Tempting Tuesdays ~ Green Slimed Popcorn

To wrap up our October recipes, I wanted to do something different yet simple. I love popcorn balls, but they always seem to dry out before the family has eaten them all. I found this recipe on Babble and thought maybe it would solve my problem. It sure did. As long as you keep the final product in an airtight container, it should last, but it's soooooo good, I don't think it will be something you'll have to worry about.

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
2 heaping cups mini marshmallows or 12 large
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 drops yellow food coloring
12 drops green food coloring
8 cups popped popcorn

Place butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup in a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.

Remove from heat and add marshmallows and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Add green and yellow food coloring and stir until desired color is obtained.

Place popcorn in large bowl and pour green slime over the popcorn. Stir until popcorn is completely coated.

*Store in an airtight container for the mixture to retain it's gooeyness. Will be extremely sticky. Have wet wipes on hand for the kids.

ENJOY the SLIME!

Saturday Snapshots: 10-25-14

Saturday Snapshots is a picture prompt brought to you by Author to Author, meant to inspire the creative genius within you.

Maybe you'll be moved to write flash fiction for it, perhaps it will kick start an old idea for a novel, or it may inspire a new short story. Whatever it does, we hope you'll enjoy these images around the web.

If inspiration does hit, we hope you'll post a snippet in the comments.

Today's image: Girl Walking Train Tracks

Photo credit: 

http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/8f/f8/e1/8ff8e12a95065145fcbd75641686ae8b.jpg

Tempting Tuesdays ~ Bloomin' Baked Apples

So... sometimes you want some apple pie without all the hassle of making the crust. Well, I know I do! That is why this recipe from The Gunny Sack is so perfect. You get all the taste and none of the fuss. Plus, this recipe is just two servings. Perfect for a late night dessert with your honey.

Ingredients

2 crisp apples
2 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 caramels
*Optional: Vanilla ice cream, caramel topping, cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

To get the Blooming Apple look, cut the top 1/4 or 1/3 of the apple off. Core out the apple. I just used a rounded teaspoon, but you can use an apple corer if you'd like. Use a thin knife to make two deep circular cuts on each apple. Then, turn the apples over and make narrow cuts all around the apple to make your bloom.

Place apples in baking dish and put 2 caramels in the hollowed out part of the apples. Place brown sugar and butter in a separate microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds. Stir and heat for an additional 30 seconds. Mix in flour and cinnamon. Spoon mixture over each apple. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

If you are like me and didn't make your cuts long or deep enough, you might not get much of a bloom. I went back in with my knife to make some additional cuts before adding my ice cream and a dash of cinnamon. The perfect dessert for a cool fall night!

Tempting Tuesdays ~ Candy Corn Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake

Fall has landed and with it come some delicious recipes that have certain elements that can only be found this time of year. One of my favorite candies browning up was candy corn. Almost pure sugar, those little nuggets were gold. When I stumbled over this recipe on Life, Love, & Sugar, I knew it would be perfect to share with all of you.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cookie Cake

3/4 cup salted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 - 3/4 cup chocolate chunks or chips
1/2 - 3/4 cup candy corn

Chocolate Icing

1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup cocoa
2 Tablespoons water or milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper. Spray the sides of the pan with non-stick cooking spray.

 Cream butter and sugars together until fluffy.

Mix in egg and vanilla.

Mix in flour, cocoa, and baking soda. Add chocolate chunks or chips and candy corn and mix well.

Spread into pan evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The center may still be a little undercooked, but it will continue to cook while cooling. Cool completely in pan before removing.

For chocolate icing, beat butter until smooth. Add cocoa, vanilla, and 1 cup powdered sugar. Mix until smooth then add 1-2 Tablespoons of water and the other cup of powdered sugar. Mix until desired consistency is achieved.

Once cookie is completely cooled, remove from pan and ice as you like. Cut into slices and enjoy!

Sneak Peek Sunday - Sydney Logan

On October 17, Amazon best selling author Sydney Logan is relaunching her debut novel with a brand new cover! She's celebrating by offering a giveaway filled with signed paperbacks and Lessons Learned swag!

English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past. 

She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance. 

Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Amazon best selling author Sydney Logan holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education. She is the author of three novels - Lessons Learned, Mountain Charm, and Soldier On. Sydney has also penned four short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul. 

A native of East Tennessee, Sydney enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. Visit her website at www.sydneylogan.com.

Website - Facebook - Twitter - Amazon

Saturday Snapshots: 10-11-14

Saturday Snapshots is a picture prompt brought to you by Author to Author, meant to inspire the creative genius within you.

Maybe you'll be moved to write flash fiction for it, perhaps it will kick start an old idea for a novel, or it may inspire a new short story. Whatever it does, we hope you'll enjoy these images around the web.

If inspiration does hit, we hope you'll post a snippet in the comments.

Today's image: Goth Bride

 

Photo Credit:

http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2013/004/d/6/a_gothic_dream_by_danieopheliac-d5qfb7t.jpg

Tempting Tuesdays ~ Kitchen Sink Baked Chicken

I know you are probably wondering what the heck a kitchen sink has to do with making chicken. Well . . . let me explain.

My family are avid YouTube watchers. There are several cooking and baking series that are posted that my daughter and I love. Low and behold, one day my husband calls me over to his computer to look at Auntie Fee's Baked Chicken video. I watched it. Auntie Fee's very colorful language and all. The thing is, it is a really good idea. You cook the chicken while it is still frozen to keep in all the moisture. The idea of mixing it all in the kitchen sink put me off at first, but we cleaned our sink throughly and decided to give it a go. After the first time, we decided when we make baked chicken, this is how we will do it. So, go clean your kitchen sink and let's get to it.

Ingredients for recipe as shown

2.5 pounds frozen bone in chicken

Liberal amounts of the following:

Season Salt
Black Pepper
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Dried Parsley
Dried Mustard
Thyme
Cumin
Flour

1 Diced Green, Red, or Yellow Pepper
1 Medium Sized Onion

4 Tablespoons Butter

Chop up your peppers and cut your onion in fourths.

Line up all your seasonings next to your sink so you can reach them when needed.

Place chicken in clean sink and rinse.

Liberally dash on all your seasonings.

Get your hands in there and mix it all up until each piece is throughly coated.

Place chicken in 9x13 pan with onions and peppers. Cook at 350 degrees uncovered for and hour, then check every 30 minutes until cooked through. This recipe took 2 hours. Enjoy!