Root Beer Cookies (Cinda)

3 cups rolled oats (Quaker preferred)                     

3 cups all-purpose flour                                

2 cups brown sugar                                                

1 TBS. baking soda                                        

1 tsp. salt

3 eggs

2 cubes margarine (1 cup)

1 TBS. root beer extract

1/2 cup apple juice or water

Mix all ingredients well in a 3-quart mixing bowl. Drop by teaspoons onto greased 14x16 inch cookie sheet.   Bake at 350° degrees 10 - 14 minutes. Allow cookies to cool.

Root Beer Cookie Frosting:

4 cups powdered sugar                                  

2 cubes margarine (1 cup)                                       

1 TBS. root beer extract

1/2 cup apple juice or water

Mix well.

Big Flat Suckers (Grandma Morgan)

4 cups sugar                                                          

1 cup Karo syrup

1 cup hot water

1 tsp. salt

¾ tsp. red food coloring

½ to ¾ tsp. cinnamon oil

Cook to 290° or hard crackle.  Add ¾ tsp. red food coloring or red cake coloring.  Then add liquid.  Add flavoring (Cinnamon oil ½ to ¾ tsp., root beer 1 tsp. extract.  Don’t need coloring.  Place popsicle sticks on greased marble slab.  Pour on end of sticks.  Move on marble slab as soon as possible to let air between slab and candy to finish hardening.

Mini Freezer Pies (Leisa)

1 Batch All butter Pastry Crust

Basic Pie Filling Recipe:

2 cup washed and sliced fruit (peaches, apples, cherries, etc.)

2 TBS. brown or white sugar (depending on your fruit. I use brown for my peach and apple pies)

2 TBS. flour (less for dry fruits, like apples)

1 TBS. butter cut into small squares (to be divided among the prepared pies)

1 TBS. seasoning of your choice:  Pumpkin Spice, Nutmeg, Cinnamon, etc.

Mix up a batch of  all-butter pastry crust.  Grab a tennis ball-sized chunk of crust and roll it out to create the tops. Then cut your pie tops using the lid from one of your jars. Easy as pie! Set these aside for later.

Next, press the extra crust into the pie jars. No need to grease jars. Line the jars with the crust by pressing down with your fingers or a spoon.  Try to get crust close to the tops of the jars.  Now fill your jars to the top with your fruit filling.  Put a little chunk of butter on top of each filled jar. It makes the pies extra yummy.

Create a vent in your pie toppers.  You can be creative and use shapes like circles or hearts! Place the tops on the pies and, using your finger, seal the tops to the crust on

the inside of the jar.  Screw the lids on and you're done! 

Baking Instructions:

Take your pies out of the freezer and remove the lids. Place the pies on a baking sheet and Bake at 375° for 50-60 minutes, until the insides are bubbly and the crust is golden brown.

Note: if baking fresh or thawed pies, bake for 45 minutes.

Carmel Popcorn (Melodie)

2/3 cup butter    

2 cups brown sugar    

1 cup corn syrup

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Unsalted popcorn

Bring butter, sugar, corn syrup and vanilla to a boil for about 3 - 4 minutes, stirring.  Remove from stove and add baking soda.  Stir and pour over popcorn.  Let cool.  Soft & chewy!

1 cup butter  

2 cups brown sugar  

1/2 cup corn syrup  

1 tsp. salt  

1 tsp. baking soda  

16 cups air popped popcorn

Preheat oven to 200°. Combine first 4 ingredients in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Stirring frequently, heat until mixture comes to a boil.  Continue to boil for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and add baking soda.  Pour carmel mixture slowly over popped corn and stir until evenly coated.  Spread Carmel corn onto baking sheet that is buttered or covered in parchment paper.  Bake for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Crisp Carmel Popcorn (Melodie)

1 cup brown sugar    

1/4 cup Karo Syrup    

1 cube butter or margarine

1/4 tsp. baking soda

2 quarts popped popcorn

Cook sugar, corn syrup and butter in microwave 4 minutes.  Stir several times.  Add baking soda and stir until thickens.  Mix with popcorn.  Put in paper sack.  Put in microwave.  Cook 1 1/2 minutes.  Shake.  Cook 1 1/2 minutes.  Shake.  Cook 30 seconds.  Shake.  Cook 30 seconds.  Shake.  Cool on a cookie sheet (spread out).  Will crisp up when cooled.

Mother Goose Pink Popcorn (Leon)

4-6 batches cooked popcorn (3/4 full large paper grocery sacks)

4 cups sugar

1 cup water

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

2 tsp. red food coloring

Boil sugar , water, and cream of tartar for 4 minutes.  Add red food coloring.  Let set for 2 minutes.  Pour over popcorn and stir.  Put on cookie sheet to cool.

Popcorn Snack (Melodie)

1 cube butter    

1/2 bag marshmallows   

3/4 cup brown sugar   

4 cups popped popcorn

3 cups Crispix cereal

1/4 cup slivered almonds

Melt butter and marshmallows together.  Add brown sugar.  Stir together.  Mix popcorn, Crispix and almonds.  Pour hot mixture over popcorn.  Stir and eat.

Puffed Rice Balls (Leon)

6 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/4 cups water

2 1/2 TBS. vinegar

1 3/4 cup + 1/8 cup more Karo syrup

2- 16 oz. bags of puffed rice

Cook sugar, water, vinegar, and corn syrup to a firm soft ball.   Put rice in a large bowl.  Mix syrup into puffed rice and shape quickly into balls.  Wet or butter hands so they don’t stick.

Popsicles (Melodie)

1 small pkg. jello

1 pkg. unsweetened Kool-aid

2/3 - ¾ cup sugar

2 cups hot water

2 cups cold water

Dissolve everything in hot water.  Add cold water.  Pour in molds. Freeze.

Fudgesicles (Melodie)

1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix

2 ½ cups milk

¼ cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend well.  Pour into containers and freeze.

Orange Juice Popsicles (Melodie)

(Add no sugar)

1 small pkg. orange flavored gelatin

2 cups boiling water

2 cups orange juice

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water.  Stir in orange juice.  Pour into containers and freeze.

Snowman Play-Dough (Leisa)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup salt

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 cup water

1 tsp vegetable oil

glitter (opt.)

Mix the dry ingredients.  Mix water and oil together in separate bowl

and then add them to the dry ingredients.  In a pot, cook the mixture

for 3-5 minutes on medium heat stirring constantly.  The dough will

start to pull away from the sides of the pot and stick together in a large

ball.  Take the dough out and add glitter if desired.  Knead it until it

becomes soft and smooth.  Allow the dough to cool and store in an

airtight container.

Variations:

Candy Cane Play Dough

Add red food coloring and a few drops of peppermint oil.

Gingerbread Play Dough

Add 1 TBS. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp. cloves to dry ingredients before cooking.  Careful...it smells yummy, but doesn't taste very good!

Chicken Nuggets (Stefanie)

Boneless Skinless Chicken                                                

1 cube butter                                                                   

1 pkg. Ritz crackers crushed                                             

2-3 drops of Worcestershire sauce

Garlic salt

Melt butter and add a 2-3 drops of Worcestershire sauce and garlic salt.  Cut chicken into nugget size and dip into butter mixture and then crushed crackers.  Place on foil lined and greased baking sheet.  Cook 350° for 15-20 minutes or until chicken is done!  Enjoy!

Playdough (Melodie and Leisa)

2 ½ cups flour

½ cup salt

3 TBS. alum powder

2 cups boiling water

Food coloring

Glitter (optional)

Bring water to boil.  Add ingredients, stir and knead.  Will keep a long time if it doesn’t dry out.