Easy Peasy Treats!

If you want to make a quick and yummy treat for your family or friends here is one that couldn't be any easier. This is such an easy recipe in fact, even kids can make it and I am planning to post it for the grandkids on my Gramma And You Blog today also. {If you try to think of creative ways to keep in touch with your grandkids try making a blog for them. They seem to enjoy it and it makes you feel like you are making an effort that goes beyond phoning. They can also enjoy keeping up with what their cousins are doing on a blog like this. As a Gramma I really think that is important.}

Ingredients:
48 Rolo Candies (Unwrapped)
48 Little round Pretzels
48 Pecan halves

• No need to grease the cookie sheet – just lay the pretzel rings out on it, and place a Rolo candy on top of each ring.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 3 minutes (no more or you will have a melted mess!)
• Remove pan from oven and immediately place a whole pecan on each Rolo and gently push it down just a bit.
• Allow the candies to cool on the cookie sheet, letting the chocolate harden back up again before removing them to a storage container.

That is it. I think we are going to make these for our home and visiting teaching families for church and maybe a few close neighbors just for fun. This is definitely my kind of treat recipe! You can hardly call it cooking or baking it is really a craft, just rearranging some good ingredients by hot gluing them together! The hardest part is pealing the foil off the Rolos AND not eating too many!

Ellen's Whiskers

You can only appreciate the name of this
recipe if you are post-menopausal.
If you are saying..."Whaaaa?"
Never mind you'll find out soon enough!

Actually I added Ellen's name not because of her whiskers (far from it she is lovely in every way) but because she is the lady that gave me the recipe! She brought these to Jim's party and they were to die for so I wanted to share this great recipe with you!

Whiskers

12 corn or flour tortillas
(7 to 10 inches in diameter)

Salad oil
Garlic paprika salt or chili salt
(recipe to follow)

Stack three to six tortillas and with a long, sharp knife
cut the tortillas into long strips about 1/4 inch wide.

Repeat until all the tortillas are cut into strips.

In a 4 to 5 quart pan add an inch of salad oil and
heat to 350 degrees using a thermometer.
(I'll be guessing on this part!)

Drop in 1/3 of the tortilla strips
Cook and stir until lightly brown and crisp
(about 1 to 2 minutes)

Transfer with a slotted spoon
to a paper towel to drain.

While the whiskers are still warm sprinkle
with the salt mixture of your choice.

Repeat to cook the remaining whiskers.

Serve warm or cool.
If making ahead package in an airtight
Ziplock plastic bag until the next day.

To reheat spread out on a paper towel
on a cookie sheet and bake for
about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

Paprika Garlic Salt1 Tablespoon garlic salt to 1/4 tsp paprika

Chili Salt
1 Tablespoon salt to 1/2 chili powder

Ellen's Mixture
She does the chili mixture and adds a pinch
of Cayenne Pepper to give it a little more kick!
She has the magic touch so I'm doing it her way!

My Idea:
Flour tortillas Whiskers with cinnamon
and sugar would be awesome too.

Yay, Summer!

P.S. My photo shows the whiskers looking a little short. They were put back into a bag after the party and I think they got broken in the transfer. They are so cute when they are long and crispy. They are a hundred times better than tortilla chips. And a real crowd pleaser, everyone wanted the recipe which is one reason why I am posting it. You can be the first to embrace it in your neighborhood, ladies!

Also shown are my latest and greatest new kitchen toys. I love these little 4 inch square plates from Cost Plus World Market. They are $1.99 and just the perfect size for appetizers and small snacks. I have had them a week and had to go buy more, they are always in the dishwasher. A piece of toast fits perfectly on them.
I have a feeling they are a great little portion controller too. The little black circle is a sticker that comes off, these are brand new.

Don't you just love it when you find a
useful and fun thing for the kitchen?

1 of 2 posts for today.

Got Zucchini Coming Outta Your Ears Yet?

Yes, it is me, you have the right channel...I am giving you a recipe today! Once that zuchinni starts in it it unrelenting isn't it? How much zucchini bread can you really use anyway? So try this...you won't be sorry! This recipe comes from the old country and it is fabulous!

They Grow Faster Than Weeds!

Zucchini Pancakes were a staple at Jim's Grandmother's house in the summer. They are easy and delicious and if you freeze them, when you are actually missing zucchini again, you can have these.

Grate 2 Cups of Zucchini and squeeze out the water by taking a handful and pressing your hands together as hard as you can. It will actually be full of water that you want to get rid of by squeezing it before adding it into the recipe.

Yum!

1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese
1/3 Cup Bisquick OR 1/3 Cup flour with 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Basil leaves chopped finely
2 eggs beaten
Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients except zucchini. The batter will be dry~ add in the water-free Zucchini a little bit at a time, mixing well. Drop by Tablespoon into hot oil, brown on both sides like a pancake. I usually double or triple the recipe and then make a bunch of them. You can freeze what is left over in layers with plastic wrap separating them.

Gram always had a stack of these made up and in the freezer for a wonderful addition to just about any dinner.

Jim's grandmother was one of the best Italian cooks ever born. She could turn any vegetable into a dream. One time she cooked iceberg lettuce and with her magic touch it was delicious! Her French Endive was pure heaven, I wish I had her recipe!

She would also take the delicate zucchini flowers
and bread them and lightly fry them
~ they were amazing!~