Magic Wands

Ingredients


• 1 (15 ounce) package pretzel rods
• 1 (16 ounce) container prepared vanilla frosting (or melted white chocolate)
• 1/2 cup sprinkles or colored sugar for decoration

**Dip each pretzel rod into frosting, not quite half way. Roll in sprinkles to coat the frosting. Abracadabra, you have a magic wand!

For Halloween....make ghosts

Individual Baked Eggs

Ingredients

• 1 slice bacon
• 1 teaspoon melted butter
• 1 egg
• 1/4 slice Cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown, but still flexible. Wrap bacon slice around the inside of a muffin cup. Place a teaspoon of butter (or bacon grease) in the bottom of muffin cup. Drop in egg.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Place 1/4 slice of cheese over egg, and continue cooking until cheese is melted and egg is cooked.

**This recipe is for 1 serving. Scale it to the number of eggs you would like to bake.

You can cook 12 eggs in a muffin pan. If you are doing less, try to space them out in the pan for more even cooking.

Cooking times vary in different ovens and at different altitudes; adjust accordingly.

Chili Seasoning Mix

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried minced onion
• 1 tablespoon dried, minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons white sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a bowl, stir together flour, chili powder, red pepper, onion, garlic, sugar, cumin, parsley, salt, basil and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

**This is better than pre-packaged mixes. Omit the flour in the mix. If you'd like to thicken your chili, use refried beans instead--no one will notice-I promise! Use 1/4 cup at a time until it's as thick as you'd like it. Use the seasoning mix as follows: for a small batch of chili use 2T of mix with 1 lb meat of choice, any other veg additions and 1 can of drained/rinsed beans (or about 6-8 oz dry beans, cooked), 1 can diced tomatoes and 1 can reg sized can tomato sauce. For a bigger batch use about 4T of mix with 2 lbs meat, 1 pound of dry beans (cooked) or about 3 cans rinsed/drained beans, 2 cans reg sized tomato sauce, 1 (or 2) cans diced tomatoes, and some water if you'd like to thin it. This is only to give others an idea of how much mix for the beans/meat/tomato ratio. It's very forgiving. This makes a very very good plain ole fashioned no frills chili. Also, if you want this just warm...decrease pepper flakes to 1 tsp--it's still plenty warm for those who don't like it hot (like me!). I did jump up the chili powder amount to 2 level TB instead of 4 tsp.

Popcorn Balls

• 3/4 cup light corn syrup

• 1/4 cup margarine
• 2 teaspoons cold water
• 2 5/8 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup marshmallows
• 5 quarts plain popped popcorn

Directions

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, margarine, cold water, confectioners' sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Carefully combine the hot mixture with the popcorn, coating each kernel.

2. Grease hands with vegetable shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature

Spicy Refrigerator Dill Pickles

 Ingredients

• 12 3 to 4 inch long pickling cucumbers
• 2 cups water
• 1 3/4 cups white vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chopped fresh dill weed
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
• 1 tablespoon pickling spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dill seed
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 4 sprigs fresh dill weed

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers, water, vinegar, chopped dill, sugar, garlic, salt, pickling spice, dill seed, and red pepper flakes. Stir, and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, until the sugar and salt dissolve.

2. Remove the cucumbers to three 1 1/2 pint wide mouth jars, placing 4 cucumbers into each jar. Ladle in the liquid from the bowl to cover. Place a sprig of fresh dill into each jar, and seal with lids. Refrigerate for 10 days before eating. Use within 1 month.

I halved the sugar because I like more of a tart and garlicky pickle--wonderful!

I made a batch of these pickles and everyone I gave then to really like the pickles. But you need to cut back on the sugar. I made a double batch of brine and I only used 2 Tbs of sugar and I also used jarred jalapeno pepper in place of red pepper flakes. I used about 7 or 8 jalapeno slices per jar, You can do anything you want for the heat.

To sum it all up, we have eaten two jars of these pickles in only six days!! Yum! I added sliced onions, extra red pepper, used more vinegar than the recipe callled for and used pickling salt instead of regular coarse salt. I also sliced the cucumbers instead of pickling them whole so we could use them on sandwiches too. They stayed SO crispy!!

Witch’s Brew

4 cups apple cider
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons
1 block of dry ice
1 large cast iron dutch oven
1 large metal bowl (which can easily fit inside the dutch oven)
Chilled glass mugs

Directions
Add the apple cider, pomegranate juice, grated ginger, and lemon juice together in a pitcher.

Wearing gloves and using a hammer, smash the dry ice into large chunks. Place a few in the bottom of the dutch oven and add water to cover. Place the metal bowl inside the dutch oven and pour in the brew. Use a ladle to fill the mugs for your guests.

COOKS NOTES & SAFETY TIPS: Use a metal bowl to fit inside the dutch oven because glass can shatter from the extreme low temperature of the dry ice. It is also advisable to wear gloves to protect your hands when using dry ice.

Cheese Garlic Biscuits

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

•
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Add the milk and cheddar cheese; stir to combine. Drop batter by spoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.

3. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. While biscuits are baking mix melted butter and minced garlic. Brush garlic butter over hot baked biscuits.