Homemade Caramels

1 cup butter
dash salt
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup


Melt butter in pan. Add brown sugar and salt; stir until thoroughly combine. Stir in corn syrup and mix well. Gradually add milk stirring constantly. Cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 245 degrees, about 12-15 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into 4 ice cube trays, cool and cut into squares. Wrap individually in plastic wrap.

Honey Roasted Cashews

           1 pound cashews
           1/4 cup honey
           1 tablespoon maple syrup
           1 1/2 tablespoon butter
           1 teaspoon vanilla
           1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
           2 teaspoon kosher salt
           2 tablespoon sugar

           Preheat oven to 350°. Line a pan with foil.
           In a small bowl combine honey, syrup and
           butter. Microwave until butter is melted. Add
           vanilla and cinnamon; mix well. In a large
           bowl combine cashews and coating mixture.
           Evenly spread cashews on prepared pan. 
           Sprinkle half of the salt on cashews; bake for
           6 minutes. Remove from oven, flip over cashews,
           sprinkle on the rest of the salt, bake for 6 more
           minutes. Put the cashews back in the mixing bowl,
           add half of the sugar, toss, add the rest of the sugar
           toss again. Cool completely in a single layer.
           Store in a covered bowl.

Hot Cocoa Dip

           7 1/2 ounce Marshmallow Fluff
           8 ounce Cool Whip, thawed
           1/3 cup hot cocoa mix (2 envelopes)
           Mini chocolate chips
           Mini marshmallows

           In a bowl mix together Fluff, Cool Whip
           and cocoa powder until well combined.

          Refrigerate at least 1 hour. When ready to
          serve garnish with chocolate chips and 
          mini marshmallows. Serve with cookies,
          crackers and fresh fruit.

Pizza Roll-Ups

1/2 pound ground beef
8 ounces tomato sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tubes refrigerated crescent rolls


Brown meat and drain. Remove from heat and mix in tomato sauce, cheese and oregano, mix well. Separate dough into 8 rectangles, pinching together seams. Place about 3 tablespoons of mixture along one long side of the dough. Roll up dough like a jelly roll and cut into 3 pieces. Place seam side down 2 inches apart on a greased sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or golden brown.

Puppy Chow (for kids)

12 ounces Crispex cereal
5/8 cup peanut butter
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup butter
7 1/4 ounces chocolate chips


In large sauce pans or dutch oven; melt together the chocolate chips, butter and peanut butter. Stir in cereal; shake in a bag with powdered sugar to coat. 

Rueben Dip

14 ounces sauerkraut, drained
4 ounces cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 ounces corned beef brisket, cut up
2 cups Swiss cheese, shredded


Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low until heated thoroughly. Serve with crispy toast or crackers.

Tuna Puff

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs


Combine water and butter in a medium saucepan and heat to boiling. Stir in flour and salt all at once. Stir mixture vigorously over low heat until mixture leaves the sides and forms a ball. Remove from heat. Beat in 1 egg at a time. Beat mixture until smooth. Drop by spoonful's on baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes then at 325 degrees for 20 minutes; cut a small slit in puff and return to oven, turn oven off and leave door open for 20 minutes. Cool and fill with favorite stuffing, tuna is good.