Apple Nachos

If you know me you know I love crack apples... and if you don't know me you are now wondering, why does Deidre love crack? Well. By crack I mean caramel apples, and not just any, the ones specifically from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory that are so addicting I would compare them to a drug. Adam, being the smart man he is, decided to surprise me with a treat on Sunday. Not just a treat. An apple nacho treat. Combining my two favorite things. Nachos and caramel apples. Apple nachos. Not with cheese. With caramel and chocolate. We are still working on perfecting our nacho combo but for now all I can say is it was SO good.

INGREDIENTS

6 Apples || We used Granny Smith

Chocolate flavored Almond bark

Caramel Sauce

Toppings (optional)

There are two options for caramel

A jar of premade caramel

or

6 Minute Microwave Caramel

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

I prefer a jar of caramel because it doesnt stiffen like the microwave caramel

Toppings Ideas

Reeses

Oreos

Nuts

Peanut Butter sauce

Chocolate Chips

Coconut

Sprinkles

Directions for 6 Minute Caramel

Combine all ingredients together into a microwave safe bowl

Microwave for 6 minutes taking it out every 2 minutes and stirring ingredients together.

Towards the end of the 6 minutes the bowl will be VERY hot, have a hot mitt on hand.

If you make this caramel don't make it until you ready to assemble the nachos.

Assemble the Nachos

Cut apples and core apples into 16 slim slices

Lay slices across plate of cookie sheet

Break a few chunks of almond bark into a microwave safe bowl to melt

Heat in microwave for 30 seconds and stir, continue until heated through

Heat up or make caramel sauce

Once the caramel is done, use a spoon to drizzle over apples

Drizzle chocolate over the top of the apples and caramel

While everything is still soft add any additional toppings you want

And then. Enjoy!

Easy Chocolate Caramel Brownies || Recipe

It is a Saturday afternoon and your husband texts you, "Drew invited us over for (fill in the blank) tomorrow." In our case. It was the Super Bowl. And Adam didn't text. He told me when he got home at 7 PM from his baseball trip to St. George. "Great! We should probably take something, yeah?" But... I was tired and Adam had homework. And we didn't really want to make something from scratch. So we went to the store to figure out what we could buy.... what box mix? Brownies. But not just any brownies. Ghirardelli with a twist.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

One box mix Ghirardelli brownies

One bag Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Squares

One egg

1/4 cup water

1/3 cup oil

8" x 8" pan and something to grease it

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Mix together brownie mix, egg, oil, and water.

Dear Melted Cake,

First things first. I am guest posting over HERE today. Go check it out. Because I am teaching you the art of the funny face. If you haven't been able to tell yet, I prefer a funny over a serious. You do NOT want to miss it... I repeat, you do NOT want to miss it. It might just be the best funny face slash most hideous one yet.

Remember when I said, "Always check the over before turning it on."

And when Adam said, "The oven can be used as a perfect place for storage. With a lack of counter space, the oven becomes the next best place to store a recently made cake. Its becomes the worst storage place when the other person in the house doesn't realize that a cake is in the oven, and turns it on to preheat for dinner."

Well... take a look at this cake. Looks pretty normal, right?

Take a closer look.

Plastic wrap. Melted right into the cake! Which brings me back to the previous statement. ALWAYS check the oven before turning it on. I should know that since my grandma stores crackers in her over. What a waste of confetti frosting.

Love,
Deidre

P.S. Don't forget about the GIVEAWAY!

Dear Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes,

That is the longest title for any treat. From here forward I am not calling these treats Easy Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cupcakes. I am calling them EPCC [Epic] Cupcakes. And let me tell you this. They are epic and easy. A few ingredients and 2 dozen delicious cupcakes will follow. And at the risk of making your grossed out because everyone hates this word, they are very moist even though it comes from a box. And I only feel the need to mention that because three people said that. First... you get to see a few nice photos of my making these treats because Adam loves to use the fancy camera.

Can't you tell how HAPPY I am to have these delicious goodies? They really were so good.

Ingredients
1 package spice cake mix
1 15 oz.can of pumpkin (I prefer Libby's)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup water
1 container (16 oz.) prepared cream cheese or vanilla frosting

Directions
PREHEAT oven to 350° F. Paper-line or grease 24 muffin cups.
BLEND cake mix, pumpkin, eggs, oil and water in large mixer bowl until moistened. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full.
BAKE for 18 to 23 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.
Spread cupcakes with frosting. I empty the frosting container into a bowl and whip it up. It isn't as dense and seems to go a little further.
Decorate with assorted sprinkles, if desired.

See? They look good. Right? And they were INCREDIBLY easy to make. And even better tasting. The party was at 7:30 and I baked them all starting at 6:30. I may or may not have put the cupcakes in the freezer right when they came out of the oven so I would have time to frost them... but either way. 2 dozen cupcakes prepared and ready to eat in an hour. That is what I like to call impressive. Also. I am slightly mad at my friends because they didn't take home the leftovers per my request... so I spent the next week eating cupcakes. I guess I am just putting on my winter coat a little early this year.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Candy Corn,

  

Dress: Fred Meyer | Scarf: Soel Boutique | Tights: Target | Boots: TJMaxx

Besides all of my favorite fall accessories shown above {tights, boots, and scarves} I have forgotten to mention one more fall item... time and time again. CANDY CORN. It is candy corn season. And lucky for me I have a whole bag in my kitchen thanks to my dear dear special friend Mallory. Candy. Corn. Forever.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Apple Pie Dip,

Adam had a LOT of homework the other night. And my brother and his family invited us out for dinner. Adam said, "You go, I will do homework..." And I thought... that was a good idea, because I just distract him anyway constantly asking if he is done yet?! So we went to Costco, got him some food, unloaded the car, and I headed to family. It was a great dinner of yummmmy soup (which I love in the fall) followed by a night of helping get a treat ready for church the next night. We made Apple Pie Dip and ate it with graham crackers the night we taste tested it and cinnamon chips at church the next day. My mom and I were on apple duty... which wasn't too bad since we used a Victorio apple peeler. And then my sister in law made the YUMMY treat! But I got the recipe to share with you. It tasted just like an apple pie, and was too good to not share with you!

How cool is that? All thanks to the handy apple peeler. My mom and I bought one for ourselves as well!

Apple Pie Dip

2 cups peeled, cored, and diced apple

2 tbsp fresh lemon/calamansi juice

3 tbsp brown sugar

¼ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in 1 tsp water

Directions:
Combine all the dip ingredients in a small pan except the cornstarch-water mixture.
Heat for a few minutes until it’s boiling and has extracted juice from the apple.
Add cornstarch-water mixture to the “sauce”
Put back on stove top until boiling and the sauce has thickened.
Set aside. You can serve this warm or chilled. It doesn’t matter. It will taste delicious.

Cinnamon Chips

5 (6-inch) wheat tortillas

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Directions:
Cut tortillas into desired wedge size.
Put in a slightly greased baking pan.
Brush the tortillas with butter.
Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 400º F until golden brown, about 5-8 minutes.
Let them cool before serving and serve with the Apple Pie Dip

That is right people. FALL IS HERE. Bring on the boots, scarves, apple cider, pumpkin cookies, and cinnamon treats.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Cake Brownies,

Brownies from scratch.. not from a box.. who does that? Hardly anyone, and rarely me (because Ghirardelli brownie mix from Costco is BOMB) unless I am CRAVING Marg's brownies. A little cake-ish but a little more brownie. Marg is a woman from my hometown that always shares her recipes, and we love her for it... among many other things. Honestly, some of my favorite treats and meals growing up were first created in Marg's kitchen. From these brownies, to her Halloween chili, and then back to her special ingredient frosting. So here you have it. Brownies.

 

Brownies

1-cup butter melted

2 cups sugar

½ cup cocoa

4 eggs (one at a time)

1½-cup flour

1-teaspoon vanilla

1½-cup walnuts (chopped) optional

Dash of salt

Pour into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Let cool and frost

Frosting

½ cup softened butter Mix the following: 

¼ cup milk

1-teaspoon vanilla

¼ cup cocoa

1½ - 2½ cups powdered sugar

Cream the butter and then add the rest of the ingredients

Add powdered sugar to the desired consistency

How fitting is it that Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was on the tube while I sat down to blog this. It is like ABCFamily was waiting for me. And now head to the kitchen. Yummy, yummy, chocolate treat!

Love,

Deidre

Dear Pretzel Salad,

Remember yesterday when I told you about the pretzel salad? And remember how sometimes when you think salad you think... only healthy. Well this what I like to call an ILLUSION salad. Want to know why? Because it is just treats. Yum. Get. In. My. Belly. That is what I said to the salad, and that is what it did.

Ingredients
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup melted butter
3 tablespoons sugar, plus 3/4 cup sugar

• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping
• 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
• 
  
• Directions
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the crust, mix the pretzels, butter, and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan and bake for 7 minutes. Set aside and allow to cool.
• In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate until well chilled.
• In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in the boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. 
• Add the strawberries and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.
• To serve, cut slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping.
• 
  

I actually made the salad for a surprise going away party for Miss Heidi at work. She hates surprises....

But it was a successful event. And we miss her. Lots. Already.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Peach Cobbler,

Yesterday was a peach cobbler day. Because, let's face it... it is delicious. And I missed the church cook out where they had dutch oven peach cobbler. And I was REALLY really really REALLLLLY sad. Mostly I was sad because I have been telling Adam for the last month that I want peach cobbler and he told me I had to wait until after pageant. So yesterday we made it a peach cobbler day. And it was a simple peach cobbler day at that.

Dutch-In the Oven Peach Cobbler

• Ingredients:
• 2 (16 ounce) cans peaches in heavy syrup
• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
• 
  

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Empty peaches into the bottom of one 9x13 inch pan. Cover with the dry cake mix and press down firmly. Cut butter into small pieces and place on top of cake mix. Sprinkle top with cinnamon.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 minutes.
• 
  

Let it cool. Serve it up. Add some ice cream.

YUM!

Love,

Deidre

Dear Easter Bunny,

While I really appreciate and love the Easter basket with all the fun things but... We both know I am on a diet. Yes, I loved the mustache ring (pictures coming soon... or watch my Easter movie to be posted for movie Monday) and coral ring, I loved the fun hair tie, I loved the kites.... but the following items are not going to help me on my road to Miss Idaho....

So I ate some yesterday... I mean, holiday cheer, gotta do it. But now I am bagging all these treats up and giving them to Adam (Dear Adam, please be reasonable and hide the candy from me unless I am having a REALLY bad day. Thanks.) to keep and guard until June 10th.

Once again Bunny, THANK you for the basket... and a diet on Easter will not be happening.

Love,
Deidre

Dear Girl Scout Cookies,

Everyone loves Girl Scout cookies... let's be honest here. I have never ever in my whole life heard someone say, "Girls Scout cookies? No thanks... those are disgusting..." Because they are delicious. And I feel like I need to blog about how much I love them and this amazing app I just found because I cannot buy any cookies this year. Sad, right? I am super bummed. And I was actually going to buy a box of my very favorite Samoa cookies... but I can't. Because I need to kick my butt in gear. And it will just make them THAT much better next year. I hope. Some of my pageant friends' platform is involving Girl Scouts... and I always wonder, how do they just promote Girl Scouts and be with all those troops without ordering and eating one billion cookies? I would be so overweight with that platform. But my friends still have the most rocking bods I have ever seen. Swimsuit prelim winner bods. I am impressed with their self control, which obviously I have been lacking... but that is a different blog post for a different day. I was in Girl Scouts.. a Daisy and a Brownie. It is a great program and teaches girls a lot. I learned about service and camping. I was young so those are the only things I remember learning distinctly. But I also learned how to have confidence and be able to talk to people while I sold girl scout cookies. Which is what brings this post today. Help these girls by buying cookies from them and in turn help yourself with a delicious snack. And if you don't know where to get some cookies, download the Cookie Finder Application. 

Does it make you hungry for some Thin Mints or Tagalongs just thinking about it? Yeah... me too.

Love,

Deidre

Dear Ice Cream Cake,

Well. Someone requested ice cream cake and then I decided I wanted it too.... I told you, I am easily persuaded to a yummy treat. So I made a whole cake yesterday for one delicious piece. And I could really only have one piece.... because I love myself, and I hate myself, but my diet starts tomorrow... Just kidding. But I am serious at the same time because I really am stepping away from sugar. It makes me feel sort of sick. But I love it so Adam will still be eating treats and I might be taking one bite every now and again so I don't binge on those crazy days. Especially with all the Easter (Cadbury Mini Eggs and Reese's Eggs) candy coming out... I need to put a stop to it now. Drawing my line in the sand when it comes to treats.

ICE CREAM CAKE

The Oreo Crust...

One package of Oreos

1/4 Cup butter

Crush up all the Oreos (a blender is easiest) and layer at the bottom of 9"x13" pan

Melt the butter and poor evenly over all the Oreos

Press the crust so it is even across the bottom of the pan

You cake bake the crust if you want, but it is not necessary (9 minutes at 350 degrees)

The Rest of the Cake...
1 Jar of Caramel Sauce

Half Gallon of Ice Cream (Pick what you want... I used Chocolate Chip)

Poor the entire jar of caramel sauce on the Oreo crust and put in freezer to harden for 10-15 minutes

Take the ice cream out of the freezer when you put the cake in so it is thawing and easier to spread

Once the caramel sauce has stiffened take the cake out and smooth the ice cream over the entire cake and put it back in the freezer

After about an hour the cake is READY! It is yummy as is, but even better when topped with whipped cream and chocolate sauce. This recipe is super easy and people tend to be impressed.

Does anyone else think of Ice Cream and Cake by the Buckwheat Boys when they think about this treat? Or is it just me? Maybe Twin Falls High School was the only place that played this song on a regular basis... Ice cream and cake and cake!

Love,

Deidre

Dear Treats,

I LOVE TREATS!!!! (I love them even more when I am on a "diet"... I use the term diet loosely because my diet consists of calorie counting and not cutting out every food that makes me happy. Pick and choose where I can let a treat in the mix... choose wisely my friends.) But I really do love treats. And I love making them. So sometimes I make them just so have one and give the rest away. Welcome to the life of a woman getting ready for swimsuit on the Miss Idaho stage. Actually welcome to the life of any woman. Why else do you think your girlfriend or wife is so willing to make you cookies and cakes on a regular basis? So this weekend I really wanted a homemade Oreo. So I made a batch. Why does chocolate and cream cheese forsting go so well together? I ate a couple, my mom ate a couple, and I gave the rest away. What other treats should I be craving (or are you craving?) so I can make a batch eat one or two and give the rest to, most likely, you!

HOMEMADE OREO COOKIES

The Cookie Part...

1 Box Devil's Food Cake Mix 

1/2 Cup Solid Shortening (or butter)

2 Eggs

Roll into dime sized balls
Cook for 9 minutes at 350 degrees

The Frosting Part...

8 oz Cream Cheese

1/4 Cup Butter

1 TBSP Vanilla

2 3/4 Cup Powered Sugar

The frosting kind of makes a lot so we always save it
to eat with graham crackers at a later date...

Love,
Deidre