Late Night Snacks

When it's time to settle in for a night of tv or movie watching have plenty of snackie things around. Kids love snacks more than they love meals. If you're going to snack, you may as well have something that can be termed "semi-healthy." Just don't say healthy or it will never get eaten.

Party-Time Popcorn: Ingredients--2 quarts popped popcorn; 3 cups shoestring potato sticks; 1 cup salted mixed nuts of peanuts; 1/4 cup butter, melted; 1 tsp dill weed; 1 tsp worcestershire sauce; 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning; 1/4 tsp garlic powder; 1/4 tsp onion salt. Directions: In and ungreased roasting pan, combine the popcorn, potato sticks and nuts. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over popcorn mixture and toss to coat.
Bake, uncovered, at 325 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes, stirring once. Store in an airtight container. (Hint: you might as well make a double or even a triple batch, this amount wouldn't last long at our house!)

Sweet Fruit Smoothies: Ingredients--1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk; 8 oz. strawberry yogurt; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 8 oz can crushed pineapple undrained; 1 medium ripe banana, sliced; 1 cup halved strawberries; 1 cup crushed ice. Directions: In batches, process the milk, yogurt, lemon juice and fruit in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add ice; cover and process until smooth. Pour into glasses; serve immediately. (Yummy)

Sugared Doughnut Holes: Ingredients--1 1/2 cups all purpose flour; 1/3 cup sugar; 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp salt; 1/2 tsp nutmeg; 1 egg; 1/2 cup milk; 2 tbsp butter, melted; Oil for frying; powdered sugar. Directions: In a bosl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a small bowl, combine egg, milk and butter. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Drop dough by heaping teaspoonfuls, five or six at a time into the oil. Fry until browned, about 1 to 2 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Roll in powdered sugar.

Southwestern Corn Spread: Ingredients--2 pkgs (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened; 1/4 cup lime juice; 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies; 3 green onions, thinly sliced; 1 tbsp cumin; 1 tsp cayenne pepper; 1 tsp pepper; 1/2 tsp salt; 1 can (8 3/4 oz) whole kernel corn, drained; 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional); crackers or tortilla chips. Directions: In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and lime juice until smooth. Beat in the chilies, onions, cumin, cayenne, pepper and salt. Stir in corn and walnuts, if desired. Cover the spread and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve with crackers or chips.

Super Sausage Dip: Ingredients--1 lb bulk pork sausage; 1 small onion, chopped; 1/2 cup chopped green pepper; 3 medium tomatoes, chopped; 1 can (4 oz) chopped green chilies; 1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, cubed; 2 cups (16 oz) sour cream; tortilla chips. Directions: In a large skillet, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomatoes and chilies; mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add cream cheese; stir until melted. Stir in sour cream. Transfer to a fondue pot or slow cooker set to low to keep warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pork and Shrimp Spring Rolls: Ingredients--1 lb ground pork; 1 can (14 oz) bean sprouts, drained; 1 can (8 oz) bamboo shoots, drained and chopped; 1/2 lb cooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and finely chopped; 1 can (4 oz) mushroom stems and pieces, drained and chopped; 4 green onions, chopped; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp water; 1 tsp garlic powder; 1 tsp vegetable oil; 2 pkgs (12 oz each) wonton wrappers; oil for frying; sweet and sour sauce. Directions: In a large skillet, cook pork over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, shrimp, mushrooms and onions. In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch, soy sauce, water, garlic powder and oil until smooth; stir into skillet. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Remove from the heat. Position a wonton wrapper with one point toward you. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with damp towel until ready to use). Place 2 heaping teaspoons of filling in the center of the wrapper. Fold bottom corner over filling; fold sides toward center over filling. Roll toward the remaining point. Moisten top corner with water; press to seal. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. In an electric skillet or deep fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry spring rolls, a few at a time, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve warm with Sweet and Sour Sauce: 2 cups water; 2/3 cup distilled white vinegar; 1 1/2 cups white sugar; 1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste; 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple tidbits, drained; 3 tablespoons cornstarch. Directions: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together water, distilled white vinegar, white sugar, tomato paste, pineapple tidbits and cornstarch. Cook, stirring occasionally, 15 minutes, or until mixture reaches desired color and consistency

Toffee Coated Peanuts: Ingredients--1/4 cup sugar; 2 tbsp butter, melted; 2 tbsp corn syrup; 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/4 tsp nutmeg; 2 cups unsalted dry roasted peanuts. Directions: In a large bowl, combine the sugar, butter, corn syrup, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add peanuts; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 15x10 inch baking pan. Bake at 300 degrees for 20 -25 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown, stirring once. Cool on a wire rack, break apart if necessary. Store in an airtight container.