TAPIOCA PUDDING

1/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. Tapioca
2 3/4 cups milk - at least 2% or higher
1 egg - well beaten
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix sugar, tapioca, milk, and egg in a saucepan and let stand for 5 minutes.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture reaches a full boil.
Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Cool 20 minutes, stir.  Cover with wax paper and refrigerate until set.

Yield - 6 (1/2 cup) servings

CARAMEL - Apples/Candy/Turles/Pretzels

In a large pot combine 2 cups sugar and 1 1/4 cups light corn syrup (if you like a darker caramel, use brown sugar instead of white). Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1 cup heavy cream and bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Add another 1 cup of cream, bring to a boil then add 1 more cup of cream (3 cups in all). Continue to cook, stirring constantly until caramel reaches the 'soft-ball' stage (235-240 degrees on a candy thermometer) or when mixture can be molded with fingers into a soft ball when dropped into a bowl of ice cold water. This whole process takes about 30-45 minutes.

If making caramel candy, pour the mixture into a lightly buttered 9x13 pan and allow to cool. When cool cut into desired size pieces and wrap. Candy keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer.

For caramel apples: Prepare apples before making the caramel by inserting a stick into the top of the apple (I use Granny Smith), then dip in boiling water for 15-20 seconds to remove wax that has been added by grocery stores. If you get your apples from an orchard you do not have to do this step. Place apples on paper towels and allow to dry before dipping. Once the caramel is ready, transfer it to a 1 1/2 quart crock pot or a fondue pot set on low - this makes for easier dipping. Allow the caramel to cool for about 5 minutes. Dip apples.

If making White Chocolate over Caramel apples, dip the apples and allow the to set (in the refrigerator is best), then dip in melted white chocolate. Immediately sprinkle with a brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

For most other apples, add toppings (toffee pieces, M&M's, nuts, etc.) right after dipping in caramel and before it sets. Once cool, drizzle milk or dark chocolate over the whole apple.

This recipe makes 12-15 apples, depending on size. If you are only making a few apples, you can dip those, then drop 1/2 cup of the remaining caramel on an 8x8 inch sheet of parchment. Once cool stack the sheets, put in a gallon zip bag and store in fridge. You can then make more apples by placing a caramel circle over an apple and using your hands, gentle press it evenly around a prepared apple. Add toppings as above.

Turtles - Place 3-4 pecans for each turtle on parchment paper. Drop a teaspoon of caramel over the pecans. Do this for all the turtles you are making, then go back and drop another teaspoon or tablespoon (depending on how big you want the candy) over the whole piece. Once cool dip in milk or dark chocolate.

Pretzels - Dip large pretzel rods into caramel, place on parchment paper and allow to cool. Then, dip in white or dark chocolate. You can also add chopped nuts at this time, if desired. Once chocolate is set, drizzle different colors of melted chocolate (red, green, white for Christmas, etc.) over the pretzels.

Crepe Recipe

3/4 cup flour

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup milk

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. sugar

4 tsp. cooking oil (I use Canola)

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth. Heat a small frying pan on the stove. When it's warm, remove it from the heat and spray it with non-stick cooking spray (or maybe not if it's non-stick). Put enough crepe batter in to line the bottom of the pan (the recipe I use says 2 Tbsp but I think I typically use a bit more than that). Tilt the pan around until you have a fairly even coating. Return the pan to the stove and allow it to cook until the edges of the crepe are turning light brown (they'll most likely be curling away from the pan as well and there may be 'bubbles' forming in the crepe). Invert the pan over a plate or paper towel. The crepe should peel off fairly easily. However, I sometimes have problems with sticking so a lot of times I'll just use a spatula to scoop it out of the pan.

My favorite topping for crepes is Nutella with strawberries and/or bananas. Another good combo is brown sugar and lemon. Or if you want to be more healthy, you can just put a fruit mix together. Jeff likes to add maple syrup to every combo. Pretty much anything works.

Kettle Corn

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt

Use a large pot with lid

Heat oil and 3 kernels of popcorn in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the 3 kernels have popped, add the rest of the popcorn and sugar, giving it a quick stir and then cover with lid. Shake often until popping slows down. Remove immediately from heat and pour into a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

JIM'S REFRIED BEANS

3/4 cup water
1 cup refried beans (from the church's storehouse)

Heat water to boiling, add beans, and 2 dashes each of salt, chili powder, garlic powder and taco seasoning. Serve.

GRANOLA BARS

Make Liz's granola recipe (breakfast section)

Place 1/2 cup Karo corn syrup and 1/2 cup brown sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in 1/2 cup peanut butter. Pour over 3 1/2 cups granola and mix together. Press into a cookie sheet. Allow to cool and cut into bars.

WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN

8 oz. air popped popcorn
1 (12 oz) pkg. white chocolate chip morsels
1 Tbsp. Crisco shortening

Put chips in a 2 cup microwave bowl with shortening. Cook at 50% power for 1 minute. Stir. Return chips to microwave if not completely melted for another 30 seconds to 1 minute at 50%power. Pour over popped popcorn and mix well.

CHEX PARTY MIX - Mom's variation

2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
6 Tbsp. margarine or butter (do not use tub or spread)
1 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
3/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
4 1/2 cups Rice Chex cereal
4 1/2 cups Corn Chex cereal
1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Melt margarine in a large roasting pan in oven. Stir in seasonings. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients until evenly coated. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on paper towels to cool. Store in an airtight container. Make 12 cups.

MAKE YOUR OWN MICROWAVE POPCORN

Works great! No fat!

Take a paper lunch sack, add two tablespoons of popcorn kernels, fold the top down and cook on high approximately 2 1/2 minutes or until you hear the kernels stop popping. Add salt to taste. The sacks are reusable.

Other toppings: melted butter and salt; Parmesan cheese and salt; brown sugar and cinnamon.

JELLO JIGGLERS

4 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin
3 packages (4 serving size each) jello
4 cups boiling water

Mix gelatin and jello together. Add boiling water and stir until dissolved. Chill and cut to desired size.

MICROWAVE CARAMEL APPLES

4 or 5 medium-size apples
1 (14 oz) bag caramels
2 Tbsp. water
wooden sticks

Wash and dry apples; insert stick into stem end of each apple. Microwave caramels and water in a small, deep glass bowl on high for 2 1/2-3 1/2 minutes, stirring after each minute until sauce is smooth. (If caramel sauce is too thin, let stand about 2 minutes before dipping apples.) Dip apples into hot caramel sauce; turn until coated. Scrape excess sauce from bottom of apples. You can also roll each dipped apple in cinnamon sugar, nuts, or drizzle with chocolate. Place on greased, wax paper. Store in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes before serving to allow caramel to soften.

MICROWAVE CARAMEL POPCORN

1 cup brown sugar, OR 3/4 cup brown and 1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup white or dark corn syrup
1/2 cup butter or margarine - 1 stick
1/2 tsp salt

In a heat resistant deep bowl, microwave the brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and salt for
2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 1 1/2 minutes. Stir. Microwave 2 minutes.

Stir in 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp baking soda. CAUTION: Mixture is VERY HOT and will bubble up a little!!

Carefully pour over 20 cups of popped corn in a large brown grocery bag. Roll top down and put in microwave for 1 minute. Open bag, shake and roll down again. Microwave 1 more minute. Open, shake, roll down, microwave 1/2 minute and repeat. Spread popcorn on counter and let cool.