Easy Pumpkin Cookies

Such an easy treat... and yes it's not the BEST ingredients... don't judge!  They're quick, good and yummy!

Just follow the mixing instructions on the back of the sugar cookie package.  Add a can of pumpkin puree and a little pumpkin pie spice... and there 'ya have it!

Great with coffee in the morning, too...

Cream Cheese Apricot Dip

(My teaching partner at school introduced me to this scrumptious appetizer.  It may seem unappealing at first... but just wait until you taste it!  Every time I've served this it's gone in no time... very yummy and addicting!)

1 brick cream cheese, softened
apricot  preserves - spooned over cheese
peanuts crushed, placed over preserves
green onions chopped, over the top

Serve with wheat thins or any other crackers...  try it!  You'll see...

Frosty's Fruit Salad

(Found this recipe in Southern L*dy magazine November/December 2009 issue page 81.  I served this for the girls at the tea and they loved it.  Still healthy fruit with a hint of cinnamon and sweetness.  I love this, too.)

Frosty's Fruit Salad

2 c fresh orange juice
6 T oacked brown sugar
2 T honey
1/2 t cinnamon
4 ripe bananas, sliced
2 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced
2 Red Delicious apples, cored and diced
2 cups halved seedless grapes
1 can mandarine oranges

Combine juice, sugar, honey and cinnamon.  Stir until sugar is dissolved; set aside.

In a large bowl combine fruit.  Pour juice mixture over fruit, tossing gently to coat.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Oriental Salad

Oriental Salad

(I first had this salad at a friend's home.  It is so yummy and easy.  I think I'd like to try and experiment with some sugar alternatives with the dressing recipe... but until I have that one down here is the recipe as given to me.)  Thanks Laura!

2 heads lettuce (you can use bags)

1 head broccoli

5 stalks green onions, chopped

Dressing:

1 c sugar

1 c oil

1/2 c vinegar

1/2 t salt

3 T soy sauce

Crunchy Topping:

Saute in 1/2 c butter

1/2 c sunflower seeds (shelled)

3/4 slivered almonds

2 pkgs Ramen noodles (discard seasoning)

Saute for 5 - 10 minutes or until toasted

Toss before serving.  So yummy!

Oreo Truffles

(I first had these at a friend's house for a playgroup.  Emma was a baby and Hudson was a toddler.  I was in heaven eating these things... and will always remember the day I had these for the first time!)

Oreo Balls (Easy Oreo Truffles)

1 pkg Oreo cookies

1 brick cream cheese - softened

half of a pkg. almond bark

Crush all cookies in a food processor until they are in fine crumbs.  Place in bowl and add cream cheese.  Mix until blended.  Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls - 1 inch in diameter.  (I used this tool and it saved my life!)

Melt almond bark according to package directions.  Dip balls in chocolate.  Place on wax-paper covered baking sheet.  Sprinkle crushed candy canes or other fun colorful toppings on top for fun!  Place balls in refrigerator until firm.  Makes 42.  Store in refrigerator.

so fun - so yummy...

This was a big hit with the whole family this year... very fun - festive and bite-sized. So over all perhaps better than eating an entire cake... you could indulge in this bite-sized delight of salty and sweet.

tiny pretzels
Rollo's Chocolate Caramel Candy
festive color M&Ms

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pretzels on a cookie sheet. Place unwrapped Rollo on each pretzel. Place pan in oven for 3 to 4 minutes. Being careful to watch that the Rollo does not totally melt - you just want it to slightly begin to get soft. Pull pan out of the oven and press M&M on to each Rollo - pressing chocolate down. Quickly transfer to a cool plate so chocolate will stop melting. I even placed plate in the refrigerator to help them cool. Yummy!

can't get enough of this lately... red leaf lettuce, raw spinach, red onion, avocado, black beans with a light balsamic vinegar dressing... this is SO good to me...