1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1 cup toasted chopped almonds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup popcorn -- popped

In heavy saucepan, combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, water and almonds. Cook over a moderate heat to 280° F on a candy thermometer. Add the vanilla. Stir well and pour over the popped corn.

Apple Cinnamon Popcorn

1 bag 94% fat-free butter or natural flavor microwave popcorn -- popped (12 cups)
1 cup Apple-Cinnamon Cheerios
1/2 cup dried apple pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Toss all ingredients in large bowl. Store loosely covered.

Yield: 6 servings (about 2 cups each)

Baked Pumpkin Seeds

Remove pulp and string, then rinse the seeds well. Place in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet Preheat your oven to 325°F and bake for 15-20 minutes or until seeds are dry and light brown (for crispier seeds, bake 30-40 minutes) Salt to taste (also great without salt)

1 (1 pound) loaf round bread
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 (4 ounce) jar dried beef, chopped
1/3 cup chopped green chile peppers
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Cut top off round bread loaf. Scoop out bread from the interior of the loaf, leaving a hollowed shell. Reserve top and removed bread. In a medium bowl, mix together Cheddar cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, dried beef, green chile peppers, green onions and Worcestershire sauce. Transfer the mixture to the hollowed bread. Replace top of bread. Wrap bread with foil and bake in the preheated oven 90 minutes. Serve with pieces of the scooped out bread and crackers.

Caramel Popcorn Kit

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 packages of microwave popcorn
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

Layer sugar and brown sugar in a one pint jar or zip-top bag. Attach the instructions for gift giving:

Caramel Popcorn
Pop the popcorn; remove un-popped kernels and set aside. In a large saucepan, mix sugar from jar with 1/2 cup butter or margarine and the can of sweetened condensed milk. Heat stirring constantly while the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for one minute and remove from heat.

Working quickly, pour mixture over popped corn, coating as much as possible while pouring, then using a large wooden spoon, mix popped corn and caramel until all corn is well coated. Spread onto cookie sheets which have been prepared with nonstick cooking spray, or eat directly from bowl.

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried onion flakes
Cayenne pepper to taste
1/2 cup popcorn, popped
Butter to taste

Combine salt, chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, onion flakes and cayenne and mix well. Use one or two teaspoons per 1/2 cup corn, popped with butter.

Cinnamon Glazed Almonds

1/3 c Butter
2 egg whites
dash Salt
1 c Sugar
3 c Blanched almonds
4 t Cinnamon

Place butter on 15x10" jellyroll pan and heat in 325'F. oven until butter melts, about 7 minutes. Meanwhile, beat egg whites with dash of salt until frothy, then gradually add sugar, beating to stiff peaks. Gently fold in almonds and cinnamon. Pour almond mixture into jellyroll pan and stir, coating with butter. Bake, stirring every 10 minutes, until almonds are crisp, about 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 3 cups.

Easy Soft Pretzels

2 - 16 oz. loaves frozen bread dough
1 egg white, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon water
Coarse salt

Separate thawed bread into 24 - 1 1/2" balls. Roll each ball into a rope 14 1/2" long. Have children plan and design pretzel shapes (letters or numerals). Put pretzels one inch apart on greased cookie sheet. Let stand for 20 minutes and brush with combined egg white and water. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Place a shallow pan containing 1" of boiling water on bottom rack of oven; bake pretzels at 350 degrees on rack above water for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

1 cup water
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons yeast -- regular or fast acting
2 tablespoons margarine -- softened
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt

Place all dough ingredients in bread pan in the order listed. Select SWEET dough cycle. Grease cookie sheet, and divide finished dough into 12 equal pieces. Work each piece into a rectangle about 2-1/2 to 3 inched wide by 4-1/2 to 7 inches long. Place desired filling along center of dough, leaving room on ends for closing. Fold dough over and pinch sides and ends closed. Place on cookie sheet, seam side down. Cover & let rise about 20 minutes. Bake in 350* F. oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Brush tops with vegetable oil if desired. May be served hot or cold.

Filling:
Choose from the following fillings, or be creative and make up your own!

1) Thin sliced ham & cheese of your choice, rolled up
2) String cheese (Mozzarella is a nice low fat cheese)
3) Shredded pork roast OR shredded cooked chicken or turkey, mixed with barbeque sauce

2/3 cup raw popcorn
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Place oil and popcorn in a large skillet that has a tight fitting lid. The popcorn should barely cover the bottom surface. Heat over medium until the first kernel starts to pop. Quickly stir in the sugar until dissolved. Cover and continuously shake skillet while holding top. Be careful, this will burn much quicker than regular popcorn. When you think all is popped, remove from heat. Spoon the popped corn into a bowl while shaking once in a while to let the uncooked kernels settle. Salt lightly, and break up into pieces. NOTE: This may take a little practice, but well worth the effort!

1 pkg hard sourdough pretzels (18 oz)
1 pkg (1 oz) Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp dill
1 tsp garlic powder

Break pretzels into bite size pieces. (I usually whack them with a rolling pin in the pkg). Mix all the marinade ingredients together and pour over pretzels. Let them soak/marinate 1 hr or even up to overnight. Bake at 250 degrees for 20 mins stirring occasionally. Adjust seasonings according to your tastes.

1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick-cook rolled oats
1 1/4 cups crispy rice cereal
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup chocolate chips or raisins
1/3 cup wheat germ

Grease a microwave baking dish about 12- X 8-inches. In large bowl, cream sugars with margarine until fluffy. Add honey vanilla and egg; mix well. Gradually blend in flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt, beating at low speed. Fold in remaining ingredients by hand; press firmly in prepared baking dish. Microwave on MEDIUM (50%) for 7 to 9 minutes or until set. Rotate dish 1/2 turn every 3 minutes (bars will firm as they cool). Cool and cut into bars. Makes about 24.

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pepperoni sausage (chopped)
1/4 cup butter or margarine (melted)
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425-degrees. Mix together Bisquick, cold water and pepperoni until dough forms; beat 20 strokes. Turn dough onto surface dusted with baking mix; gently roll in baking mix to coat. Knead 5 times. Roll the dough into a 10-inch square; cut in half. Cut each half crosswise into 14 strips. Twist ends of strips in opposite directions. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, pressing ends onto cookie sheet to fasten securely. Brush generously with margarine. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake about 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Serve with dips of your choice. Makes about 28.

10 (5-inch) pita pockets
3/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons paprika
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Half the pita pockets horizontally. Stir together the olive oil and paprika. Brush the insides of the pitas with paprika oil, then salt to taste with Kosher salt. Cut each pita into 8 wedges.

Bake in single layers on large cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until crisp, but not burnt.

Cool and serve. (Note: these can be made up a day ahead and stored in a closed container at room temperature.)

1 bag micro-wavable popcorn
1-2 tbs. Olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tbs. Dry spaghetti sauce mix
2 tbs. Grated parmesan cheese

Place popcorn in large bowl. Heat olive oil of medium heat in small pan, and drizzle over popcorn. Add spaghetti sauce mix and cheese and toss well.

2 cups pecan halves
2 med green onions, chopped
2 T butter / margarine, melted
1 T soy sauce
1/4 t cayenne pepper or more or less to your taste

Heat oven 300 degrees F. Mix all ingredients and spread in a single layer in a big ungreased jelly roll pan. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes or until pecans are toasted. Serve warm or cool completely. You can also store in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks.

Savory Popcorn Snack Mix

6 c Popped popcorn
2 c Pretzel sticks
2 c Mixed nuts
2 c Bite-size round cheese - flavored crackers
3 tb Margarine; melted
1/2 ts Garlic powder
1/2 ts Onion powder
1/2 ts Dried oregano
1/2 ts Dried basil
1/4 ts Red pepper sauce

Heat oven to 300~. Mix popcorn, pretzel sticks, nuts and crackers in ungreased 13x9" pan. Mix remaining ingredients; drizzle over the popcorn mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Bake about 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until toasted. Serve warm. MICROWAVE: Prepare as above using a microwavable bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 4-6 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

Sweet and Spicy Almonds

3 Tablespoons peanut oil
2 cups whole blanched almonds
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon sugar, divided
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground red pepper

Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add almonds, sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Cook 10 to 15 min., or until almonds are golden brown and sugar is melted, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, transfer to a large bowl. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, salt, cumin, and red pepper. Toss almonds gently to coat well. Spread coated almonds in a single layer on wax paper, let cool. Store in an airtight container. makes about 2 cups

12 oz Honey roasted peanuts
10 oz Salted cashews
10 oz Dried banana chips
8 oz Dried pineapple pieces
6 oz Coconut chips

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Store in airtight container. Source: Quick Gifts of Good Taste

Vanilla Bean Popcorn

1/4 c Corn oil
1 Split vanilla bean
3/4 c Popping corn
1 tb Superfine sugar
Salt
2 tb Melted butter

In a large heavy pot, heat corn oil over high heat until the oil smokes. Add 1 kernel popping corn and heat until kernel pops. Add vanilla bean and rest of popping corn, cover pot, and shake gently until corn starts to pop. Shake vigorously until popping subsides. Remove from heat. Remove vanilla bean and toss popcorn with sugar, salt, and melted butter. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to popcorn.