Food gift ideas for Christmas – 2007

Mix sugar, salt, milk and Karo Syrup in heavy 3 quart pan and cook to soft ball stage. Add butter and vanilla. Beat until cool. Add pecans and drop by tablespoon onto wax paper. When firm store in closed container. Make approx. 2 dozen pralines.

**Be careful! It hardens very quickly!

Seven-Layer bars
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (7-ounce) can flaked coconut
1 cup (6-ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup (6-ounces) butterscotch morsels
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped pecans

Place butter in a 13×9 inch pan; bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes or until melted. Add graham cracker crumbs and remaining ingredients, layering in the order listed. (Do not stir.) Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan; cut into bars. Makes 3 dozen.

Sweet and Salty pretzels from a listener (Kim)
Small pretzels
Hershey Kisses
M&M’s

Preheat your oven to 250. Lay the pretzels on a cookie sheet and place an unwrapped Hershey kiss in the center of each one. Place the cookie sheet in the oven, for about 10 minutes (just until the kisses start to soften, not melt). Take the sheet out of the oven, and immediately place an M&M on top of each kiss, pressing down. This pushes the softened kiss into the holes in the pretzel and the M&M into the kiss. Let cool and eat, bag up, wrap, whatever!!! Enjoy!!!

Cheese Ball from a listener (Miranda)
1 pkg cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 can, drained chicken

crushed pecans

Mix all of these ingredients together and roll into a ball shape. Roll ball in crushed pecans to cover the outside. Place in refrigerator until ready to eat. Serve with crackers.

Jodi’s Famous Snack Mix
1 can of cocktail peanuts
1 big bag of plain M&M’s

1 big bag of peanut M&M’s

1 large box of raisins
1 bag of semi sweet chocolate morsels