If your kids love rice krispy treats, try these yummy recipes for a delicious variation!

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats

6 cups Rice Krispies
4 1/2 cups (1 10 oz. bag) marshmallows
1/4 cup margarine
1/3 cup yellow cake mix
sprinkles

Melt the marshmallows and margarine. Mix in the cake mix one spoonful at a time. Add Rice Krispies and half of the sprinkles. Press into a greased pan and add the rest of sprinkles.

Here’s another rice krispy treat recipe for the chocolate lover in your family! The Oreos replace the Rice Krispies.

Oreo Rice Krispy Treats

1 pkg. ( about 6 cups) Oreos, coarsely crushed
5 cups of marshmallows
4 Tbsp. margarine

Melt marshmallows and margarine. Add Oreos and press into a greased 9×13 pan.

Photo By: Karl Baron

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Texas Road House Honey Butter

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, very softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup honey
2 tsp. cinnamon

Add everything in the order listed, whipping well. Oh Yum!

We know to use this on rolls and bread but it also tastes great on:

oatmeal
pancakes
French toast
hot rice cereal
pumpkin bread
zucchini bread

Photo By: Luke Gilliam

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Did you know you can make your own Chalkboard Paint?  I haven’t tried it yet but I’ve seen this recipe several places and it seems really easy.

My 8 year old wants a wall of chalkboard and I just might try this!  By the way, look in the marked down section at Lowe’s or Home Depot for broken open non-sanded tile grout packages. It would be cheaper than than buying a new package. You could also ask friend, family or in our case you might ask the builder in your subdivision if you can just have some if they are remodeling. 1 Tbsp. isn’t much so I’m sure they would just give it to you for asking.

Don’t forget, those acrylic craft paints come in thousands of colors so you could make some really cool and colorful chalkboards!! Isn’t the one above from BHG.com just too cool! Tawra

Homemade Chalkboard Paint

1 Cup of latex house paint or acrylic craft paint

1 Tbsp. of non-sanded tile grout

Mix paint and grout together making sure all lumps are out. The using a roller* or brush paint on wall or object where you want a chalkboard.  Paint 2 coats for best coverage. After it’s dry use a fine sandpaper and lightly sand to make smooth.

*A roller makes the paint go on smoother.

Photo by: foxtonge

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This is a recipe from the new crockpot menus cookbook I am working on. It’s one of those recipes that can be used in the dead of winter or on a hot summer’s day because barbecue and your crockpot are both perfect for summer.

Tips:

• Lay the ingredients that will take longer to cook on the bottom of the crockpot. For example, put things like carrots, potatoes and turnips in first. Then place the meat on top of that.
• Even though this is a crockpot recipe, like most crockpot recipes, it can be cooked on the stove. Just set it on simmer or your lowest setting and let it cook all day. Some things that are more casserole-like can be baked in the oven at about 250 degrees for a couple of hours, too.
• Crush a large amount of graham cracker crumbs and store them in an airtight container. This will make future baking easier because all you need to do is scoop out what you need for a recipe.

There is nothing like a piping hot bowl of stew on a cold winter’s day. We love the favorite standbys but here is a different twist on regular beef stew.

Menu:

Barbecue Beef Stew*
Rice or Noodles
Coleslaw
Hello Dolly Cookies*

Barbecue Beef Stew

1-2 lbs. stew meat
1 cup onion, sliced
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 cups beef stock
1 can (8 oz.) tomatoes
1 can (4 oz.) mushrooms
1/3 cup barbecue sauce

Saute onion, pepper and garlic in oil. Add salt, pepper, beef stock,tomatoes, mushrooms and barbecue sauce. Cook meat and all of the other ingredients in a crockpot on low heat for 8-10 hours. To thicken, mix 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1/4 cup cold water and add to stew before serving.

Hello Dolly Cookies

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup nuts
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix butter and graham cracker crumbs and press into an 8 inch pan. Add coconut, chocolate chips and nuts in layers. Drizzle with condensed milk. Bake 30 minutes. Cutting is easier if you chill for 30 minutes or more.

photo by: jetalone

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Quick and Easy Cake Recipe

These individual little cakes are amazing and ready to eat in one minute! They are perfect for whenever you feel like a treat without all the fat and calories that cake can have. Genius idea!

3, 2, 1 CAKE

1 box 1-step Angel Food Cake Mix
1 box Cake Mix – Any Flavor
2 Tbsp Water

In a Ziploc bag, combine the two cake mixes together and mix well. For each individual cake serving, take out 3 Tablespoons of the cake mix combination and mix it with 2 Tablespoons of water in a small microwave-safe container. Microwave on high for 1 minute, and you have your own instant individual little cake!

KEEP remaining cake mixture stored in the Ziploc bag. You can top each cake with a dollop of fat free whipped topping and/or some fresh fruit.

Helpful Tips:
This recipe is called 3, 2, 1 Cake because all you need to remember is
“3 tablespoons mix,
2 tablespoons water,
1 minute in the microwave!”

TRY various flavors of cake mix like carrot cake, red velvet cake, pineapple, lemon, orange, etc. Just remember that one of the cake mixes has to be the angel food mix. The other is your choice. The flavor possibilities are endless!

NOTES:
The best thing is, you open both cake mixes into a gallon storage bag, one that ‘zip locks’ or ‘self-seals’, or a container that seals tightly, shake the two cake mixes to blend and then make the recipe. Storage of the mix is simple. Put it on a shelf. There is no need to refrigerate, since the mix is dry.

Angel food cake has egg whites so if you are allergic to eggs you can’t use this.

Thanks for sharing Gayla!!!

Photo By: victoriafee

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I think we are all trying to recover from heavy holiday meals and all the cooking many of us have been doing non-stop so I tried to make this week’s menu simple and easy.

Tips:

• When using canned soup or any soup for that matter, go the extra mile and add a simple garnish to it. It doesn’t take much. A few fresh herbs, cheese, sour cream, green onions or croutons sprinkled on top really can add to it.
• If you need to stretch your croutons or for something slightly different, try crushing them a bit. Cracker crumbs can look pretty and taste good too.
• When cutting bar cookies or desserts you can use a pizza cutter but what I like the best is to use my pastry cutter. Some people call it a bench knife. It’s that flat square metal tool. Just press it down on to the cookies to cut. Don’t pull or drag it like you do a knife. Just go up and down.
• Try something different for grilled cheese sandwiches. Use chicken or ham for meats or try Swiss or Colby cheese. If you usually eat your grilled cheese with ketchup, try spreading it with mayonnaise before you grill it instead.

Menu:

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches*
Tomato Soup
Cereal Yogurt Fruit Dessert*

Recipes:

Italian Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Italian Dressing
Bread
Tomato
Basil Leaves
Provolone Cheese

Spread bread with dressing (in place of the normal butter). Place dressing side down on a pan that you have sprayed with non stick spray. Layer with basil leaves, cheese, tomato and 2nd slice of bread. Grill on both sides.

Yogurt Dessert

5 cups cornflakes, crushed
1 cup pecans or nuts, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. margarine or butter, melted
6 Tbsp. maple syrup
16 oz. plain yogurt
16 oz. vanilla yogurt
2 – 3 cups fresh fruit

In a 9×13 pan, mix cornflakes, nuts, margarine and syrup. Press flat. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Mix yogurts together and spread on cooled crust. Top with fruit. You may halve this recipe and bake in an 8×8 pan. Serve immediately.

Photo By: FotoosVanRobin

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I think they are still playing football now. As you can tell I am not a big football fan, but I am a big food fan. I saw this recipe and thought it would be great for a get-together to watch the game or for an after school snack, sleep over, brunch or anything in between.

I thought this would be fun to serve either already prepared on a large platter or with different bowls of ingredients so that everyone can make his own plate.

Apple Nachos

1 apple per person
Nuts – pecans, almonds, walnuts
Peanut butter, warmed so you can drizzle it
coconut
chocolate chips

Slice the apples. Place them in a bowl of water with salt in it to keep them from turning brown. Use about 1/2 tsp. of salt per 4 cups of water. Spread apple slices on a platter and drizzle with peanut butter. Sprinkle with nuts, coconuts and chocolate chips and drizzle with more peanut butter.

You can use all kinds of other ingredients if you like. Drizzle with caramel or chocolate, sprinkle with other kinds of dried fruit or use butterscotch, peanut butter or white chocolate chips. You can try whatever sounds good to you.

Photo By: Daniel Novta

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Homemade Apple Cobbler Recipe

Didn’t grandma tell you there’s no better way to start your cold winter morning then with a hot bowl of cereal? Here is a quick and easy recipe which will be ready and waiting in the morning for you when you get up.

Breakfast Cobbler

4 medium-sized apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups granola cereal

Place apples in slow cooker and mix in remaining ingredients. Cook in crock pot on low 7-9 hours (overnight) or on high 2-3 hours. Serve with milk. Garnish with fresh fruit.

Yield: 4 servings

Photo By: norwichnuts

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Tips:

• Add a box of dry instant vanilla pudding, after beating eggs, in any cookie batter for a perfect textured cookie or bar. From Marsha B.
• Try adding a pinch of oregano or a teaspoon of onion soup mix to your green beans for a different twist and taste.
• Add a teaspoon of bacon grease to green beans and sprinkle with onion salt or onion powder. This is especially good when serving them with something like meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

Menu:

Creamy Fajitas*
Tossed Salad
Salsa Green Beans*
Apple Plum Crisp*

Recipes:

Creamy Fajitas

I have a favorite recipe using steak cubes, mushroom soup, sour cream and green chilies.

Flour the steak cubes as it helps thicken the sauce. Brown the steak cubes. Add mushroom soup, green chiles and simmer for 1 hour. Then add sour cream and put in beans if you want them. Wrap ingredients in flour tortillas and add shredded cheddar cheese. Everyone loves it! Jane S

Jane didn’t give us exact measurements, but here is a general idea. These measurements aren’t exact and you can feel free to adjust them.

2 cups cubed steak
1 can cream of mushroom soup (10 3/4 oz.)
1 small can chopped green chiles
1 cup sour cream

Salsa Green Beans

1 lb. green beans
16 oz. jar of salsa
1 tsp. olive oil

Cook frozen, fresh or canned green beans. Add salsa and olive oil and simmer 5-10 minutes until flavors are blended.

Apple Plum Crisp

4 cups apples, peeled and sliced
2 cups plums, pitted and sliced
1/2 cup margarine, melted and divided
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. flour
3/4 tsp. cinnamon, divided
1 cup oats
1/4 cup nuts, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed, divided

Combine 1/4 cup margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar, lemon juice, flour and 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. Add apples and plums, toss and coat well. Place in 8×11 baking pan.

In a bowl combine remaining 1/4 cup margarine, 1/4 cup brown sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon along with oats, nuts and ginger. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until fruit is tender and topping crisp and browned. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping. 

You may substitute 2 cups of peaches or nectarines for plums.

For more money saving recipes and tips check out Dining on a Dime Cookbook.

Photo By: Scott M

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