If you like Rice Krispy treats, then you’re going to love this!  The same yummy treats you enjoy but made with fruit loops.  This recipe is ridiculously easy to make.  You can get creative and incorporate your favorite cereal in place of the fruit loops.  Fruity pebble treats…Honeycomb treats…Coco Puff treats… the possibilities are endless.

1/4 cup butter
1 package mini marshmallows (about 6 cups)
8 cups of Fruit Loops cereal

Microwave the marshmallows and butter in a large bowl for about 2 minutes until melted and stir it up.

Pour in the cereal and mix together.

Coat a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the mixture out evenly on the cookie sheet.

Refrigerate till ready to serve. Cut into squares.

Serves 6-8

Who doesn’t love cheese and bacon?  These little appetizers are easy to make and are sinfully delicious.

1 can (5 oz) evaporated milk
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
Salt, to taste
1/2 cup shredded sharp or medium Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1/2 cup Colby-jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped cooked bacon
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls

Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 2 mini muffin pans with cooking spray.

In 2- to 3-quart saucepan, heat evaporated milk, hot water, macaroni and salt to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 7 to 9 minutes, stirring frequently, until pasta is tender and liquid is almost gone. Remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted, then bacon. Add more salt to taste, if needed.

Meanwhile, unroll crescent dough on work surface; create 4 rectangles by pressing diagonal seams together. Cut each rectangle in half the long way, then make 2 perpendicular cuts in each, creating a total of 24 smaller rectangles. Place 1 of the small rectangles in each muffin cup.

Spoon a heaping tablespoonful of pasta mixture into each muffin cup.

Bake 14 to 16 minutes or until crescent bases are golden brown, lifting crescent base with fork if necessary to check color. Cool 5 minutes, then remove from muffin cups with a spoon.

These sweet and spicy IPA beer nuts are super easy to make and are so addicting.  You can adjust the heat on these by adding more or less Sriracha and Cayenne.

1/3 cup IPA beer (I used Great Divide Brewing Titan IPA)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups mixed nuts (I used a mixture of peanuts, cashews and almonds)

Add the beer and brown sugar to a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir until sugar has melted.  Bring to a boil. Allow to boil untouched for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in butter, Sriracha and cayenne.

Add the nuts, stir until all the nuts are well coated.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Spread the nuts in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet.

Bake at 350 for 6-7 minutes, stir bake for an additional 6-7 minutes.

Remove from oven, let cool, then break apart.

Adapted from TheBeeroness.com

If you like beer and jalapenos then you will love this hummus recipe. I used Founders All Day IPA in mine but feel free to experiment with your favorite IPA in this recipe.

16oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 tbs tahini
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tbs olive oil
Juice from one lime
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup IPA Beer

Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth. Add additional beer if it is too thick. Taste and add more salt and/or garlic powder if needed.

Serve with pita bread or pita chips.

Serves 6-8

4 garlic cloves, minced
2 (15-oz) cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2/3 cup of tahini
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Variations:
1/2 cup marinated artichoke hearts
or
1/2 cup roasted red pepper

Pita bread
oil, for frying

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. If it is too thick, you can add a little extra water. You can also add in artichokes or roasted red pepper for even more flavor.

We made the whole batch and then divided it into 3. We then blended roasted red pepper into one and then the artichokes in another. We left the third one plain.

To make the pita wedges, take a round pita and use a knife to cut them into wedges. Place half of the wedges on a serving dish. The other half, fry in oil for about 30-40 seconds on each side or until lightly browned. Let drain on paper towels and then add them to the serving dish.

1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup guacamole
1 (16oz.) can refried beans
1 pint sour cream
2 cups shredded cheese
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup black olives
1/4 cup sliced jalapenos

Prepare your guacamole and set aside. Spread 1 can of refried beans in a shallow serving dish. Mix 1 pint of sour cream with the taco seasoning and spread it over the beans. Top with 2 cups of shredded cheese, 1 cup guacamole, 1 cup tomato. Top with green onions, olive slices and jalapeno slices. Serve with tortilla chips.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a 15 ½ x 10 ½ x 1-inch pan with foil. Mix the chopped chicken and barbecue sauce. Layer half each of tortilla chips, chili beans, chicken mixture, olives, tomatoes, and cheese in pan. Repeat. Place in oven for about 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Top with sliced jalapenos if desired.

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 ripe plum tomatoes, halved
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 habanero chile peppers
¼ cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
¼ cup chopped cilantro

Combine 1 tablespoon of olive oil and garlic and mix well.
Rub tomato halves with this mixture, season with salt and freshly cracked
pepper. Roast in a 500 degrees F oven for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove from oven, cool to room temperature and dice.
Meanwhile, grill habanero peppers over a medium-hot fire until they begin to blacken, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove peppers from fire and mince.
In medium-size bowl, combine tomatoes, peppers, ¼ cup olive oil, lime juice and
cilantro, mix well.

Makes: 2 cups

Preheat the broiler. Place the peppers, skin-side up on a baking sheet and broil for 10-15 minutes. The skin should be blackened. Transfer to a zip-top bag and set aside until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
Next, peel away the skin and coarsely chop the flesh. Process in a food processor until it becomes a smooth puree. Transfer to a serving bowl.
Stir in the cream cheese, cayenne pepper and salt and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator.
Serve with your favorite raw vegetables.

Serves 8