Candy coated Peppermint sticks

Ingredients
4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. shortening
2/3 cup pecans or your favorite nuts, chopped
16 3- to 4-inch soft peppermint sticks

Directions
1. In a small saucepan combine chocolate and shortening; cook over low heat just until melted. Transfer to a bowl. Place pecans on waxed paper.
2. Dip one end of each peppermint stick into melted chocolate and then roll in chopped nuts. Place on waxed paper; let stand until set. Wrap each individually to give as a gift. Makes 16 gifts.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 113,
Total Fat (g) 6,
Saturated Fat (g) 2,
Monounsaturated Fat (g) 3,
Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 1,
Cholesterol (mg) 0,
Sodium (mg) 1,
Carbohydrate (g) 16,
Total Sugar (g) 14,
Fiber (g) 1,
Protein (g) 1,
Vitamin C (DV%) 0,
Calcium (DV%) 1,
Iron (DV%) 2,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

recipe taken from BHG

Candy box caramels

It's the holidays, I don't know how many healthy recipes will be posted on my blog from now until Jan., probably none....it's time for the good stuff!

Ingredients
12 ounces chocolate- and/or vanilla-flavor candy coating*, coarsely chopped
1 cup toffee pieces, or favorite candy topping

48 short plastic or wooden skewers (optional)
1 14-ounce package vanilla caramels (about 48), unwrapped
2 ounces chocolate- and/or vanilla-flavor candy coating*, coarsely chopped (optional)

Directions
1. In a microwave-safe 4-cup measure, place the 12 ounces candy coating. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 3 minutes or just until melted, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Place toffee pieces, in a shallow dish. If desired, insert a skewer into each caramel. Dip one caramel into melted candy coating; turn to coat as much of the caramel as desired, allowing excess coating to drip off caramel. (If not using skewers, use a fork to lift caramel out of candy coating, drawing the fork across the rim of the glass measure to remove excess coating from caramel.) Place dipped caramel in toffee pieces to coat. Place coated caramel on a baking sheet lined with waxed paper. Repeat with remaining caramels. Let caramels stand about 1 hour or until coating dries.
3. If desired, microwave 2 ounces of a contrasting color of candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl on 100% power (high) for 2 minutes or just until melted, stirring every 30 seconds. Cool slightly. Transfer coating to a small, heavy plastic bag; cut a small hole in one corner of bag and drizzle additional coating over coated caramels. Let caramels stand until set. Makes 48 pieces.
4. To Store: Layer caramels between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
5. *If desired, substitute milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and/or white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter for candy coating.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 92,
Total Fat (g) 4,
Saturated Fat (g) 3,
Cholesterol (mg) 2,
Sodium (mg) 32,
Carbohydrate (g) 13,
Fiber (g) 0,
Protein (g) 1,
Vitamin C (DV%) 0,
Calcium (DV%) 1,
Iron (DV%) 0,
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Recipe taken from BHG

Triple Layer Mud Pie

As IF I would post something healthy right before the holidays are getting ready to kick off..Palease!

Chris made his request already for Thanksgiving. He mentioned that he likes Pumpkin Pie, but there are always too many Pumpkin Pies, so this is what we will be serving along the side of the Pumpkin Pies next week. Enjoy!



Prep: 15 min. plus refrigerating
Makes: 10 servings, one piece each

What you need
3 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1/4 cup canned sweetened condensed milk
1 OREO Pie Crust
1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted
2 cups 2% milk
2 pkg. (3.9 oz. each) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided


MIX chocolate and condensed milk. Pour into crust; sprinkle with pecans.
BEAT milk and pudding mixes with whisk 2 min.; spoon 1-1/2 cups over pecans. Stir half the COOL WHIP into remaining pudding; spread over pudding in crust. Top with remaining COOL WHIP.
REFRIGERATE 3 hours.

Recipe taken from Kraft Foods

Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

Okay gals, if you have never tried this, you MUST! It's sinful! It's also a fun science project for your kids, when you put everything together it's a runny mess, but then after it cooks, the top part is a cake, and the underneath part is HOT chocolate fudge...to die for, and super easy to cook!



1 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cocoa
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup hot tap water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp. oil
Ice cream or (my personal favorite-whip cream for this recipe)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In ungreased 9x9 pan, stir together flour, sugar, 2 Tbsp. coca, baking powder and salt. Mix in milk, oil, and vanilla with fork until smooth. Stir in nuts. Spread evenly in pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Pour hot water over batter. Bake 40 min's. Let stand 15 min's so the pudding can set up. Spoon into dessert dishes, invert each spoonful onto dessert plate so the pudding runs down. Top with ice cream or whip cream. You can even top with hershey's topping if you are a chocoholic!!

Note: We always double this recipe, and make it for dessert and have leftovers for breakfast. If you want to double it, double the ingredients and put into 13x9 casserole dish!

Garden Chicken and Stuffing

We had this for dinner last night, and Chris loved it! It's a perfect recipe to get excited for Thanksgiving!! We served it with toast and honey on the side. Yum!


1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
(Hint: if you chop these up pretty fine, your kids don't even know they are there, it looks like part of the stuffing)
1 clove garlic (This was not in the recipe, but I LOVE garlic so I added some, and it was yummy)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 can (10.5 oz.) Campbell's condensed chicken broth (or your favorite broth)
1 cup milk
1 pkg. herb seasoned cubed stuffing (like Stove Top)-1 box
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup shredded cheese (4 oz.)

In saucepan over med. heat, in hot margarine, cook celery, onion, carrot, garlic until tender. Add flour, cook 1 min more, stirring constantly. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring constantly.

Add stuffing and chicken; toss to coat. Spoon into casserole dish (13x9). Bake 350 for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 min more.

Recipe taken from Campbell's Delicious Easy Recipes Cookbook.