Thanksgiving Chain

About 10 days before Thanksgiving we got a cute box and cut some construction paper into strips. We then had a little "lesson" on being thankful and how blessed we are. We then wrote on the strips of paper things that we are grateful for and put them in the box. Throughout the week we would write things down as we thought of more. Then a few days before Thanksgiving we took them out of the box and read them as we made a chain. We strung this chain across our family room and will wrap it around our Christmas Tree to remind us to continue to be thankful!

Thanksgiving Candy Turkeys

This was a cute gift given to me by my friend Marci. She gave us all the ingredients and the instructions for these turkeys in a cute box. It is a fun Thanksgiving tradition for us now.

Ingredients:
Chocolate Snap Cookies
Hershey's chocolate kisses
chocolate chips
red hots
candy corn
chocolate chips, melted

Place cookie flat on waxed paper. Glue(with the melted chocolate chips) two chips together to form the turkey head. Place Hershey Kiss, flat side down, on the low side of the cookie, forming the body and base for the tail. The double chocolate chip and two single chips form the head and feet placed properly. The red hot goes under the chin. Tail feathers are created by positioning two rows of candy corn fanned along the cookie edge.

White Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 Tbsp. white chocolate flavor pudding mix
1 C. milk
Whipped cream
crushed peppermint

For each serving, combine the pudding mix and the milk in a mug. Then heat in the microwave for 60 seconds on high. Top with whipped cream and peppermint.

Cucumber Lime Drink

This sounds weird, but it is SOOOOO GOOD!

2 limes, sliced
1 cucumber, sliced and seeded
1 frozen limeaid
4 liters lemon lime soda

Mix together well and serve with ice.

I got this recipe from my Neighbor, Peggy. My kids request these often!

Honey Oatmeal Granola Bars
1/4 c. butter
1/4 C. oil
1 lb. mini marshmallows
Melt in a large saucepan and stir until smooth.
Add: 1/3 C. peanut butter
1/3 c. honey
Stir until smooth.
In a large bowl combine:
5 C. oatmeal
4 1/2 C. Rice Krispies
1 C. chopped peanuts
1 C. crushed graham cracker crumbs
1 C. coconut
mini chocolate chips and/or M&M's

Pour marshmallow mixture over oatmeal mixture and mix until combined. Press into a greased jelly roll pan. Press firmly with rolling pin. Cut into bars and wrap each in plastic wrap.

Toffee Fruit Dip
8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/4 C. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 pkg. heath toffee bits

Mix together and serve. Best with apples and bananas.

The best way to eat apples....

Butterscotch Apple Dip
1 bag butterscotch chips
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
4 tsp. vinegar

Melt chips on low heat. When melted, slowly add sweetened milk and mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients. Serve with sliced apples or other fruit.

Honeybutter
1 cube butter
2 C. honey
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix until smooth and creamy.

Fry Sauce

1 C. Miracle Whip
1/3 C. Ketchup
1 Tbsp. mustard
Mix until well combined.

Cinnamon Cream Syrup

1 C. sugar
1/2 C. corn syrup
1/4 C. water
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 C. evaporated milk

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, water and cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to stir while the syrup boils for 2 minutes. Stir in the evaporated milk. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge.

I love pumpkin season!

Pumpkin Cake Roll
3 eggs
1 C. sugar
2/3 C. pumpkin
1 tsp. lemon juice

3/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 c. Chopped walnuts(optional)
Powdered sugar as needed

Beat eggs on High for 5 minutes until frothy. Gradually add sugar. Stir in pumpkin and lemon juice. Stir together dry ingredients, except nuts. Fold into the pumpkin mixture and spread into a greased and floured jelly roll pan. Top with nuts. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes. Immediately turn out onto a towel sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar. Roll up while hot. Cool completely. Unroll and spread with cream cheese frosting. Re-roll and sprinkle with powdered sugar. chill and slice.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 C. powdered sugar
6 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Beat until smooth.

Pumpkin Cake
3 C. sugar
1 C. oil
3 eggs
2 C. pumpkin
3 C. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg

Bake in an ungreased pan at 350.
1 bundt cake for 1 hour 15 minutes
2 bread pans for 1 hour

Let the cake cool and then dribble icing over the top.

Icing:
Mix 1/2 C. powder sugar with a little water until you have a smooth consistency.

Microwave Caramels

1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. corn syrup
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/2 C. sweetened condensed milk
1/2 C. pecans, chopped

Melt butter in microwave. Add syrup, sugars and milk. Stir well and microwave 6-8 minutes. Remove and stir in pecans. Pour into a sprayed 8x8 pan and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Cut into pieces. If it is too firm to cut, warm in the oven for 2 minutes. Can also be dipped in chocolate or just wrap in waxed paper.

**DO NOT DOUBLE this recipe.

Pumpkin Pie Dessert

I made this instead of birthday cake for my girls... and it was YUMMY! Thanks to my neighbor Jill....

Pumpkin Pie Dessert

1/2 C. butter
1 egg
1 yellow cake mix (save 1 cup)
Mix together and spread in bottom of a 9x13 pan.

1 lg. can pumpkin
1 1/2 C. sugar
2/3 C. evaporated milk
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
Mix together and spread over bottom layer.

Topping:
1 C. reserved cake mix
1/2 C. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 C.butter
Mix with fork and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 for 45-50 min.