Its that time of year again!

CANDY CANE BARK AND ALMOND BARK TIME!!! My mom and i have made almond bark for years but last year i wanted to change it up a bit.. so i came up with candy cane bark and it was such a hit! everyone loved it!

candy cane bark is at the end..

almond bark

350f

Place unsalted soda crakers on a GREASED cookie sheet.

Boil for 5 min: 1 cup brown sugar, and 1 cup butter or margarine

Pour over crackers and bake 7 minutes until bubbly.
Remove from oven and while hot, sprinkle at least 6oz of chocolate chips on top. Spread evenly as it melts. Sprinkle with slivered almonds(the really thin ones) . Press down. Put into freezer to cool. Break into peices after cooled and store in sealed container. It is best if kept in the freezer until serving.

For the candy cane bark i added a bit of peppermint extract to the butter and sugar mixture, and then once out of oven put white chocolate chips on and crushed candy canes.. The white chocolate chips didnt melt very well that way so next time im going to melt them in microwave first and then spread on that way after the pan is out of oven.

Ranch chicken

Creamy Ranch Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed (i usually use 4 chicken breasts)
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups milk
1-2 tsp dry ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup Hormel real bacon pieces
1 Tbsp fresh parmesan cheese
Hot pasta noodles(i usually use egg noodles..mmm)
Cook chicken in a small amount of oil; set aside. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then slowly whisk in milk. Stir in ranch dressing mix. Cook and stir till thickened. Add chicken and bacon to the sauce. Serve over hot pasta and top with parmesan cheese if desired.

peppered meatballs with dill sauce

I found this on a blog..its yummy


Peppered Meatballs with Dill Sauce

1 1/2# lean hamburger
3/4 cup quick oats
1 egg
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp dry parsley
Mix all ingredients. Form in balls and place on a greased cookie sheet. Line with foil for easier clean up. Bake at 400 for about 18 minutes, shaking occasionally.
Sauce:
1/4 cup butter
7 Tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
2 tsp dry dill
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
Melt butter in a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then broth and milk. Whisk and cook till bubbly. Boil for at least 1 minute, stirring constantly. (Don’t skip this step or your sauce will have a floury taste. Not good.) Stir in seasonings, then hot meatballs. Serve over hot pasta.

spinach dip

spinach dip

300 g frozen spinach(drain well) then chop
1 can water chesnuts(sometimes i put this in..sometimes i dont)
250ml miracle whip
500 ml sour cream
1 pkg knorr vegetable soup mix
3 green onions chopped

Mix all together and let chill in fridge for a few hours at least so flavors go all together!!
Serve with sourdough bread!

Roasted Ranch Potatos

I got this recipe from another blog and this is how i did it

Roasted Ranch Potatos
6 large potatos
olive oil
salt
package of ranch dip mix( i used hidden valley)

Peel and cut potatos into bite sized peices. Mix in bowl with olive oil to coat.. Mix in salt and ranch dip mix. Spread on baking pan.. Bake at 375 f for 35-40 min or until tender and cooked to your liking.. So yummy

Sweet and Sour sauce

Ingredients:

* 1/3 cup white or rice vinegar (Note: rice vinegar gives better results)
* 4 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 tablespoon ketchup
* 1 teaspoon soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Preparation:
Mix the vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce together and bring to a boil in a small pot. Mix together the cornstarch and water, add to the other ingredients and stir to thicken.

(If desired, you can add 1 green pepper, cut into chunks, and pineapple chunks as desired after adding the cornstarch. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 4 teaspoons while keeping the water constant.)

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AT

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