Old Soul, Young Heart

Caramel Brownies Recipe from: Brenda Watson Ingredients: 1 package Kraft caramels 1 German chocolate cake mix ⅓ cup evaporated milk ⅓ cup evaporated milk (yes, this is listed twice) ¾ cup melted butter 6 ounces chocolate chips Directions: Melt caramels and ⅓ cup evaporated milk. Set aside. Combine cake mix, butter, and the other ⅓ cup evaporated milk. Mix until doughy. Press half of cake mixture into ungreased 13x9 pan. Bake for 8 minutes at 350°. Sprinkle chocolate chips over dough, then pour caramel mixture, then drop remaining cake mixture over caramel. Bake for 20 minutes at 350°. I can't screw this one up; I've made it so many times! Also, it's just easy and hard to screw up anyway. They aren't the prettiest brownies you've ever seen, but boy, are they delish! I use less butter than is called for above (I use one stick). I also use a lot more chocolate chips than is called for above and usually I like to mix milk chocolate and semi-sweet chips together. Fun fac...

  Pumpkin Cookies Recipe from: Peggy Richard Directions: Combine dry ingredients and set aside: 2 cups flour 1 cup oatmeal 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon salt Cream together: 1 cup softened butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup white sugar Add 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla; mix well Add 1 cup pumpkin and dry ingredients a little at a time Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips; mix well Bake on lightly greased cookie sheet at 350° for 15 minutes Frost with cream cheese frosting It's pumpkin szn! This is one of the recipes that my aunt Peggy is world famous for. Mine did not turn out like hers did; I think it's because she lets her dough refrigerate. Hers are larger and fluffier and denser. Mine ended up being a little crispy on the bottom, which is fine too. They are yummy, though, even without refrigerated dough! I put in way more chocolate chips than it calls for. Store-bought frosting is both efficient and delicious. The recipe yields 3 dozen cookies. Make these...

Fruity Crispix Crunch Recipe from: Sis Ingredients: ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup butter or oleo 1 jar marshmallow creme (7½ oz) 1 small package any flavor Jello 6 cups Crispix Directions: Melt butter in large bowl Stir in marshmallow creme and Jello powder Microwave for 2 minutes or until it boils; stir after 1 minute Stir in baking soda Microwave for 2 more minutes; stir after 1 minute Pour over Crispix and gently toss Spread onto waxed paper lined container Another recipe from Sis Piss!  Man, I love this stuff. It's hard to describe its taste and what the appeal is. I might like it so much because it's just nostalgic. But also delish! It's hard to stop eating it once you start. Strawberry is my favorite flavor and go-to, but orange is also delightful... or raspberry!

  Puppy Chow Ingredients: 6 ounces milk chocolate chips ¾ cup peanut butter 1 tablespoon butter 8 cups Crispix 2 cups powdered sugar Directions: Melt chocolate chips, peanut butter, and butter in the microwave in a large bowl Add Crispix and stir to cover all Put powdered sugar in a large paper sack and pour in the cereal mixture Shake well Pour onto waxed paper to cool Classic! I have made puppy chow many thousands of times over the years. Alright, maybe not thousands. Hundreds. It's a crowd-pleaser! I used to follow the recipe above, but now what I do goes a little something like this: Melt together a shit ton of chocolate chips (milk and semi-sweet) and a shit ton of peanut butter, however much butter seems good, and a splash or two of vanilla Pour over the entire family size box of Crispix to cover all  Follow remaining steps above Now, I did always use a paper sack from the grocery store for the shaking part, but I realized I have a huge popcorn bowl situation with a lid,...

Pecan Pie Squares Ingredients for crust: 3 cups flour ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar ¾ cup softened butter ¾ teaspoon salt Ingredients for filling: 4 eggs (slightly beaten) 1½ cups sugar 1½ cups light Karo syrup 1½ teaspoons vanilla 2½ cups chopped pecans 3 tablespoons melted butter Directions: Grease 13x9 pan Beat crust ingredients in a large bowl on medium until crumbly Press firmly into pan Bake until light golden, about 20 minutes Mix filling ingredients, minus pecans, until well-blended Stir in pecans Pour over baked layer and spread evenly Bake until filling is set, about 25 minutes Cool and cut into squares I wasn't going to make these until November which is much more of a pecan pie type of season, but the recipe I was originally going to do calls for milk and I didn't get any milk at the store. Whoopsie poopsie. Change of plans! I am a huge pecan pie fan and I figured that out from my mom making these bars! These were more of a Christmastime treat. I think my mom made ...

Tollhouse Pan Cookies Ingredients 2¼ cups flour 1 cup soft butter ¾ cup brown sugar ¾ cup white sugar 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 eggs 6 ounces chocolate chips optional: nuts Directions Mix above and spread into a greased and floured jelly roll pan Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes Cool and cut into squares I decided on a whim to make these tonight since it's National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. So here is a whole pan of chocolate chip cookies. Can't go wrong! Very easy to throw this together! Use a stand mixer if you can.

  Seven Layer Bars Ingredients: ½ cup melted butter 1 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 cup shredded coconut (plus a little more) 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips 6 oz butterscotch chips 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts) 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk Directions: Pour butter into a 13x9 pan Sprinkle crumbs over the butter, then coconut, then chocolate chips, then butterscotch chips, then nuts Pour the sweetened condensed milk over it and spread evenly Bake at 350° for 30 minutes Cut into squares while warm They ain't pretty, but boy, are they tasty! Another recipe that is hardly a recipe at all. This took like five minutes to throw together! You must like coconut for this one. I feel like coconut is one of those things that you either really like or really do not like and don't want to eat it at all in anything. I am someone who really likes coconut. Gimme all the Mounds bars, coconut pie/cake, etc. These bars remind me of my mom's goodie trays at Christmas because th...