Peanut Butter Ball Time

This is the time of year to dust off your favorite goodie recipes and make them up. Here I am at my parents house, earlier this week with a plate of cookies and candy to share:


The candy on the plate are Peanut Butter Balls, and they were SO delicious last year I just had to make them again.


I took them to another party last night and everyone loved them. So make sure and check out the recipe.

Enjoy!

Homemade Pecan Rocha

The Christmas season is re-kindling my love for food and baking.  Thank you to those who have encouraged me to return to blogging.  This post is for you.

Here is a close-up of the delicious pecan rocha that Debi taught me how to make yesterday:

Doesn't it look divine?  To me, it tasted just heavenly.  Of course, I hadn't had anything carmel for some years (due to the fact that store-bought carmel has milk in it, and it never occurred to me that carmel was a thing that could be made at home, milk-free) but my other co-workers seem to agree that it was very tasty.

It was really easy to make... 

Ingredients:

• about 1 sleeve of saltine crackers
• 1 cup margarine (or butter)
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 12 oz bag of mini chocolate chips (or more, to taste?)
• finely chopped nuts (almonds if you're traditional, or whatever you like)
• sheet of parchment paper to cover your baking tray

Cover the bottom of your baking tray or 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper, and then lay the crackers out on top - being very careful not to overlap the crackers.

Melt the margarine in a small pot on the stovetop, and add the brown sugar.  Boil for 3 minutes, being careful not to let it burn.  Pour this carmel-y syrup over the crackers.

Sprinkle chocolate chips on top.  Place in a preheated 350* oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Spread the melted chocolate chips with a spatula to form a chocolate-y crust.  Sprinkle the nuts on top, and press them into the chocolate a bit so that they will stay.

Allow the candy to cool, and then break up or cut with a knife.

Then the only question that remains is, will you share?

Happy baking!

Merry Christmas!

I hope this Christmas is filled with love and joy for you, and that you have time to remember the Giver of all good gifts.


Now here is a little gift I'd like to pass on to my fellow bento lovers. If you haven't stopped by French Bento lately, you should. Take a look at the collection of beautiful photographs of Christmas bentos she has gathered and posted for all of us to enjoy! (There is a translation link on the right-hand side, but really, the pictures speak for themselves.)

Once again... Merry Christmas!

So you want to... Eat Christmas Cookies?

You will need a great recipe. Luckily for you, I have found a veritable trove of edible treasures at Food Blogga, where Susan is compiling a list of links to delicious Christmas cookie recipes. She is calling her event

Even if you don't think you have time to bake this season, you should stop by and take a look at the list with all the scrumptious looking photos. Maybe you'll be inspired.

Have a great recipe your dying to share? Go here to learn how to participate in this event and submit your recipe for all of us to enjoy.

Thanks to Michelle at Scribbit for her post that pointed me to this tasty holiday collection.