Banana Bars

2/3 C. Sugar
1/2 C. Sour Cream
2 T. Butter, softened
2 egg whites
3/4 C. mashed banana (about 2 normal sized)
1 C. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

Heat oven to 375°F . Spray 9x9" pan. Beat sugar, sour cream, butter, and egg whites in large bowl 1 minute on low speed, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in bananas and vanilla on low speed 30 seconds. Beat in flour, salt, and baking soda 1 min. Spread in pan. Bake 20-25 minutes til light brown.

I like to frost them while they are still fairly warm. That way the frosting seeps in to the bars. (Adding to the density).

Frosting
1 1/4 C. powdered sugar
1 1/2 T. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 T. sour cream

Aunt Marilyn's Popcorn

This is the greatest caramel popcorn ever! We love it as is or you can bake it to make it crunchy. You could add nuts or raisins or m & ms but we love it plain and eat it quickly!

Make 2-3 batches air popped or regular (not microwave) popcorn and pick out and discard the unpopped kernels as opposed to saving them and pouring the syrup over them. Put in a mixing bowl large enough to stir the popcorn with the syrup on it. Set aside and
make syrup:

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo
1/2 cup water

Boil in a large skillet or large heavy saucepan over high heat stirring often (that is so you watch it as it goes quickly when it starts to turn color and can scorch easily) until it begins to turn yellow. Turn off heat and add

1 cube butter (butter is the best)
1 t. baking soda
1t. salt

Remove from heat and stir carefully together to incorporate butter into syrup and pour over popcorn in bow. Stir to coat all the popcorn and pour out onto waxed paper sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and mold or spread out to cool. Or, put on sprayed jelly roll pans and bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

Annette's Jello Popcorn Balls

1 - 6 oz. box Jello (not sugar-free) , any flavor
2 cups sugar
1 cup Karo
1 t. vanilla

Bring to boil and boil for 2 minutes. Pour over 2 batches popcorn free of old maids. Stir together and mold into balls or blobs and put on waxed paper sprayed with Pam. (Remove from waxed paper before eating.)

Guilt-free (virgin) Pina Colada

My friend, Erin, made these last week for our mini pool party. They were heavenly.

1 oz. water
2 oz. Sugar Free Coconut Torani Syrup
1/4 cup Breyer's Cal Smart Vanilla Ice Cream
1 Tbsp. crushed pineapple in its own juice (She added more to make it juicier)
3/4 cup crushed ice
1 packet Splenda

Put all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds.

These should come in somewhere around 60 calories, if you follow this recipe. Enjoy!!

Indoor S'mores

Matt's friend from high school made this for a BBQ at Kristin's house last May when we were in Idaho. I just found the recipe in my planner and thought I'd share the wealth:

5 T. butter
1 pkg milk chocolate chips
2/3 cup Karo
6 cups mini marshmallows
1 tsp vanilla
8 cups Golden Grahams

Melt the butter, chocolate chips and Karo in a saucepan; add 3 cups of the marshmallows. Bring almost to a boil. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and pour over Golden Grahams. Stir in the rest of the marshmallows. Pour into greased 9x13 pan and allow to cool.

Carrot Cookies

Hey, don't skip past this recipe because it combines carrots and cookies!!! These are really scrumptious and the orange icing makes them irresistible!

Ingredients:
1 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup mashed cooked carrots
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
2 tsp baking pwd
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugar. Add carrots, egg, lemon juice and vanilla. Sift (I never really sift, but if you want to you can . . .) flour with baking pwd and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 until light brown (very light brown).

Icing:
Juice of one orange
Grated rind from orange
Enough powdered sugar to make spreading consistency

Spread on HOT cookies. These freeze well . . . Enjoy!

Neiman-Marcus cookies

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)
2 cups butter
24 oz. chocolate chips
4 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
2 tsp. soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated
)5 cups blended oatmeal
4 eggs2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream thebutter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with flour,oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips, HersheyBar, and nuts. R oll into balls, and place two inches apart on a cookiesheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 112 cookies.

Brownie Bites

This is a Kotter family specialty. They're really easy to make, but so tasty!

Make one Betty Crockery Brownie Mix according to the directions on the box. Pour in mini muffin tins and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes. When they are done baking, take them out of the oven and press the top in with your thumb to make room for the filling. Let cool.

Filling:
2 cubes Bakers white chocolate
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup Cool Whip
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Melt the Bakers chocolate and add all other ingredients, mixing well. Scoop into an icing bag and dispense into each mini muffin. Enjoy!

Starbucks-esque Hot Chocolate

I found this recipe a few months ago and now I'd rather make this than any other kind of hot chocolate. I know it's past hot chocolate time for us in Texas (it's been up to 80 this week!) but I hear the Utahns are still firmly entrenched in winter. Without further ado:

1/4 cup water
2 T. cocoa
2 T. sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine water, cocoa & sugar in 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir well to create chocolate syrup. Add milk to the mixture {I also add 4 starlight mints for peppermint hot chocolate} and microwave for 2 minutes. Add vanilla extract {and fish out the leftover peppermint} and pour into a 16-oz. mug. Serve with whipped cream {and crushed peppermint pieces}.

The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies- EVER

This recipe is one that I will make over and over again, even when my time is crunched. They are so yummy and they are great if you make a whole batch and the freeze some cookie rolls (just like you find in the grocery store). You'll want to wrap them in wax paper so they don't stick and seal them in aluminum foil.

1 c butter
1 c shortening
1 ½ c brown sugar
1 ½ c white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
5 ½ c flour
1 tsp vanilla
2 bags milk chocolate chips

Cream brown sugar, butter, shortening and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat until creamy. Add flour mixture one cup at a time. Mix in chocolate chips.

Spoon dough onto cookie sheet.

Bake at 375°F for 6-8 minutes