Caramel Apples

I have been having a love-hate relationship with food for the last 6 months.  I am always hungry but NOTHING looks or even sounds appealing to me.  Hence my lack of posting anything.  Then entered this caramel into my life.  After making it, I ingested almost nothing else but this caramel, some apple & my prenatal vitamins for 2 days.  SO good.  I am pretty partial to The Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory's caramel apples, but this recipe may even rival those.  I highly recommend trying this!  I found the recipe along with great tips on dipping the apples at Brown paper packages

1/2 c. butter
1 c. light corn syrup
2 c. brown sugar

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
8 -10 apples

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large sauce pan.  When the butter is melted, add the condensed milk.  Stirring CONSTANTLY and scraping the sides often, cook to 230 degrees (soft ball stage).  Take off heat and stir in vanilla.  Allow to cool for 3 - 4 minutes before dipping apples.  Or pour into buttered dish and allow to cool and set up then cut into individual pieces (or if you are a ravenous pregnant woman you can just eat it out of the pan by the spoon full, it's allowed I promise.)

Candy Chex Mix

My mom makes this every year at Memorial Day and then again at Christmas time. Our family loves it. Everyone who tastes it loves it. But it is SOOOO addictive, you have been warned.

1 1/2- 14 oz. boxes of corn Chex cereal

1 - 16oz. can peanuts (I prefer slivered almonds or just excluding the nuts all together)

1 1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 1/2 c. Karo syrup

1 c. + 2 Tbsp. butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium sauce pan, combine sugar, Karo syrup, butter and vanilla. Boil for exactly 2 minutes. Pour over Chex cereal and nuts and stir until completely covered. Pour onto cookie sheet or wax paper to dry. Yields 2 cookie sheets full.