Mommy Octopus

Ready to make some snowy chocolate pinecones?  It’s easier than you think!  These make the perfect edible decoration for holiday parties or even a fun snack for the kids.  So cute and fun!

SNOWY CHOCOLATE PINE CONES

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Chocolate Fiber One Cereal (can also use Chex Chocolate Cereal)
• 6 pretzel rods
• ½ cup peanut butter
• ¼ cup Nutella chocolate hazelnut spread
• 3 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar (+ ¼ cup for dusting on top)

Directions:

Note – click on the pictures to view them in a larger size.

Mix the peanut butter, Nutella, butter and powdered sugar in a bowl.

Take a pretzel rod and mold some of the mixture around it, forming a slight cone shape.

Hold it steady by using the tip of the pretzel as a handle, and start inserting pieces of cereal into the mixture in a symmetrical pattern around the stick. Add more cereal pieces, staggering them as you move upward until you get near the top.

If the pine cone is getting too tall, cut off the top of the pretzel and add more of the mixture to mold over the top so none of the broken pretzel is showing.

Break apart cereal pieces to create smaller scales near the top.

For a “snowy” effect, dust each pine cone with powdered sugar.  Enjoy!

In our Bountiful Basket this week, we received a couple bunches of radishes.  My kids were super excited because they knew that I was going to make radish dip!  Before you start thinking it’s gross, give it a whirl!  You’ll be pleasantly surprised with how simple this recipe is and how great it tastes!  The beautiful color is perfect to add to your holiday parties.  Surprisingly, you only need 4 ingredients!

Ingredients:

• 1 block of cream cheese, room temperature
• 2-3 bunches of radishes, depending on size and what you have on hand.  You can do less if desired as well.
• 1/2 red onion
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions:

Wash and prepare your radishes by cutting off the stem and “tail”.  Put the radishes and 1/2 red onion in your food processor and pulse a couple times until chopped well.  Don’t do this too much or you will have puree!

Fold together the onion/radish bits and the lemon juice and cream cheese until well combined.  Place in fridge until ready to use.  Serve with chips, veggies, crackers, pretzels, or whatever snack you like!  Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is a great time to show your appreciation to your family, God, and your many blessings.  One way I like to show my gratitude for those around me is to make fun food!  If you need a fun snack for the kids or something to bring to a fall party, check out how simple it is to make these adorable Thanksgiving Pretzel Turkeys!

Ingredients

• Pretzels
• Candy Corn
• Rolos
• Reese’s Pieces
• Sugar Pearls

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300.

On a sheet tray lined with parchment paper lay your pretzels with the salted side down with the double rounded end pointed toward you.

Place three candy corns on the single round end.  It’s easiest to start with the middle one and just place the tip under the middle of pretzel and the top part resting on the top of the pretzel.  Place the other two candy corns along the angled part of the pretzel so that they are touching the first candy corn.

Gently lay an unwrapped Rolo on top of the candy corns.

Place the tray in the oven until the Rolos are soft, 2 minutes.

You can push the Rolos down one of two ways.  You can use the back of a spoon to press them gently down to make sure they contact the pretzels and the candy corns.  The spoon is more direct and you are sure the Rolo is set.  But it tends to deform the Rolo more.

You can also do it while you apply the eyes and beaks. This way leaves the Rolo shape a little more but if you aren’t careful you get chocolate on your fingers that gets on the eyes and beaks.

Apply 2 pearls for the eyes and half of a Reese’s pieces for the beak.  Take a toothpick and dab it in the melted chocolate at the edge of the Rolo and dab it in the center of the pearl to finish the eye.

Let cool at least 30 minutes before moving to a serving tray or airtight container.  Enjoy!

My mom recently came back from New York and with her she brought nearly a bushel of apples!  My kids have been gobbling them up like crazy, but I figured we needed something fun to do with them besides just eating them.  We decided to make Simple Oven Dried Apple Rings.

What’s nice about them is that they can be done right in your oven and it’s almost a “fix it and forget it” type of dish that doesn’t take too much effort.

First step, wash your apples well and core them.  Slice into 1/4 inch rings using a mandolin.

As you slice the apples, discard the tops and bottom rings and drop the remaining apples into a bowl with 2 tbsp lemon juice and 2 cups of water to prevent browning.

Dry the apples on a clean kitchen towel and then lay the slices on wire racks over baking sheets.  Place in the oven on low heat (140 degrees F) for 2-10 hours depending on your preference, turning occasionally.  Longer for crisp slices and less for soft slices.

Then enjoy!  Store extra in an airtight jar or container in a dark, cool place.