M&M’s – Blue Jeans and Cotton Tees

What do you serve a crew of hungry 4H kids who have just walked over a mile along the highway and through the ditches picking up trash for a community service project?

It needs to be cheap, portable, filling, and appeal to all ages.

How about kettle corn – bagged with peanuts, M&M’s and candy corn?!

Served with pumpkin-shaped sugar cookies and a juice box, these snack bags were a hit with my road crew this weekend!

And the left-over bags were so handy in throw in lunch boxes this morning!

Kettle Corn

1 tablespoon oil (we love coconut oil for popping corn)
1 tablespoon sugar
1/3 cup unpopped popcorn
salt to taste

Place in the oil and sugar in your popcorn popper. Add the popcorn and pop according to directions.

The sugar will melt with the oil and coat the popcorn as it pops. Toss the popped corn into a bowl and salt to taste. Let sit for a few minutes to cool before breaking it apart.

This stuff is fabulous when hot – and holds up well for 3-5 days depending on the humidity.

Let the kettle corn cool completely before you mix in the candy corn and M&M’s so there is no melting.

When we mixed in all the extras, they fell to the bottom of the bag leaving the popcorn on top – but no one seemed to mind. They just shook the bags until their favorites were on top.

Enjoy!

My friend, faithful blog reader and fellow foodie Ellene recently sent me the most amazing recipe!

Are you ready for this one – Monster Cookie Dough Frosting!

Hello! That was brilliant! Now why didn’t I think of that! Who doesn’t love monster cookie dough?!

The original recipe from Living Simply called for a peanut butter cupcake to hold this amazing frosting – but you know me. It’s all about chocolate here.

So Angel Girl switched up the cupcake for our favorite Fudge Brownie.

Yummalicious.

We took it to the church potluck yesterday and brought home an empty pan. Good thing Angel Girl set a few aside for a picture before we left!

Fudge Brownie with Monster Cookie Dough Frosting
Adapted from Tisha Sledd at Living Simply

Fudge Brownies

1-1/3 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt. In a separate bowl combine the oil, eggs, and vanilla.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Stir till just mixed. Spread in a greased 9 x 13 inch cake pan.

Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.

Monster Cookie Dough Frosting

1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter (softened to room temperature)
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1-1/2 cup oatmeal
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1 cup plain M&M’s
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream the butter, peanut butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together. Add the oatmeal, powdered sugar, milk, M&M’s and chocolate chips. Mix well.

Spread over cooled brownies.

Cut the brownies into small squares ’cause this stuff is rich!

Enjoy!