Mini Pretzel Snacks!

Great snacks for everyone.

Top these pretzels with anything you like.  I even added a few cashew halves to them.
4/27/17

Mini Rolo's, chopped pecans and snaps

Two of these were done with mini peanut butter pretzel sandwiches.  The third was done with a snap pretzel and a junior mint.  The mint one doesn't look too good but it tasted great!

Mini Hershey piece and mini peanut butter pretzel sandwich

Mini Rolo and mini peanut butter pretzel sandwich

After placing mini rolo on top of pretzel bake in 300 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top with whole pecan, chopped pecans or a whole cashew and gently push pecan/ cashew into the caramel. Cool completely before storing.

Happy Easy Baking from my kitchen to yours,

9/5/12
12/4/12
12/12/13
12/3/15
3/21/16

Quick and Easy hot appetizer! Lil Smokies with Sweet and Sour Sauce

Here's another of my recipes from 2012... Enjoy!

Repeat Performance!  😊


I've been trying to put together some easy appetizers to serve for the holiday or really anytime.  Having the ingredients to put something tasty and quick is always a challenge.. It is easy to buy some cheese and crackers but this suggestion is one that will definitely be well received and you can use your crockpot to cook them and keep them warm..I bought some Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies last week and figured they'd be nice to have around in a pinch, for a in the spare of the moment, entertaining treat...

I had a bottle of La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce in my pantry and thought I'd experiment by just adding the La Choy to the Smokies.  Delicious!!!! I added a bit of water and the Sweet and sour sauce and that was it!  It was a first time try so I cooked them on top of the stove without a cover..They thickened the longer they were simmering and were wonderful..Tangy but sweet..  My daughter stopped by and I had her try them..She loved them!(have some toothpicks on hand).  She couldn't believe how easy they were to make.

Simmer about 15 minutes or more..The sauce thickens the longer it cooks..

1 pkg.  Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies (petite hot dogs)
few tablespoons of water
1 bottle (10 oz.) La Choy Sweet and Sour Sauce
toothpicks

I was trying to do this quickly so all I did was put the smokies in a pot and added a few tablespoons of water and the whole bottle of Sweet and Sour...Simmered it for about 15 minutes..or just until it started to bubble and I was sure those lil guys were all heated up inside..(You can then place them in a crockpot to keep warm)

Note:  You could buy several packages and 2 bottles of Sweet and Sour Sauce and put them in a crockpot  on low for a nice warm appetizer...

From my kitchen to yours,

12/5/12

Pineapple Cream Cheese Dip

I know a lot of bloggers write huge posts telling tales of adventures and a lot of times I just want a recipe and scrolling down a post gets to be very tiresome so you will find that most of my blog posts are short and sweet...that's the way I believe my readers like them. To the point! immediately.  Enjoy!

I went to our garden lunch on Saturday and it was a pot luck picnic type luncheon.  I decided a quick dip would work fine for this.  I had been thinking of what I would bring to this and decided that I had basically everything to make the below recipe.  

Both hubby and I taste tested it with pretzel thins and vanilla wafers.  I loved the pretzel thins (a little salt to compliment the sweet in the dip. He thought vanilla wafers might be a good option. 

I decided to do half pretzel and half wafer.  

The results were the pretzel thins were the favorite.  

This is one the of tastiest and super easy appetizers for summer parties.

Pineapple cream cheese dip

1 -15 oz. can crushed pineapple drained 
1/2 cup sugar
1-8 oz softened cream cheese
1- 8 oz. tub Cool whip or 8 oz whipped heavy cream
Chopped pecans and or toasted coconut and maraschino cherries for garnish
Pretzel thins for serving

With an electric mixer beat softened cream cheese and sugar.
Fold in  crushed pineapple and cool whip or whipped heavy cream.

Place in a serving bowl , garnish with pecans or coconut

Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

Dinner with Maria/Nonna, Year 5, Part 2

Cavatappi with shrimp in a light white cream sauce 12/15/15

Continuing on our journey of food, fun and a great afternoon spent with friends.  Our yearly Tradition, part 2. Starting with our delicious appetizers.

Chatting with Maria <3

Goat cheese and spinach etc. quiche.  Excellant for a non goat cheese person.  Goat cheese is really good!

 Fried smelts with lemon, next Balsamic red peppers, parsley and cheese(can't remember the name). Next is Roasted Butternut Squash, seasoned with shallots etc.

 On to dinner!

Cavatappi with shrimp in a light cream sauce.

White Bean Pasta Fagiole

Mediterranean Salad 

 Veal Osso Bucco

Giambiotta (Seasonal vegetables)

Almond Torte

Our group

I hope this has been as enjoyable to you in this post and I hope some day you too can get together with friends for an afternoon or evening with friends.  You be happy you made some wonderful memories.


  Love and Peace.

Dinner with Maria/ Nonna, Year 5,Part 1

This post will be in two parts since it's quite long.  It's quite a nice read and I think enjoyable for those who like to read about friends and traditional events.

I'm hoping you look forward to hearing about our yearly tradition of going to Maria Mercante's lovely establishment where she has created the most homey Italian surroundings to make you feel like you are in Italy. She has an Italian store in Bloomfield, Pa

Which is Very close to the city of Pittsburgh.  The first floor is all beautiful Italian keepsakes as well as a section Maria and her friends and family bake.  Cookies, Biscotti of all different kinds and everything you could ever imagine an authentic Italian store would have in it.  Maria is a GEM.  I really don't know how she does it?  Her sidekick helping her continually is a spunky Italian young woman named Linda.  She is the sweetest and most hard working young lady I have ever met.  Just watching them together is a treat in itself.

We've known Maria who most call Nonna for over five years.  A lovely woman from Southern Italy that has been doing this lovely meal for us and well as others for years. Along with all she does she also manages to take about 8 to 10 people to Italy (different areas) and explore the culture of food, fun and family.  It's something we haven't done with her as of yet but intend on sooner than later.

This particular Sunday(we always have it on a Sunday around 1 p.m.) Maria managed to out do herself once again.  Of course Linda was there always one step ahead making the salad and setting up our appetizers and dishes as well as the clean up.  She is fast and efficient.  Praise to her!

We are a group of 4 couples who moved here from various areas and just clicked. Family loving, kind and fun people who people who enjoy socializing from time to time. We live in a quiet, beautiful, condo twenty miles north of the city of Pittsburgh.  We met two of the three couples when we moved here 8 1/2 years ago and have managed to keep in contact on a regular basis.  They have become cherished friends.

Now it's time to get on to the delicious dinner.  I don't remember the names of a lot of the appetizers but pretty much know the meal entrees and dessert.  Enjoy! 
12/15/15

To be Continued