Broccoli Salad

I love fresh broccoli salad. The smokey taste of the bacon along with the crunchy broccoli goes together so well. This is a popular recipe and some add 1/2 cup of raisins to the mix for a little bit of sweetness or dried cranberries. Another variation is to add 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese. For lower fat use turkey bacon and Free Miracle Whip.

1 package fresh broccoli, cut into small bit size pieces
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds

Dressing:
1/2 cup Miracle Whip
1 Tbs white vinegar
3 Tbs sugar

Mix first 4 ingredients and chill in the refrigerator. Toss with the dressing just before serving.

Marshmallow Caramel Corn

Can't decide whether you want marshmallow or caramel? Here is a recipe for the undecided and you can have both.

2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup white corn syrup
1 cube margarine
1 1/2 cups popcorn (before popping)

Pop the popcorn. Cook the first four ingredients in a large saucepan to a firm ball stage on the candy thermometer. Remove from heat and add 12 large marshmallows, popcorn, and nuts (if desired you may add pecans, almonds, or peanuts). Spread on wax paper. Break apart larger pieces and store in airtight container.

Fantasy Cake

This is a retro recipe that many women in the early 80's made. It is a great dessert or gift and a fun idea.

1 cup butter
1 pound marshmallows
2 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup peanuts
1 cup M & M's
1 cup gum drops

In a large saucepan, melt butter and marshamllows together over low heat. In a large deep bowl, mix all other ingredients. Add the butter-marshmallow mixture. Stir well. Pack in an 8-inch square, glass baking dish. Cool in refrigerator. Cut in 2 x 1 inch pieces when cool. Cut again when cold. Makes 32 pieces.

Rainbow Popcorn Balls

These popcorn balls are made with colored marshmallow and gelatin which give them a little color. Children will enjoy these popcorn balls.

2 quarts popped popcorn
3 Tbs butter
2 cups colored minature marshmallows
2 Tbs. flavored gelatin

Preheat oven to 250 F. Place popcorn in a large, 4 inch deep, buttered baking pan. Keep warm in oven. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Blend in gelatin powder. Remove popcorn from oven. Pour marshmallow mixture over popcorn, mixing well. Form into balls. Makes approximately 8 balls.

Nature Crunch

This recipe is another healthy way to eat popcorn. With the addition of wheat germ, honey, peanuts, and raisins you have a natural snack.

2 quarts of popped popcorn
1 cup peanuts
1 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix popcorn, peanuts, and wheat germ in a large 4 inch deep, buttered baking pan. Keep warm in the oven. Butter 2 large 2 inch deep baking pans. In a large saucepan melt butter. Stir in sugar, honey, water and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture starts to boil. Cook until mixture reaches 240 F on a candy thermometer. Remove popcorn mixture from oven. Stir in raisins. Pour syrup mixture slowly over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat. Spread 1 inch deep in the buttered baking pans. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cool; break or cut apart. Makes 3 quarts.

Popcorn Party Mix

Do you like to make party mixes with cereal? Try this mix using popcorn. This natural grain is healthy and unprocessed.

1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion salt
1/4 tsp celery salt
1 1/2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp tabasco sauce
2 quarts popped popcorn
1 cup pretzel sticks
1 1/2 cup mixed nuts

Preheat oven to 275 F. Melt the butter over low heat. Add garlic salt, onion salt, celery salt, worcestershire sauce, and tabasco sauce. Mix thorougly. Spread the popcorn, pretzel sticks and nuts in a large shallow baking pan. Drizzle with the butter mixture and toss to mix. Bake in the oven for 1 hour, stirring 4 or 5 times. Cool. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes 2 quarts.

Popcorn Christmas Tree

Gifts from the kitchen at Christmas time are a wonderful way to express your artistic talent. This popcorn Christmas tree will delight your friends and neighbors.

4 quarts of popped popcorn
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1/3 cup water
5 Tbs butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
green food coloring
gum drops
candied cherry

I heavy saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, water and butter. Cover pan with lid and bring syrup to a boil. Take lid off and continue boiling, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 265 degrees F on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and add salt, vanilla and enough food coloring to make mixture green. Place popcorn in buttered bowl. Pour syrup over popcorn. Stir until all kernels are covered with syrup. Shape into a Christmas tree. Decorate with small multicolored gumdrops and top with a candied cherry.

Oven Caramel Corn

Here is a recipe that reminds me of peanut brittle. You cook it on the stove and then into the oven it goes for that crispy crunchy texture that is reminiscent of grandmother's caramel corn.

2 cups brown sugar
1 cup butter or margaine
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
5 quarts popped popcorn

Combine brown sugar, butter, salt, and syrup in saucepan. Heat until boiling, Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in baking soda. Place popped corn in large bowl and drizzle caramel over it, mixing well. Bake corn in large, greased roaster pan at 200 F for one hour. Stir every 15 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool and break into chunks.

Jeweled Popcorn Lollipops

This is a great recipe to use for birthday party favors. Put a clear plastic bag over the lollipop and send it home with the children.

8 cups popped popcorn
3 Tbs butter or margarine
3 cups miniature marshmallows
lollipops
small gumdrops, diced

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows and stir until completely melted. Pour mixture over popped corn and stir until well coated. With buttered fingers, shape still-warm mixture around lollipops. Press gum-drop pieces onto popcorn.

Mother Goose Popcorn

This is a quick and easy recipe using a brown paper bag. Give the bag to your child and let them help you mix the popcorn. They will delight in helping you cook.

1 cup of sugar
3 Tbs. water
1 Tbs butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 drops of red food coloring

Boil sugar, water, and butter for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and food coloring. Place popcorn in a large brown paper bag and pour sugar mixture over the top. Shake the bag until well coated.

Popcorn with Cheese Garlic Butter

Here is a not so sweet popcorn recipe for those of you who are more into a healthy cheese popcorn.

2 quarts of popped popcorn
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbs. minced garlic or garlic powder to taste
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 250 F. Spread popcorn in a large 4-inch deep baking pan. Keep warm in the oven. Melt butter and grated cheese over low heat, add garlic. Drizzle popcorn with butter mixture until thoroughly coated.

Swedish Popcorn Crunch

This recipe has a light buttery taste with an egg white glaze. After it is baked in the oven you have something that is crunchy and delightful.

2 1/2 quarts of popped popcorn
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 egg whites
dash of salt
1 cup of sugar

Put popped popcorn in a large bowl, drizzle butter over popcorn and toss. In a separate mixing bowl beat egg whites and salt until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold meringue mixture into buttered popcorn; continue folding until popcorn is evenly coated. Turn into lightly greased large, deep baking pan. Heat in a 325 oven 15 minutes, stirring several times. Makes two quarts.

Louise's Caramel Corn

There is nothing better than a handful of caramel corn. The crunchy goodness of popcorn combined with the caramel sugar taste is out of this world.

1/2 cup of butter or margarine, melted
2 cups of brown sugar
1 can Eaglebrand Milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 gallons of popped corn

Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add brown sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil. Add 1 can of Eaglebrand Milk and stir until the soft ball stage on your candy thermometer. Add vanilla. Pour over the popped corn and mix thoroughly.

Whipped Cream Cake Frosting

This frosting must be refrigerated and should be made with top quality thick whipped cream. Decorating a cake with this frosting can be tricky as you can only use blue-green or pink to color the frosting. The finished product is delicious and well worth the effort.

1 1/2 to 2 cartons of whipped cream
2/3 to 3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Whip cream and gradually add the powdered sugar making sure that the frosting is very thick. Then add the vanilla. Frost and decorate your cake.

Becky's Pumpkin Pie Cake

During the holidays and especially at Thanksgiving time this pumpkin pie cake is great to make to take to social functions. It is rich and has pumpkin pie filling right in the cake!

1 yellow cake mix
1 cup sugar
1 cup milk
2 cups pumpkin
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3 eggs and 2 eggs
1/4 cup butter
nuts (optional)

Take 1 cup of dry cake mix and add 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Set aside. Take the remaining dry cake mix and add 2 eggs and a cube of butter. Press this mixture into a 9x13 inch cake pan. Pour in pumpkin mixture (ingredients mixed together from sugar to 3 eggs). Sprinkle with saved 1 cup of cake mix and nuts. Melt 1/4 cup of butter and pour on top of cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.

Cinnamon Salad

This is a recipe from my college days with Sher Bates (Teschner). We had a lot of fun together putting together recipes and this is one of our favorites. This jello has a cinnamony tangy taste and is to be served with the main meal.

1/2 cup cinnamon candies
1 cup boiling water

Dissolve candy in water, add 1 pkg. lemon jello and let set. Then spread 1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, 1/2 cup chopped nuts, 1/2 cup celery, 1/2 cup salad dressing over 1/2 of set up jello. Blend together. Top with the rest of the cinnamon candy jello.

Good Luncheon Salad

Here is another of Theone's recipes that is good for a Main Dish. I love the crunchy ingredients together and it is easy to make for a lot of people.

1 cup of grated carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 cup tuna or chicken
1 cup green onions, cut up fine
1 cup of mayonnaise or salad dressing
4 oz. can shoestring potatoes

Blend ingredients together and set in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, add one large can of shoestring potatoes and serve the salad on a lettuce leaf.

Chili Salsa

My family loved it when I would make this homemade salsa right from our garden tomatoes, peppers, and onions. You can add a jalapeno pepper if you want your salsa a little bit hotter. I prefer it on the mild side. You can add this to your favorite chili recipe or eat it plain with chips.

16 cups of tomatoes, skinned, cut up
8 anaheim peppers
2 bell peppers
2 large onions

Blend peppers and onions with 2 tomatoes in a food processor. Add:

1 cup of white vinegar
1/4 cup canning salt

Add this all to the chopped peppers, tomatoes, and onions. (You may use the food processor to chop the vegetables into chunks.) Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Ladle into jars and process 25 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Zelda's Fettucini

I mentioned to my friend Dawn Horner once that I would love to make a really great Fettucini Sauce and she gave me her aunt's recipe. It is the best I have ever tasted. Hope you like it too.

1 cup half and half
1 cup sour cream
2 cloves garlic
1 cube butter
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1 Tbs. flour
12 oz. Fettucini noodles

Cook Fettucini noodles in boiling water while preparing the sauce. Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper. Then add half and half and sour cream until sauce thickens. Add the Parmesan Cheese and simmer for 20 minutes. You may add cooked chicken and vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower) to this sauce to give it variety.

Fruit Cocktail Cake

My room mate Sher Bates and I used to make this cake a lot when we lived at Ricks College. I was reminded of this cake when I recently attended a book club and Mary made this with peaches...in fact any bottled fruit is good. Serve it warm with vanilla ice cream and you have a great dessert for company.

Cream:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs

Add:
2 cups flour
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups fruit cocktail, undrained

Pour batter into greased and floured loaf pan or you can use a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

Mix and sprinkle on top of batter:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup nuts

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes.