Crockpot Slower Cooker Peanut Clusters Recipe

Well I finally decided to be Very daring and take my boys to the grocery store this past weekend - one crutch - bum knee and all.  It was crazy but the boys were a huge help.  I needed to re-stock so I could continue my Christmas baking.

I remember as a child my mom always making peanut clusters with the help of a crock pot.  She would put them all away and bring them out on Christmas morning for everyone to enjoy.  It was funny because we never could figure out for years where she stored them (not that we were looking and would have eaten them if we found them :).  Our house was very small and as a child we thought we knew every corner and hiding spot.  Come to find out - she kept the treasured peanut clusters in tins, under my dad's side of the bed.

Okay - now on to the recipe.....

But go figure after, I get home and plan on making one of our family holiday favorites - Peanut Clusters....I didn't pick up all the ingredients that I have always used.  My heart was so set on making them - so I decided to see what I did have on hand and make something work. 

Well making something work - now has changed my Crockpot Peanut Cluster Recipe forever.  My new creation tastes Wonderful!

Ingredients:

2 - 20oz packages of Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark

8oz of Baker's German Chocolate

1 - 11.5oz bag of Semi-Sweet Nestle Toll House Morsels

1 - 11.5oz bag of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Chips (Dark Chocolate)

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla (I love La Vencedora Mexican Vanilla)

44 oz. of Dry Roasted Salted Peanuts

Preparation:

Place the Almond Bark and the German Chocolate in the bottom of the crock pot.

Place all the peanuts on top of the Almond Bark and German Chocolate.

Place the Semi-Sweet and 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate chips on top of it all.

Add the vanilla and place the lid on top of the crockpot.  Turn it on low and leave it for 3 hours.

Don't be tempted to stir it before the three hours are up.  After the crockpot has been on for the 3 hours - turn it off for 20 minutes before taking the cover off of the crock pot.




Here is what you should see when you uncover the crock pot when it's time.

Stir the mixture up completely.


When all mixed - drop the mixture by the tablespoon - or larger if you like - on Reynolds Wrap Parchment Paper (I like to use a 1/4 cup measure to drop my peanut clusters).

Let the peanut clusters set up for approximately 1 or 2 hours until firm.  The peanut clusters have the perfect balance of salt and sweet from the combination of the semi-sweet and 60% Bittersweet Chocolate.

Enjoy!

Check out the linky - I is from a great blog I just found and it features wonderful recipies.  Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Bingo's Big Adventure Book Review

I was lucky enough to be asked again by Pamondon.com to review a new book they are carrying on their fantastic website.   It is called Bingo's Big Adventure, A Cat's Tale by Julia King .

As soon as the package arrived from Pamondon, my young boys were asking about the new book we received.  They wanted me to sit down right away and read it to them.  My two year old son started saying "Kitty" right away when he saw the cover of the book.  His excitement increased when we arrived on the pages with the large rooster. 

My five year old son asked many questions as we progressed through the book.  He enjoyed the photos throughout the book and seemed to follow the story, but many times needed the story line explained to him as the wording was a bit confusing (or should I say above his comprehension level).  But the book itself held his attention to the end.  His favorite phrase from the book was, "I am Bingo, the Mighty Adventurer!"

The photos in the book were the best.  They were so brilliant, colorful, and taken in a manner that the animals and background came to life.  I love the fact that the animals in the story, are actually "real" rescued animals (there is a nice explanation at the end of the book).

The story was told from the cat, Bingo directly to the reader.  Bingo explains everything he is feeling and experiencing as he progresses through the day.  The main problem I had with this book was the verbiage seemed very advanced for a young child.  My six year old son wasn't even interested in the book.  As an adult, I felt like I was right there with Bingo during the day...experiencing how the dry plant leaves felt and tasted to the way he felt about the rooster.  I just wish the book would have been writing with more simple words so children and relate to the story of Bingo better.

For those of you who have never hear of http://www.pamondon.com .  They are an excellent company that cares about their customers.  They have everyday low prices and any order over the price of $25 ships FREE!  Before going to Amazon.com for your book needs, check out Pamondon and see how they compare. 

As Pamondon's website states - "we are happy to provide parents, children, and children's book lovers tens of thousands of books available online at discounted pricing. We know that books play a large part in children's lives, and it's exciting to be a part of enriching their lives. We have books that are entertaining and fun for kids, as well as educational and informative.  Whether you are looking for a book to read to a child as a bedtime story, a book to serve as a learning tool, or a book to offer as a gift, you can find great options on our site. You can peruse a variety of books by searching by age, category, title, or author.  We have a genuine and committed team of people ready to serve you and to ensure that all goes well with your order and your overall online experience at Pamondon.com."

Happy List :)

Wow, are are so many things I could reflect on for my official happy list.  But I think the biggest is the honesty of Mamarazzi.  Thank you so much Mamarazzi for reaching out to me and helping me understand blog etiquette and sharing some other much needed information.  You are the best and you have my vote for Top Blog 2010 . So anyone that is reading this can click onto the Top Blog 2010 and vote for OurDandelionWishes.  She so deserves its.

Well another Happy List item is - I am participating in my 1st Blog Swap.  It is going to be so awesome.  Thank you  Sami and Evelyn  for the opportunity to feel like a kid again with the 12 Days of Christmas Swap.  I already have some great ideas!

I also continue to complete a lot of my Christmas baking and Candy making as you can see by my other posts.  I love the Holiday Season and the smell of all the goodies baking.  I found out earlier in the week that King Arthur Flour is going to be sponsoring a giveaway on my site in a week or two.  It is going to be awesome.

My knee after surgery continues to heal very slowly.  But I am making Baby Steps - and that is progress.  Thank the Lord.

Giving Snowballs in my Christmas Goodie Bags - Noel Cookie Recipe

I like to call this recipe Snowballs - many other call these Cookies Noel Balls, Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes to name a few titles.

I have made a double batch of these wonderfully sweet, crumbly, buttery and all around tasty cookies this year.  As I roll them in the powdered sugar - I just want to take one and throw it...as they look like little snowballs. 

Boy I couldn't imagine if I ever acted on that impulse - my boys would be joining in right away with the "snowball fight".  What a mess that would be :)

I think it is a must to drink a hot cup of your favorite coffee with these delectable bites.  It helps to cut the sweetness and crumbly texture.  One of my favorites is a cup of Decaf coffee from Pears Gourmet http://www.pearsgourmet.com/ .  They have such a great selection of seasonal coffees also.  They are a wonderful homegrown (Nebraska) company that has a fabulous assortment of coffees, nuts, and more. 

Their shipping and customer service is top notch!  So you could order your coffee and your walnuts for this recipe if you want - they are having a sale currently on their baking nuts -15% off - http://www.pearsgourmet.com/Category/Pears-Buy-the-Pound/Baking-Nuts.aspx

Here's the recipe to these fun and tasty Snowballs.


Ingredients:


1 cup unsalted butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar for decoration

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, cream butter and vanilla until smooth.

Combine the 6 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and flour; stir into the butter mixture until just blended.

Mix in the chopped walnuts.

Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven.  Remove from baking sheet and cool on a rack.

When cool, roll in remaining confectioners' sugar.

If you are giving these away as gifts - you may want to re-roll them in the powdered sugar before adding them to your goodie bag.

Super Easy Holiday Butter Toffee Recipe

I LOVE Butter Toffee, but in the past all the recipes I ever tried to make were labor intensive and challenging.  It never seemed like they tasted as good as they should have for all the work they took. 

But that changed thanks to my Lil' Sis Susanne.  She sent me out a goodie basket one year with delicious buttery toffee.  She shared the recipe she found on http://www.allrecipes.com  - it was called "Best Toffee Ever - Super Easy.  How true of a name was that.  I modified the recipe a little bit, which I even think makes the recipe easier yet.

Drum Rollllllll Please!!!!

Here is the recipe for this great Buttery Toffee (the photos are of the double batch I made this year).

Ingredients:


2 cups unsalted butter

2 cups white granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup finely chopped walnuts  (I am going to try Hazelnuts with my next batches)
Directions

In a large heavy bottomed saucepan, melt the butter.

Add sugar and salt to the melted butter.

Cook over medium heat, stirring until all ingredients are incorporated.

Allow to come to a boil, and cook until the mixture becomes a dark amber color, and the temperature has reached 285 degrees F (137 degrees C). Stir occasionally.

**Personal note - as the temperature increases the mixture will raise towards the top of the pot - so make sure you keep an eye on it and stir as necessary to bring the mixture back down.**

While the toffee is cooking, cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

As soon as the toffee reaches the proper temperature, pour it out onto the prepared baking sheet.

***Another Personal note - once poured out the toffee will look "terrible" but don't fear - it will set up and turn out - it will look separated - some of the butter will pool around the edges that did not incorporate and that is normal.  My trick is to use a turkey baster to suck up and dispose of the extra melted butter.***

Sprinkle the chocolate over the top, and let it set for a minute or two to soften.



You can also make it more interesting by adding white chips to make a swirl effect on the finished product.  When I do this I do not add the nuts - as I don't want to cover up the beautiful designs.


Spread the chocolate into a thin even layer once it is melted.

Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate, and press in slightly. Putting a plastic bag over your hand will minimize the mess.

Place the toffee in the refrigerator to chill until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

When I made this recipe this year my littlest son Gabriel was so cute.  As I was breaking it into bite size pieces - he keep coming over and saying "candy, candy".  I would than share a little piece with him.  When I was all done.  I put the extra nuts and chocolate onto a plate to eat later (which by the way it one of my favorite parts of this recipe).  I left the room for a minute - when I can back in Gabriel was busy putting as much of the nut/chocolate crumbs into his mouth as fast as he could.  I guess he agrees the scraps are a tasty treat.

Shutterfly’s 2010 Holiday Christmas Card Collection is Wonderful!

Well it's that time of year again to start figuring out if you are going to send out Christmas Cards or not.  For a few years I just gave up and didn't send any cards out.  It was so much work - finding the right cards...then writing something on each one....then addressing the envelopes, including return addresses.

That all changed around two years ago.  I found out about http://www.Shutterfly.com.  It is an awesome site with such creative ways to personalize your cards, including return address labels at an affordable rate.  Shutterfly also offers many other services such as Stationary, Calenders, Photo Books, and Home Decor http://www.shutterfly.com/photo-gifts/photo-mugs.

The Shutterfly site is very user friendly and when you make an account Shutterfly stores your information and designs that you have created.  Which is awesome - as when I got on their site just a few days ago to start figuring out which style I was planning on using this year - It brought me to the Christmas Cards I made the last two years.  Boy my children have grown sooooo much. 

Now the hard part begins...which design should I select this year???  How many photos should I use??  Black and White or Color???  Oh, the wonderful choices. 

There are so many options to choose from - take a look.  http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards   If you are new to Shutterfly, they had great specials just for new customers - that can't be beat.  If you are a return customer, check out their site - they always seem to be having some kind of special going on.


I love the Merry Montage design and Fun Holiday Wishes....but I will make my decision sometime next week.

Which design do you like best???

Involved in my first Blog Swap - Yeah - Can't wait!!

Thank you so much Symmetry-In-Motion for giving me the opportunity to be involved in your great 12 Days of Christmas Swap.


http://symmetry-in-motion.blogspot.com/2010/11/12-days-of-christmaswithout-all-birds.html






You have succeeded in making me feel like a child again. I am so excited to participate. My mind is full of wonderful ideas that I may use for some of the 12 gifts I will be mailing to my assigned giveaway partner. I can't wait to see who I am paired up with and to find out their likes and dislikes so I can make the best swap possible for that person.

I can't wait for December 12th - The Big Day! The first day of the gift opening. This is such a great idea.

Thank you again and I can't wait to see what everyone receives.

Happy Holidays!!!

I pray I am 1 of the 10 selected for the Fan Appreciation Day Event with Coffee-mate / Become a Brew Crew Member

I am a proud Brew Crew Member for all of those who haven't noted that from some of my other blog postings.  You ask what a Brew Crew Member is?  Well...The COFFEE-MATE Brew Crew is a group of influential adults who use COFFEE-MATE to enhance and personalize their coffee experience. Brew Crew members participate in fun online activities, get the freshest info on exciting new COFFEE-MATE flavors and products, and share their love for COFFEE-MATE with family, friends, and co-workers. As a member of the Brew Crew community, you are an advocate of the COFFEE-MATE brand and have the opportunity to share your opinions on COFFEE-MATE products, promotions and marketing programs.

What members of the COFFEE-MATE Brew Crew Do

•Help spread the word about COFFEE-MATE by hosting creative sampling events and completing other online and offline activities to support COFFEE-MATE marketing initiatives.

•Tell Nestle what they think about the COFFEE-MATE brand and its marketing programs

•Interact with a community of adults who share an appreciation for the many flavors and velvety taste of COFFEE-MATE

If anyone is interested in possibly becoming a member - check out the link below and apply today
team.coffee-mate.com/screener

Since I am a Brew Crew Member - Coffee-mate just posted a great new activity and opportunity.  Here is more about it:

"Your participation in the Brew Crew has made a real impact! We would like to thank you for your contribution to COFFEE-MATE and excellence as a Brew Crew member by providing you with the possibility of flying you out to the NESTLE COFFEE-MATE corporate office for a member appreciation event! The trip includes one round-trip coach airfare, one complete day of activities with the Coffee-mate brand team, and a two-night standard hotel stay in Los Angeles, California!


Ten lucky Brew Crew members will be selected to participate in this wonderful day of rewarding fun at the NESTLE corporate office—and you have the opportunity to be one of them!

If selected, you will have the chance to-

•Meet the brand team behind COFFEE-MATE’s amazing products

•Participate in vital research that may shape the future of COFFEE-MATE product offerings

•Allow your taste buds to explore the entire COFFEE-MATE flavor roster

The event will take place all day on Friday, January 21st, 2011.
If  this sounds like something you might enjoy, apply to join us!"

Well I definitely took the time to apply for such a privilege and honor.  Coffee-mate is the best!!!

My submission is below:
I love Coffee-mate and have for years and years. I love to promote the use of coffee-mate by other through my personal blog http://fishfulthinking-cbusch.blogspot.com/2010/11/chai-tea-mix-recipe-blog-post-chosen-by.html , through facebook and twitter, along with talking with people I meet and hosting Coffee-mate get-togethers. It is amazing how many people I have been able to touch with the Coffee-mate message.
 
It is so hard to chose which one aspect I would like the best -but I think it would be the opportunity to participate in the vital research with Coffee-mate. I love making a difference every day and this would be an awesome way to accomplish that! Wow it would be such an honor for my opinion to possibly make a difference with such a fantastic product! Plus, I would to meet Rachael. I have had many contacts with her and they have all been very positive - it would be awesome to meet her in person.
 

I participate as much as I can on the Brew Crew Site. That has included my blog submittal being selected to be on the coffeemate.com website, completing activities, being active on the message board, submitting recipes on the cooking with coffeemate, and hosting coffee-mate parties - which have been awesome!!! I love being a Brew Crew member and believe I deserve to be selected to make the huge trip from a small community in the Panhandle of Nebraska to the HUGE city of LA.
 

So what does everyone think of my submission?  Should I be one of the LUCKY 10 chosen??

And one last question - What is your favorite flavor of Coffee-mate?  My is currently Gingerbread!!

Holiday Old-Fashioned Caramels Recipe

As a child I remember my mom working in the kitchen making many different types of Christmas candies.  All of us children were instructed to stay away from the stove while she was busy stirring.  She didn't want us to get burned by the hot sugars she was transforming into wonderful Christmas gems.

It is awesome carrying on some of her Christmas Candy making.  It makes me smile telling my own children the same warning while I am working at the stove.  I have the strick rule - when I am getting ready to pour EVERYONE has to be out of the kitchen.  I would hate to have an accident happen and some get burned severely.  They totally understand.  But have a difficult time waiting for the end product to cool so they can get one sample or more.

Okay, now everyone gets to learn about my many trials at successfully making Caramels.  I grew up in Iowa but relocated to the Western side of Nebraska many years ago.  I started one Christmas, before I was blessed with children trying to make my mom's Caramels.  I followed the directions precisely.  They would never come out correctly.  They would be rock hard and inedible.  I tried two or three years in a row with no success.  

I finally decided maybe since I was close to the Mountains in Colorado I needed to drop the temp down to what a person should do at a high altitude - even though I all of my other recipes worked without adjusting for a high altitude.

I was so excited to find out that was the problem.  And waaalaaaa my Caramels were a success and have continued to be successful.

This year the Caramel making process has been a little challenging since having major knee surgery.  But it has not slowed by Christmas baking and candy making down one bit.  As you can see by the photo below - I have just had to come up with creative ways to overcome.  And I have :)

Here the recipe I use thanks to the Pillsbury Complete Cookbook

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 (14oz) can sweetened condensed milk (Not evaporated)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Line 9-inch square pan with foil, so the foil extends over sides of pan, lightly butter foil.

In heavy 3 - quart saucepan, melt butter.  Add  brown sugar , mix well.  Stir in corn syrup.

Cook over medium-low until sugar dissolves and mixture is will blended.

Remove sauce pan from heat.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk. 



I love the beauty of creating sweet candies.



Cook over medium heat for 30 to 30 minutes, stirring constantly, until candy thermometer reaches firm-ball stage (244 degrees - UNLESS at high altitude *Cook until candy thermometer reached 234 degrees).



Love my Ove Glove can't imagine Christmas Candy Making without it!



Remove saucepan from heat.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour into buttered foil lined pan.  Cool about 30 minutes.

When candy has completely set, carefully remove from pan by lifting foil.  Remove foil side of candy.  With thin-bladed knife, cut candy into pieced, using a light sawing motion.  Wrap individual pieces in waxed paper.  Store in refrigerator. 

As you can see by the photos.  I love to use the Glad Press and Seal for end product.  It is great and relatively easy to use, plus it seals easy with a twist - and the Limited Edition Holiday Pattern makes for a great presentation.
If anyone noticed in the photos my triple batch of caramel was very close to the top of the pot.  What I like to do is when the caramel has reached 234 degrees - I carefully scoop out 2 cups of it - which leaves enough room to let the rest of the batch get to the proper temperature.

I add 1 teaspoon of vanilla into the caramel that was removed.  I then use the 2 cups of caramel sauce to dip apples into.  It is the perfect consistency and tastes so good.

So is anyone available to help me wrap my triple batch of caramels?  I am still wrapping them - and it has been three days.  But it is so worth it. 

Next I will be making Peanut Brittle and there is a wonderful family story and recipe to go along with it.  Also stay turned and pass it around I will be hosting my first giveaway in a week or two thanks to King Arthur http://www.kingarthurflour.com/ .  It is an Awesome Giveaway.  Don't miss out!