Carmel Corn and Halloween Crafts

I absolutely love this time of year - the colors, the foods, and the fall decorations!  Everyone loves carmel corn, too,  and the recipe below is the easiest one I've ever made - and one of the most delicious.   This bowl is set out to welcome my parents as they arrive from Tennessee tonight- I've added some carmel corn and peanuts for the perfect snack!  The jar lights are an inexpensive way  to add some halloween decorations and a fun craft to make.

For the pumpkin jars, simply cut strips of tissue paper and adhere to the jars using modge podge.  Let dry and then repeat with a second layer of tissue strips.  Next cut some jack-o-lantern faces out of black construction paper and adhere to the jar with the modge podge.  Finally cover the entire jar with a final coat of modge podge.  I'm using the batter operated tea lights in mine, but if you make a grouping of them, you could use a strand of Christmas lights to light up the inside of the jars.

Carmel Corn Recipe:
1/2 Cup butter (softened)
1/2 Cup brown sugar, firmly packed
12 cups popped popcorn

Cream butter and brown sugar and whip until fluffy.  In a large baking pan, combine popcorn.  Mix in creamed mixture.  Bake in 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes or until crisp.  Serve warm if desired.
(1 cup serving = 141 calories)

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Yummy Cakeballs!!!

Recently, I made desserts for a dear friend's baby shower.  The Mommy-to-be liked red velvet cake and cheesecake and since she's expecting a little girl, I had to do something pink, so I went with strawberry cake.  The recipe is easy and you can change it up to fit your tastes - you just have to choose a boxed cake mix and a tub of icing!  I mixed my red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and my strawberry cake with strawberry frosting.   Here are the step by step instructions for these fabulous little bites!
Items you will need:
Cake Mix     Store Bought Icing     Cookie Scoop      Wax Paper          
Almond Bark (Chocolate or White Chocolate)


1 - Prepare your cake mix as directed on the box in a 9x13 pan.

2.  After your cake has cooled, run a fork through it to turn your baked cake into crumbs.  Dump your crumbs in a large mixing bowl and add your tub of store bought icing.

3.  Mix  the icing and the crumbs and use a cookie scoop (I use a Tablespoon size cookie scoop) to scoop out the balls of cake/icing.  Place the balls on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for 30 - 45 minutes.

4.  Melt your Almond Bark according to the package directions.  (My favorite kind comes from Walmart in the baking aisle - I prefer the consistency of it, but you can get it anywhere).

5.  Remove your cake balls from the fridge and gently roll them in your hands to smooth them out.  Drop them into the melted almond bark and scoop out with a spoon, placing them onto wax paper to dry.

6.  Let the cake balls harden, then decorate by drizzling colored almond bark over the top of the hardened almond bark.  (Drizzle white chocolate onto brown chocolate or vice-versa, or you can add food coloring to the white to create your favorite color).  These do not have to be stored in the refrigerator.

7.  For Cheesecake Balls, I used a Sara Lee Frozen Cheesecake (you can also use the tub of cheesecake filling found in the grocery refrigerated section) .  Scoop out the balls of frozen cheesecake filling, being careful to not include the graham cracker crust in your scoop.  Dip the balls in a bowl of graham cracker crumbs to coat evenly.  Place the balls on your cookie sheet and refreeze for 20 minutes.  Roll the balls out in your hand to smooth them.  Dip them in the almond bark and finish them like you would the cake balls.  These must be stored in the refrigerator.

(The white balls with pink icing are the strawberry cake balls.  The chocolate balls with pink icing are the cheesecake balls.  The chocolate balls with white icing are the red velvet cake balls).