Apple Cider Caramels

I love caramel in many forms, but especially in a piece of chewy candy that seems to just melt in your mouth.  I also love a hot cup of Apple Cider when the air turns cold!

I'd seen other Apple Cider Caramel recipes but they all involved reducing apple cider down to a syrup and using that for the flavor.  It seemed like a lot of work to me, so I thought I'd try using the Alpine Spiced Cider Apple Flavor Drink Mix instead.  It worked perfectly and the cider flavor really shines through these candies.

Apple Cider Caramels

Makes approximately 64 candies

Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 vanilla bean pod, split and scraped
1-1/4 teaspoons sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
4 packages Alpine Spiced Cider Apple Flavor Drink Mix

1. Heavily butter the bottom and sides of an 8x8 pan.

2. Bring cream, butter, vanilla, vanilla beans, pod, and sea salt to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from heat and set aside. 

3.  Stir the cider packages into the cream until it's dissolved.

4. Boil sugar, corn syrup, and water in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

5.  Boil, without stirring but gently swirling pan, until mixture is a light golden caramel.

6. Remove vanilla pods and carefully stir cream mixture into the caramel (mixture will bubble up) and simmer, stirring frequently, until caramel registers 248 on a candy thermometer.

7. Pour into baking pan and cool 30 minutes.

8. Sprinkle another pinch or two of sea salt over the top of the caramel for a nice salty crunch and let sit until completely cooled.

9. Cut into 1-inch pieces (I buttered a pizza cutter), and store in an airtight container or wrap in waxed paper (directions below).

To wrap caramels: cut waxed paper into 4" squares.  Carefully roll each caramel into a small log and place in the center of the waxed paper.  Wrap paper around the caramels and twist the ends to seal.

White Chocolate Santa Mix

I was honored to share this recipe as part of the Bake, Craft and Sew along a couple weeks ago at A Southern Fairytale.  You can still enter the giveaway today here.  Now I'm happy to share it here in case you missed it...

We're 19 days from Christmas! Do you have your Christmas shopping done?

No?  Me neither!  But let's forget about Christmas shopping for a few minutes and talk about something much more exciting--White Chocolate Santa Mix!  This is a fantastic snack to make and have on hand for all your Christmas parties.  It would also make a fun Christmas gift. (hint hint)

If you have children, I think this would be a fun treat to make with them.  The most time consuming part is making the little Santa hats, but the end result is worth it!

White Chocolate Santa Mix

Makes about 20 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 cup red chocolate candy melts
1 cup Bugles
mini dehydrated marshmallows, if desired
2 cups Chex cereal
2 cups Cheerios cereal
2 cups popped popcorn
2 cups pretzels
1 cup Christmas M&Ms
1-1/2 cups white chocolate candy melts

1.  In a small, microwave-safe bowl, melt the red chocolate candy melts in the microwave.  I microwave for 30 seconds, then stir.  Then return to the microwave in 15 second increments until the chocolate is melted.

2.  Using a fork, dip the Bugles into the red chocolate and place coated Bugles on a wax paper lined cookie sheet.  Allow the red chocolate to harden.

3.  In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate candy melts in the microwave following the directions in step 1.

4.  Dip the wide end of the Bugles into the white chocolate to form the brim of the Santa hat.  Return to the wax paper lined cookie sheet.

5.  When the white chocolate has hardened, dip the tops of each hat into the white chocolate to form the pom-pom at the top of the hat. 

6.  If desired, place a mini marshmallow on top of the white chocolate.  Return the hats to the lined cookie sheet to dry.

7.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the Chex, Cheerios, popcorn, pretzels, and M&Ms.

8.  Pour melted white chocolate over the mixture and stir to coat thoroughly.

9.  Spread the chocolate coated mixture in an even layer onto 2 wax paper lined cookie sheets.  Sprinkle the Santa hats on top.

10.  Allow the white chocolate to cool completely before breaking the mixture apart and storing in an airtight container.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Last Monday was Mike's birthday.  We've carried on a tradition that both of us grew up with--choosing your birthday dinner.  Mike's family always went out to a restaurant, while my family got to choose any meal for one of my parents to prepare.  We do a mix of our family's traditions, choosing either a restaurant or a meal.  This year, Mike chose to have me make him a meal. 

At first he chose Hamburger Helper.  I questioned his choice, saying if he really wanted that, I would certainly make it, but that's something we could have any time.  He quickly changed his mind and requested meatloaf.  I asked him if there was any way he wanted the meatloaf prepared and he said he didn't have a preference.

I decided to  make a Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf.  Nothing about this meatloaf is remotely healthy--it contains bacon, cheese, and beef--but it was so good!  One of the reasons Mike chose meatloaf for dinner is because he loves to have meatloaf sandwiches for lunch at work.  Of course, with just the two of us eating dinner, we had plenty of meatloaf left over for him to enjoy a couple meatloaf sandwiches for lunch too.

Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf

Serves 8

Ingredients:
1 egg
1-1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
8 slices bacon, fried crisp and broken into pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar

1.  In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg.

2.  Add the ground beef, bread crumbs, bacon pieces, cheddar cheese, and garlic powder to the egg and stir until completely combined.

3.  Press meat mixture into a bread pan.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the ketchup and brown sugar.

5.  Spread the ketchup mixture on top of the meatloaf.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55-60 minutes, until the interior temperature is 165 degrees.

7.  Allow the meatloaf to cool slightly before cutting and serving.

Cover and refrigerate any leftovers.

Foodie Pen Pal

Have I mentioned before how much I love the Foodie Pen Pal program?  I think Lindsay is a genius for coming up with this idea and hosting it each month.  I know it's a ton of work for her! So, thank you for all your hard work Lindsay!

Mike and I both look forward to the arrival of our Foodie Pen Pal package each month.  This time he was so excited for it, that he opened our box while I was making supper.  Lucky for him, Kathy sent us a number of items that Mike enjoys :)

I'm a big tea drinker, so I was super excited to receive all of these fruity flavored teas.  I also enjoy flavored water, so I loved the flavoring packages as well.

Lindor truffles are my favorite candies--so I was thrilled to receive a little package!  Fridays are often movie and popcorn nights for us, so you better believe I'll be enjoying this popcorn tonight!  And, Mike loves olives so he really liked when I gave him these Oloves in his lunch. 

Popchips are one of my favorite kind of chips.  I haven't tried the chili limon yet, but I'm looking forward to it!  I often carry gum around, so this little package is perfect to fit in my purse.  And I can't wait to try out this salsa--good thing Kathy included a jar opener so it will be easier for me to open.

Thank you for a fabulous package Kathy! :)

I sent a package to Erin--you can check out her post here.

Are you interested in participating in Foodie Pen Pals? Here's some important info for you!

-On the 5th of every month, you will receive your penpal pairing via email. It will be your responsibility to contact your penpal and get their mailing address and any other information you might need like allergies or dietary restrictions.
-You will have until the 15th of the month to put your box of goodies in the mail. On the last day of the month, you will post about the goodies you received from your penpal! -The boxes are to be filled with fun foodie things, local food items or even homemade treats! The spending limit is $15. The box must also include something written. This can be anything from a note explaining what’s in the box, to a fun recipe…use your imagination!
-You are responsible for figuring out the best way to ship your items depending on their size and how fragile they are. (Don’t forget about flat rate boxes!)
-Foodie Penpals is open to blog readers as well as bloggers. If you’re a reader and you get paired with a blogger, you are to write a short guest post for your penpal to post on their blog about what you received. If two readers are paired together, neither needs to worry about writing a post for that month.
-Foodie Penpals is open to US & Canadian residents. Please note, Canadian Residents will be paired with other Canadians only. We’ve determined things might get too slow and backed up if we’re trying to send foods through customs across the border from US to Canada and vice versa.

We're taking a break from Pen Pal boxes in December and instead we're donating toward Hurricane Sandy relief.  You can find more information on Lindsay's site.

Gift Ideas for the Foodie in Your Life

It's hard to believe that we are less than a month away from Christmas!  We have our first Christmas party (a cookie exchange) in about 2 weeks, and our first family Christmas party a couple days later.  The Holiday season is in full swing!

Have you started Christmas shopping yet?  I'm about halfway done. I have both of our mothers done--they were the easy ones this year!  My dad is done--Mike's not so much.  Anyone have ideas for the man who has everything and needs nothing?  I'm about halfway through shopping for Mike, but I have enough ideas for him for this year and next!

I thought I'd put together a list of gift ideas that I would love to receive.  Actually the majority of these items I have and love, so I know I can recommend them to you!  These items would be perfect for the foodies in your life.  I'll also include some ideas for people who may not spend as much time in the kitchen, as well as the men in your life.  Here are some things that caught my eye:

For the Foodie in Your Life:

Cuisinart SmartPower Duet Blender and Food Processor

Stock Image

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Stock Image

Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler (on my wish list)

Stock Image

Keurig Platinum Brewing System (Also on my wish list!)

Stock Image

Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker

Stock Image

Dutch Oven

Stock Image

For the Women in Your Life:

Personalized Christmas Gifts


From Etsy

Automatic Soap Dispenser

Stock Image

Scented Candles

Stock Image

Cookbooks

Stock Image

Cherry Poptart Earrings

Klutch Club Subscription

For the Men in Your Life:

Food Baskets

Stock Image

Magazine Subscriptions

Stock Image

 DVDs

Stock Image

Soap-on-a-Rope

E-Reader



Stock Image

For the Kids in Your Life:



 Spectacular Magic Show

Stock Image

Learn to Dress Toy

 Animal Hats

Don't forget to use your Ebates or Swagbucks account to save even more money while shopping for Christmas!

What's on your Christmas list this year?

White Chicken Chili

Was it just me or was it super hard to get out of bed this morning?  After 4 days of sleeping in, I did not want to get out of my cozy warm bed this morning!  The colder the weather gets, the more reason I have to stay in the warmth!

I did have some motivation to get out of bed this morning though.  Today is Mike's birthday!  I wanted to surprise him by bringing him and his co-workers doughnuts from his favorite bakery.  He started work at 5 this morning, so I left the house around 6:30 to pick up the doughnuts.  He was quite surprised when I showed up at his work with a box of doughnuts!

Anyway, we had our first snowfall of the season on Friday.  The snow actually stuck and really made it feel like the Holiday season has started.  We continued to get flurries on Saturday and though the accumulation was minimal, it was a beautiful sight.  Of course, with the cold weather comes the desire for cold weather food.  Foods like chili, stew, and other soups sure hit the spot when it's so cold!

I adapted this recipe to be made in the Crock-pot so the hands-on time was minimal.  Mike shredded the chicken when he got home from work, and when I got home, supper was ready to eat.  We both loved this soup and Mike added a couple dashes of hot sauce to really give it a kick!  You could even substitute leftover Thanksgiving turkey and cook this on the stovetop to make a fast dinner.

White Chicken Chili

Serves 8

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
2 (15 ounce) cans white northern beans, drained and rinsed
32 ounces chicken broth
1 cup water
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles (don't drain)
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder

1.  Place all ingredients in your Crock-pot. 

2.  Cook on low for 8 hours.

3.  Shred chicken before serving.

Serve hot.  Top with shredded cheese or crushed tortilla chips.

Slightly adapted from:  Alli 'N Sons

Saturday Sweetness

What a week!  It's hard to believe that we're already on day 3 of our 4 day weekend.  On Thursday, we had both of our families over for Thanksgiving.  We are so blessed that everyone gets along and we are able to have combined celebrations!  After eating ourselves into a food coma, we enjoyed visiting and looking through the Black Friday sale papers.

Mike and I got up at 4am yesterday to hit up a couple sales.  The stores were less busy than we expected and we were able to get in and out and back home to bed by 6am!  Success!  Then last night we had a family potluck with Mike's extended family.  It was so fun to spend time with everyone and enjoy more delicious food.

How was your Thanksgiving?  Do you have multiple celebrations?  Did you brave the Black Friday sales?

In case you've been too busy to read blogs this week, here's what you missed here on Melissa's Cuisine:

Hot Chocolate Oreo Muffins:  This recipe was my choice for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  They were delicious and I can't wait to make them again!

Crock-pot Roasted Cinnamon Almonds:  Mmm....if you're looking to make your house smell fantastic, as well as making a fantastic snack for your Holiday parties, this is the recipe for you!

White Chocolate Santa Mix:  I wrote this as a guest post at A Southern Fairytale.  Be sure to check it out on Rachel's site and then enter the fabulous give-away here!

Guest Posting!

Guess what?  Today I'm participating in the Holiday Bake, Craft & Sew Along and I'm posting over at Rachel's site, A Southern Fairytale.  I hope you'll stop over at her site to check out my recipe for White Chocolate Santa Mix!

Then, head over to Kelly's blog, According to Kelly, to check out the Craft Along and Cindy's blog, Skip to my Lou, to check out the Sew Along.  Each day this month, bloggers (like myself) get to post on Rachel, Kelly, or Cindy's blog to round up some of the best Homemade Holiday ideas.  You won't want to miss all the fantastic posts!

When you're done there, come back here to enter this fantastic giveaway!   One lucky winner will win

*A $100 shopping spreet to Sweet! Baking Supply Shop

*1 copy of Bridget's book, Decorating Cookies

*1 copy of Maria's book, Cookie Cravings

*Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots

*Food Photography for Bloggers, by Matt Armendariz

This prize pack is valued at over $170!

Be sure to visit the other guest blogger's sites to enter the giveaway there too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

(I shared this post last week at Lady Behind the Curtain and now I'm thrilled to share it with you!)

Can you believe Thanksgiving is tomorrow?  The beginning of the holiday season.  A time filled with food, friendship, food, fellowship, food, gifts, decorations and did I mention, food?  It seems that from Thanksgiving until New Year's our lives are based around food.  Party after party, celebration after celebration.  Not that I'm complaining...I love food! 

I love to give gifts too.  There are few things in life that make me happier than giving a gift to someone and seeing their appreciation.  That's one of the reasons why I love the Holiday season so much.  Being a food blogger, you already know that I love to make food.  I enjoy making food for gifts for friends, as well as treats to take into work. 

These cinnamon almonds make a fantastic treat to gift, as well as a great snack to have out at your holiday parties.  They are simple to make because your Crock-pot does the hard work for you!  No slaving over a hot stove--instead you can be putting the finishing touches on your Thanksgiving menu, writing out your Christmas list, or, if you're really on top of it, wrapping your Christmas gifts!

The hands-on time for this recipe is quite minimal, but you should know that you do have to stay home so you're available to stir the almonds.  Sorry, this isn't quite a set it and forget it recipe!  My house smelled absolutely amazing while the almonds were roasting.  Once they were cooled, I could not stop eating them.  I ate way more than necessary while I was photographing the almonds too!  Because this recipe makes quite a bit, I decided to share some roasted almonds with my co-workers.  They were a huge hit and everyone loved them! 

Roasted Cinnamon Almonds

Makes 3-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons  cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla
3-1/2 cups almonds
1/3 cup water

1.  In a small bowl, combine the sugars, cinnamon, salt, and allspice.

2.  In a large bowl, beat the egg whites and vanilla until it's frothy, about 3 minutes.

3.  Stir in the almonds until they are completely coated with the egg white mixture.

4.  Add the sugar mixture to the almonds and toss until they're completely coated.

5.  Spray cooking spray on the bottom and sides of a large Crock-pot.  Add the almonds to the Crock-pot, cover, and turn on low heat.

6.  Cook for 2-1/2 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.

7.  After 2-1/2 hours, add the water and stir well.  Cook on low for another hour, stirring after 30 minutes.

8.  Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets and spread the almonds out on them to cool.  The almonds will be sticky.  Separate the almonds so they can crisp up and dry.

Store roasted almonds in an airtight container.

Source: Cookin' With Brook


Since tomorrow is a holiday, I'll be away from the computer and spending the day with Mike and our extended family.  I wish you all a blessed Thanksgiving.  We have so much to be thankful for!

Hot Chocolate Oreo Muffins

I'm pretty sure I did a happy dance when I received my assignment for this month's Secret Recipe Club.  I know Mike thought I had gone crazy!  You see, I was so excited because I was assigned to Alli's blog, Alli 'n Sons. 

I've been a fan of Alli's blog for quite some time.  In fact, I've even made quite a few of her recipes.  I knew that I was going to have fun choosing a recipe.  What I didn't realize was how difficult it was going to be to choose a recipe.  I read through each and every one of Alli's posts--stalker, huh?  I finally narrowed my list down to about 10 recipes...real narrow right?  Then it went up to 11 when she posted these Sea Salt English Toffee Bars. 

I finally had to decide what recipe to make because time was running out.  I actually ended up making 2 recipes.  I made Alli's Chicken Chili in the Crock-pot and then I made these muffins.  Hot Chocolate Oreo Muffins--come to find out they had caught my eye when she posted them because I pinned them!

I knew that these muffins couldn't disappoint since they had Oreos in them.  I seem to have a slight addiction to Oreos...every time they're in the house I seem to eat them non-stop!  I try not to buy them too often, but I had to buy a package to make these muffins.  The hot chocolate gives these muffins a slight chocolate flavor.  I made 4 giant muffins and 6 regular sized ones.  I took the 4 larger ones on our trip to Frankenmuth this weekend and everyone loved them. I left the rest at home for my friend who was dog-sitting for me.  She thought they were delicious--I'd have to agree with her.

You can't go wrong with Oreos!

Hot Chocolate Oreo Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

1-3/4 cups white whole wheat flour, sifted
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3 teaspoons sea salt hot chocolate mix
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
12 Oreo cookies, broken into large pieces

1.  In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sea salt, hot chocolate mix, baking soda, baking powder, and sugar.

2.  In a small bowl, combine the milk, sour cream, egg, and oil.

3.  Stir the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until just combined.

4.  Reserve 12 Oreo pieces and fold the rest into the batter.

5.  Evenly divide the batter into 12 greased muffin tins.  Place one Oreo cookie piece on top of each muffin.

 6.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a muffin comes out clean.

7.  Cool muffins in the tin for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Store in an airtight container.