Chocolate Peanut Butter Candy Corn Bugles

How's that for a title?  I'd seen the idea for chocolate peanut butter Bugles and thought they'd be perfect in candy corn colors.  Now, before we go any further, I've eaten enough candy corn over the years to know that these aren't the "official" candy corn colors in the proper order.  I know that it should be yellow on the bottom, then orange, and white on the tips.  However, I wanted to keep some of the yellow of the Bugles snacks showing so I had to use the orange at the base to keep the peanut butter in.   Believe me, though, once you taste these yummy little treats, you won't care that the color order has been switched around!

Check these snacks out...

Here's what you'll need...

• Bugles snacks
• Peanut butter
• Orange and White Melting chocolates

Here's what to do...

1.  Start by filling each Bugle with a little bit of peanut butter.  I didn't do anything fancy, just used a knife to spread a little bit into each one.  (You'll find that the openings on some of the Bugles are too narrow to get much peanut butter in.  You can just snack on those "defective" ones as you're working! :)  )

2.  Next, melt your orange melting chocolates and dip the peanut butter end of the Bugles in the chocolate.  Put on waxed paper to cool.

3.  Do the same with your white melting chocolates and dip the pointed end in the white.

4.  Allow your treats to cool and harden and they're ready to go!

Let me tell you, these were a huge hit with the kids (even their dad loved them).  The combination of the chocolate & peanut butter with the salty crunchiness of the Bugles was delicious.  It reminded us a bit of a candy bar, a Kit Kat maybe, but with a little more saltiness and crunch.

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Make Your Own Chalkboards (with construction paper and glue)

Here is another one of those "No way.  I had no clue you could do that" ideas!  A couple months ago one of my readers (Hi, Bonnie!) sent me an email telling me that she makes her own little chalkboards for her preschoolers using just construction paper and glue.  Now Bonnie said she has been a classroom teacher for over 30 years, so I was sure she wasn't making this up, but I didn't have a chance to actually test it out until recently.  Well, it totally works and it's such an inexpensive, easy and awesome idea.  

Check it out...

I know a lot of schools use dry erase boards, but I think these could be even better for several reasons.  First, they're way cheaper.  Second, you don't have worry about dry erase markers which are pricey and dry out quickly.  Third, you can even make your own little reusable worksheets with this method!

Here's how to do it (it's super easy!)

1.  Get a sheet of dark construction paper, a foam paintbrush and some white glue.

2.  Using the brush, cover the entire sheet of paper with a thin layer of glue.

3.  Let it dry completely, then "season" your chalkboard by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk over the whole surface and wiping it off.

4.  For added durability, you could mount your new little chalkboard onto a piece of cardboard if you'd like.

5.  To make a reusable worksheet, just write using a white crayon before you paint on the glue, then continue with the other steps.

Pretty darn cool, isn't it??!!  They're easy and cheap enough to make a whole bunch of different ones for your kids at home or to make a set for your classroom if you're a teacher.

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Snickers Caramel Apple Salad

I've been making this recipe for several years now and it's always a big hit  ( I think I originally wrote it down from one of those church cookbooks where everyone contributes recipes).  You get all the yumminess of caramel apples, but in a creamy "salad" form.  Plus it's a great way to use up all those apples you get while apple picking ~ we're about 20 pounds into the 50 pounds we picked a few weeks ago!

Check it out...

Here's what you need for the party-sized bowl I usually make (recipe can be halved) :

• 6-7 medium sized apples
• 20 fun-sized Snickers bars
• 1 cup chopped peanuts
• 16 oz Cool Whip (I use light.  It still tastes great and helps offset all those Snickers!)
• 20 oz can crushed pineapple

Here's what to do...

1.  Core and dice your apples into about 1/2" -3/4" pieces.  I use both red and green apples and usually leave the skin on, but you can peel them if you like.  Cut up your Snickers bars into pieces about the same size as your apples.   Add the chopped nuts and set aside.

2.  Drain the crushed pineapple and squeeze out as much of the excess liquid as possible.  Mix together the Cool Whip and the pineapple.

3.  Gently fold in the apples, Snickers and nuts and gently stir until everything is combined.

4.  Refrigerate until ready to serve and enjoy!!

NOTE:  This dish is quick and easy to put together, so don't make it too far in advance.  The crushed pineapples add a great flavor to the salad, but they will separate and create a little extra liquid at the bottom of the bowl.  It's still yummy, but not as visually appealing as when it's fresh mixed. :)

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