Roasted Cauliflower, Carrots and Walnuts

• 4 medium carrots (about 12 ounces), peeled and thinly sliced on an angle
• 1 small head cauliflower (about 2 1/4 pounds), trimmed into small florets
• 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ounce finely chopped walnuts (about 3 tablespoons)
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 2

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Toss the carrots and cauliflower in a bowl with 3 teaspoons of the oil, the thyme, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until well coated. Spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

Roast the vegetables until tender and lightly browned, about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice. Season with more salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook the walnuts in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and toss with the parsley, lemon zest and remaining 1 teaspoon oil. Sprinkle over the roasted vegetables.

The BEST Carmel Corn

This carmel corn is the best carmel corn you will EVER try. I used her recipe with a touch of a modification. I like more pop corn than carmel. It gets too sweet. It is seriously like eating pieces of heaven, as far as carmel corn goes.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Butter

1/2 Cup Karo Syrup (Light)

1 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 Quarts air popped dry pop corn

Cooking spray

Preheat Oven to 200 degrees

1. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray (I actually cover my cookie sheet in tin foil for easy clean up).

2. Spread the pop corn across the cookie sheet and PICK OUT ALL OF THE SEEDS! (so important)

3. In a pot on the stove, combine butter, sugar, and syrup on high. Stir until boiling. Reduce heat to Med-High and boil forEXACTLY 5 minutes. Add Vanilla.

4. Drizzle over pop corn, stir, and bake for 15 minutes.

5. Remove pop corn from oven, mix the pop corn and carmel around replace in oven for another 15 minutes.

6. Repeat step 5 until carmel corn has been in the oven for an hour and has been mostly covered in carmel.

7. Allow it to cool, break apart, and serve.

Things you may want to know in advance:

1. I know the caramel mixture looks frightening delicious, but don't lick the spoon. It's hot. I know, I know. You're thinking "I'm not stupid, of course I won't lick the spoon." Just wait until you think about licking the spoon. You'll thank me.

2. This recipe tastes like Wethers Original in pop corn form.

3. I know baking soda helps the mixture spread. I know it spreads things more evenly. Don't use it. It also takes away from the lovely Werthers taste and makes it plain old carmel corn. The mixture won't get as crunchy and delicious if you add it.

4. Add peanuts for the last 15 minutes. Viola. Home made (and better than the original) Cracker Jacks.

GREEN BEANS WITH MUSHROOMS AND CHESTNUTS

INGREDIENTS:

5 oz button mushrooms, sliced
2 tsp canola oil
2 tsp sesame oil
3/4 lb of green beans, ends trimmed
1 small can of sliced water chestnuts (liquid drained)
2 small cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp water
4 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Sesame seeds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the olive oil and sesame oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms to the HOT pan and let them sit for 2 minutes before flipping them to brown on the other side for 2 minutes Add the green beans and water chestnuts; season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Combine the water, soy sauce, sugar, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; mix well. Pour the sauce into the pan and cook the green bean mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until the green beans and tender-crisp. Remove from the heat and serve with sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Enjoy

Tasty Chicken, Orzo & Spinach skillet

NGREDIENTS:

1 cup of orzo, cooked per instructions
1 tbsp olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
Oregano, to taste
Dash of Crushed red pepper, to taste
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
Garlic powder to taste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat & cut into bite-sized pieces
2 cups chopped tomato
2 tsp tomato paste
Large handful of kalamata olives, sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves
3-4 fresh basil leaves, torn
Feta cheese

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the orzo in salted water, per instructions. Side Note: Sprinkle a little bit of chicken bouillon granules into the boiling water for extra flavor. Drain the orzo and all but 1/2 cup of cooking liquid through a colander.

While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and season with a bit of crushed red pepper, oregano, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste; cook stirring often, for 3-4 minutes. Remove the onion from the skillet and set aside. Season the chicken with a sprinkling of oregano, garlic powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Place the chicken into the same skillet over medium-high heat (add cooking spray if needed). Sauté 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

Turn the heat to low then add reserved cooking liquid to the skillet, making sure to scrape up all the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan; add the minced garlic and stir. Add the chopped tomato, softened onions, kalamata olives, and tomato paste, to the skillet; cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Add chicken, orzo, basil, and spinach leaves, stirring until spinach wilts. Taste and re-season if needed. Remove from heat; sprinkle with cheese and serve. Enjoy.

Very Good Meat Loaf

INGREDIENTS

• For the Glaze:
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 cup barbeque sauce
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 
  
• For the Meatloaf:
• 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup whole-fat buttermilk
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup small-diced onion
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 2 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground beef (85% lean-15% fat)
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground pepper

DIRECTIONS

• 1
  Heat oven to 425 degrees. Combine the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and place over low heat.
• 2
  Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent (try not to brown). Add parsley, basil, and tomato paste and cook for about a minute. Set aside to cool.
• 3
  In a small bowl, combine Panko and buttermilk and set aside for 5 minutes. Then in a large bowl, place beef, pork, cheese, salt and pepper, the onion mixture, and the panko mixture. Mix with your hands until just combined.
• 4
  On a rimmed baking pan (I use 13x9x2), form the mixture into a loaf shape sitting in the center of the pan, with all four sides exposed.* Brush sides and top with some glaze, then bake for about 50 minutes, removing the pan every 10 minutes or so to brush on more glaze. (At the end of baking, you will not have used all of the glaze mixture – just keep it in the saucepan on low and stir it every few minutes.)
• 5
  Cool for 5 minutes, slice, and serve hot with leftover glaze as sauce.

Pecan Sticky Bun Style Pancakes

1 batch buttermilk pancake batter (your favorite buttermilk pancake mix will do)
1 cup brown sugar, divided into fours
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 TBSP honey, divided into 4 TBSP
1 1/2 cup pecans, divided four ways

The sauce recipe is divided into fours because you want a fresh batch of sauce for every couple pancakes you make to ensure that the caramel doesn’t burn.

In a small heavy-bottomed sauté pan, bring the brown sugar, butter and honey to a boil over medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Add pecans. Turn off until ready for pancakes.

Prepare a baking sheet with paper towels down and set aside.

Now this part will seem weird, you are going to get a separate large sauté pan and add some butter to cook the pancakes in. Let butter melt and then pour your pancake batter. I made smaller and thicker pancakes so that they would fit into the small sauté pan once transferred. Once they are cooked on one side move them to the prepared baking sheet cooked side down.

Turn the heat back on the sticky bun sauce and add the half cooked pancake to the pan, batter side down. Let pancake simmer for a couple of minutes until cooked through. You can cut and check and see if you are not sure it is cooked through or not.

Once cooked use a spatula to flip the pancake sticky bun side up. Make a small stack and add the extra sauce and sprinkle some more pecans if desired.

Clean your pan out and make a fresh batch of sauce and start all over again. These are more work than your average pancake….but oh so yummy!!!

Crispy Baked Orange Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

For the chicken:
2½ pounds chicken wings, tips removed, drumettes and flats separated
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

For the sauce:
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes, (orl less or more to taste)
3/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup hoisin sauce

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Rinse wings and drumettes and pat dry. Transfer to a large bowl and toss with vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Position wings on baking racks in a single layer ensuring that wings aren't touching.

Bake, rotating pan half-way through, until fully cooked, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove wings from oven and transfer to a large bowl.

Add the sesame oil and olive oil to a small saucepot over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for about 3 minutes until golden brown.

Add the red pepper flakes, orange marmalade and hoisin sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.

Pour the orange sauce over the wings, tossing to thoroughly coat, and serve immediately.

Rose Victoria's Notes:

If wings aren't your thing, you can just as easily use this glaze atop chicken breasts and tenders, as well as pork and shrimp

Low Carb Stuffed Peppers Enchilada

Ingredients

• 4 bell peppers (any color), sliced in half stem-to-tip, seeds removed
• 1c quinoa, uncooked
• ½ medium onion, diced
• 1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 roma tomato, seeded and diced
• 1 (4oz) can diced green chiles (don’t drain)
• ¼c cilantro, minced
• ¼tsp salt
• ¼tsp pepper
• olive oil, if desired
• ½c Monterrey Jack, grated
• ½c cheddar cheese, grated
• 1 recipe red enchilada sauce (or 1 (28oz) can)

Instructions

1. Add quinoa and onion to a large saucepan with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 5 minutes, cover, turn off heat and let steam 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
2. In the meantime, microwave pepper halves 2-3 minutes to soften slightly. (Prepared this way, the peppers should come out crisp-tender. If you want them crisper, you can omit this step.)
3. Pour quinoa/onion mixture into a mixing bowl. Stir in black beans, tomato, green chiles and their juices, cilantro, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper. If the mixture seems to dry, drizzle in a bit of olive oil (I didn’t need any).
4. Pour enchilada sauce into a 9×13″ baking dish. Divide filling among peppers. Nestle stuffed peppers into the enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with cheeses.
5. Cover the pan with foil and bake at 375 degrees 25-30 minutes. Remove foil and cook about 5 minutes longer. Serve peppers drizzled with enchilada sauce

Second-Hand Rose Turkey Casserole

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 5 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups cubed cooked turkey
• 2 cups cooked egg noodles
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions

• In a large skillet, saute mushrooms and celery in 3 tablespoons
• butter until tender. Combine cornstarch and milk until smooth; stir
• into mushroom mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring
• constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until thickened.
• Stir in the turkey, noodles, broth, salt, thyme and pepper. Pour into
• a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Melt remaining butter; toss with bread
• crumbs. Sprinkle over casserole.
• Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until heated
• through. Yield: 4 servings.

Low Carb "Where's the Crust" Pizza

For those of you who  want to eat pizza but can't have the pizza dough crust do to a low carb diet,  This recipe is perfect!!!

Crust
1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Topping
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers
Garlic powder


Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spay a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, our until golden brown. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes.

Spread pizza sauce on crust. Top with cheese and toppings. Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.

Eggs Benedict Casserole

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound Canadian bacon, chopped
• 6 English muffins, split and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 8 eggs
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 
  
• SAUCE:
• 4 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

• Place half of the bacon in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish; top with English muffins and remaining bacon. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and onion powder; pour over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
• In a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water, constantly whisk the egg yolks, cream, lemon juice and mustard until mixture reaches 160° or is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Reduce heat to low. Slowly drizzle in warm melted butter, whisking constantly. Serve immediately with casserole. 

Brie with Brown Sugar and Pecans

• 1/4 CUP FIRMLY PACKED LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
• 1/4 CUP CHOPPED PECANS
• 1 TABLESPOON BOURBON
• 1/2 PACKAGE (17 1/4 OUNCES) FROZEN PUFF PASTRY SHEETS, THAWED
• 1 (13.2-OUNCE) ROUND BRIE

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Stir together light brown sugar, pecans and bourbon.
3. Place puff pastry sheet onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out fold lines. Spread pecan mixture in a 5-inch circle in the center of pastry. Place Brie on top of pecan mixture. Wrap pastry around Brie, pinching to seal tightly, and place on aluminum foil lined baking sheet, folded side down.
4. Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is lightly brown. Cool 10 minutes on baking sheet. Serve warm with French baguette slices, crackers, and apple and pear slices.brown sugar & Pecans

Stuffed Artichokes

Ingredients

• 4 whole lemons
• 6 medium artichokes
• 6 cups fresh bread crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano
• 6 teaspoons  finely minced garlic
• 3/4 cup minced fresh parsley leaves
• 
  
• 1 3/4 cups extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 thin slices fresh lemon

Directions

Grate the zest of 2 of the lemons and reserve. Squeeze the juice from 1 of the zested lemons into a large bowl filled halfway with cool water. Set aside. Juice the remaining 3 lemons and reserve the juice. Cut the stems off of the artichokes so that they will stand upright. Remove any tough or blemished outer leaves and, using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/4 of the artichoke. Using kitchen shears, cut the thorns from the tips of the remaining leaves. Using your fingers, gently pry the leaves apart to reveal the inner choke and, using a spoon or a melon baller, scoop out some of the inner leaves and the fuzzy choke and discard. This should leave a sizable cavity in the center of each artichoke for stuffing. Repeat with the remaining artichokes, transferring artichokes to the acidulated water as soon as they are trimmed and cleaned.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the bread crumbs, reserved lemon zest, Pecorino Romano, garlic, parsley,
 6 tablespoons of the reserved lemon juice, and 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon of warm water and mix thoroughly. The crumb stuffing should be moist enough to clump together when pinched between your fingers. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Working 1 at a time, remove the artichokes from the lemon water and invert to drain thoroughly. Using a small spoon, fill the cavities of the artichokes with the stuffing, pressing downward as you add the stuffing. You should have enough stuffing to fill all 6 cavities of the artichokes as well as stuff some of the large outer leaves. Drizzle each artichoke with 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil.

In a wide saucepan large enough to hold the artichokes in 1 layer, place the artichokes, stem side down and stuffing up, and add about 1-inch of cold water; it should come up to the bottom of where the leaves begin. Add any remaining lemon juice and the remaining olive oil. Cover the pot and bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and continue to cook, covered, until the leaves pull away easily from the artichokes and the heart is tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Carefully remove the artichokes from the pot and set aside to cool slightly. Serve the artichokes either warm or at room temperature. Garnish with lemon slices.

Eggplant & Ricotta Parmigiano-Romano

Ingredients

 Tomato Sauce:

• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup black olives, pitted and roughly chopped
• 1/2  teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (can use less if you prefer)
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 (28-ounce) cans tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), crushed by hand
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, hand torn
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups dried bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 pounds medium eggplants, trimmed and cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 2 pounds whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Romano
• 2 pounds shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

First make the sauce: Put a large saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute. Add the olives, red pepper flakes, and capers, and let that cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Toss in the tomatoes with their juices and bring to a low simmer. Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Combine the bread crumbs, garlic powder, and oregano in a shallow bowl; season generously with salt and pepper and mix well. Crack 3 of the eggs into another shallow bowl; season with salt and pepper and beat with a fork to mix. Put the flour in another shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Arrange the eggplant, flour, beaten eggs, and bread crumbs on a work surface near the stove.

Heat about 1/4-inch olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, dredge several eggplant slices first in the flour, then dip them in the egg, and finally coat them in the bread crumbs. Put as many eggplant in the skillet as will fit comfortably in a single layer and cook until tender and well browned on both sides. Drain on paper towels. Cook all of the eggplant slices this way, adding more olive oil to the pan as needed.

Stir together the ricotta and 1/2 cup of the Parmigiano cheese. Stir in the basil and remaining 2 eggs, and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To assemble the dish, first get yourself set up with a large, buttered baking dish. Have ready the eggplant, the ricotta mixture, the tomato sauce, the shredded mozzarella cheese and the remaining 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano. To start, spoon some of the tomato sauce over the bottom of the baking dish. Now add a layer of eggplant. Spread with half of the ricotta mixture. Spoon another layer of tomato sauce over and sprinkle with about one-third of the mozzarella. Repeat with a layer of eggplant, the rest of the ricotta, tomato sauce, and another third of the mozzarella. Finish with the rest of the eggplant, the rest of the tomato sauce, and the rest of the mozzarella. Sprinkle with the 3/4 cup Parmigiano.

Put the dish in the oven and bake for about 1 hour, until golden and bubbling. Let stand for about 20 minutes before cutting.

Traditional Christmas Eve 7 Fishes Recipe...

Every Christmas Eve its a tradition to make 7 kinds of fish and we usually have more varieties than that.   I use this recipe to make my fish,  but you can also use it for Veal and Chicken if you like...

ingredients.

1 pound of  white fish suggestions I used: Flounder, Perch, Haddock, Tilapia, Sea bass or other like Mahi Mahi  white fish filet's( use frozen or fresh)
For Chicken or Veal you must pound the slices for tenderness first Using one pound of either on
3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 
3/4 cup all-purpose flour 
1/4 cup corn starch

2 teaspoons kosher salt 
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, as needed 
Vegetable oil for frying the herbs 
1/2 cup mixed fresh parsley leaves, rosemary leaves, and small thyme sprigs ...(a wonderful flavored butter will be created.)
Additional kosher salt 
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 
4 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, or to taste 
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves 
Additional freshly ground black pepper 

 

By adding the below, these are other Regions Styles of making this dish:
 Canned Artichokes optional (Roman Style Dish )
 Chopped Fresh Tomatoes optional (Roman Style Dish)
 Capers (by pounding chicken or veal thinly becomes a Picatta) optional ( Bari Style Dish )
 Lemon slices for garnish optional
 Suggestion to serve with: 1/2 pound boiled pasta linguine or bow ties

Pat fish dry if frozen in paper towels.
Beat the eggs with the cheese in a large bowl to blend. Mix the flour with the salt and pepper in a shallow pie plate. Place the fish in the flour, cornstarch and turn to coat on all sides. Dip into the egg mixture and lift to let the excess drip off. Return to the flour and turn again to coat on all sides.Note: (When dipping  the chicken,  I dip in egg again and back into the flour, so it's double dipped)

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Transfer to a large platter, cover loosely with foil, and continue with the remaining fish filet's. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil, if needed. 


Heat about 2 inches vegetable oil in a small deep saucepan over medium-high heat . Working in batches, add the herbs, patted very dry, a small handful at a time and fry until crisp, about 10 seconds. They will bubble up furiously. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. 

Add the butter, wine, lemon juice, and chopped parsley to the skillet and heat until bubbling. Season with salt and pepper. Add capers if using. Spoon a small amount of the sauce over each piece of fish, top with the fried herbs, and serve at once. Serve with linguine or bow ties with the extra sauce.

Pretzel Candy Cane Kisses

]

• 2 bags of Kisses (Candy Cane or any flavor), unwrapped
• 1, 1 lb bag of waffle-style pretzels

1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Place approx 120 pretzels on a large baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. (You can use 2 baking sheets if you don’t have a large enough one…you don’t want them too crowded)
4. Place unwrapped Kiss on the pretzel.
5. Place baking sheet in oven for 2- 2 1/2 minutes until Kisses are glossy.
6. If Kiss is still hard in the middle place back in oven in 20 second increments until soft.
7. Press another pretzel on top sandwiching the kiss.
8. Place baking sheet in fridge for 15 minutes to set.
9. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

There are many variation of this, feel free to try another flavors of Kisses.

The Best Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

• 1 pound purchased or homemade Gnocchi
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Milk
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
• 1/4 cup shredded Fontina cheese
• Salt & white pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano
• Basil leaves for garnish, optional
• 
  

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and place gnocchi in a single-layer in a 1-1/2 quart shallow baking dish that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.
• Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles, then whisk in milk and Dijon. Continue to whisk mixture and cook until slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Combine Gruyere and fontina, then add by the handful to milk mixture, stirring until melted before adding the next handful. Once all cheese is melted, season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Pour sauce over gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano over top. Bake gnocchi until they puff and cheese is golden and bubbly, about 25 minutes. Let gnocchi rest for 5 minutes before serving.