Naughty and Nice

Caramel Popcorn (NAUGHTY - not so good for you:)

1 cup of butter
2 cups of brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
5 quarts of popped popcorn (2-3 bags is what I use)

1. First four ingredients - let boil for 4 min. with out stirring
2. Add baking soda and vanilla
3. Remove from heat and pour over popcorn on a flat baking pan (I use a large pampered chef stone with really short sides - forgot the name of the pan)
4. Place in 250 degree oven. Stir every 15 min for an hour.


Granola Bars (NICE - good for you)

2 1/2 cups rice cereal
2 cups oats
1/2 cup of raisins (or 1/4 cup of chocolate chips and 1/4 nuts) Get creative!
2/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup OR honey
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 T ground flax seed

1. mix cereal and oats together
2. heat sugar and honey just until boiling/take off the stove
3. add PB and vanilla to sugar and honey/mix well
4. add everything else (if your going to do the choc. chips - throw them in when your rolling out)
5. Roll it out and cut into bars

P.S. My kids new favorite cereal is the cheep toasted O's cereal with milk and a couple scoops of Ovaltine mixed in. Fun and better then buying chocolate sweet cereals, right?