 - 15 minutes