These are so yummy and can be used it so many different ways! Throw them on a salad, garnish desserts or just eat them as a sweet snack!

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
4 cups (12 ounces) pecans halves, unsalted
1 egg white, whisked

​Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and cayenne to a large bowl or ziplock bag. Toss or whisk until evenly combined. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, add pecans and egg whites, and gently toss until combined and the pecans are evenly coated. Add in the sugar mixture, and toss until combined.
Spread the mixture out in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If your baking sheet is not that large, you may need to split the batch onto two baking sheets.) Bake for about 40 minutes, removing the nuts and giving them a stir every 20 minutes, until the pecans are fragrant and the sugar coating is cooked. (The sugar will harden more once the pecans are out of the oven.)
Remove from the oven, and let the baking sheet cool on a cooling rack until the nuts reach room temperature. Transfer them to a sealed container and store until ready to use.

 These are so delicious, they taste like they just came out of the bakery!!

2/3 cup flour
5 1/2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
4 ounces white or semi-sweet baking chocolate or a combination of both (or almond bark)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or baking mats.
Stir flour, coconut, and salt.
Stir in sweetened condensed milk and both extracts. 
Drop 2 tablespoon balls of dough onto the prepared cookie sheets.
These do not spread so you can crowd them close together.
Wet your hands slightly and push down any sticking up or out single pieces of coconut as these might burn.
Bake for about 11 minutes, until the bottoms are golden and the tops start to turn the tiniest bit golden.
Cool completely before eating or dipping.
To dip:
Melt chocolate according to package directions.until it’s melted and smooth.
Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil or crisco if needed to get it to melt smoother.
Dip the bottoms or tops of each macaroon in chocolate. Let dry.
Don’t refrigerate or you’ll get the condensation marks!

Do you love Almond Joys? Well you're going to want to make large batches of these little bites of heaven!

Makes 2-1/2 dozen

1-3/4 cups confectioners sugar
1-3/4 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
2 cups (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp shortening

In a large bowl, combine the sugar, coconut, almonds and milk.
Shape into 1" balls.
Layer on a cookie sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes.
Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in the microwave.
Stir until smooth.
Dip the balls into the chocolate, allowing the excess to drip off.
Place on waxed paper and let stand until set.
​Store in an airtight container.

 I think these taste better than the ones out of the box!

Makes 2 quarts
​
10 cups popped popcorn
1-1/2 cups cocktail peanuts
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup dark corn syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
Mix together the popcorn and peanuts in a very large bowl or roasting pan.
Keep warm in the oven.
Melt butter in a 2 quart saucepan.
Stir in the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.
Bring to a roiling broil, stirring constantly.
Boil without stirring for 5 minutes.
Remove form heat.
Stir in baking soda and vanilla.
Quickly pour over the warm popcorn mixture, tossing until everything is well coated.
Spread out in a shallow baking pan or cookie sheet.
Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.
Make sure each piece of popcorn has been moved around on the bottom!
Remove from the oven and turn out on a sheet of aluminum foil to cool.
Store in a tightly covered container.

**I was not paid for this review! I received these free of charge!**

    I was given the unique opportunity to review these power-packed energy bars by Brisk Bars. I received four bars (picture shows three, I ate one!) . It came with a neat brochure and small page with instructions of the best way to eat them. They're all natural, made from plants , guarana and maca , not from sugar or chemicals. As I've been trying to go green lately, I thought that was wonderful! 

  Each bar is stronger than one cup of espresso! Wow! They also have only 100 calories, 5g of protein and only 4g of sugar. They seem to only come in one flavor - 70% dark chocolate and coconut that claims to awaken your taste buds and keep you satisfied. The instructions suggest if you are highly sensitive to caffeine or never tried guarana before, to only eat 1/2 a bar to start. You should feel results within a few minutes to an hour and can last from 2-6 hours. Wow! I was pretty impressed just by reading the brochure!

  I just got back home from a long car trip and was pretty exhausted, so I thought it'd be the perfect time to try one out. I'm a coffee drinker, but I decided to just start with eating half of one to start off with. They smell scrumptious, you can really smell the coconut on them! The texture was nice, smooth and chewy, not grainy like some other bars I've tried. At first, it tasted delicious, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. However, after a minute or two, there was a bitter aftertaste that reminded me of chewing a pill. It's definitely not a snickers! 
  Within 10 minutes, I started to feel a little more clear headed and better after my long trip. After 30 minutes, I was starting to feel pretty alright! It lasted a few hours, and I never crashed with a harsh letdown like other bars I've tried.
  All in all, I was pretty impressed with these! The taste could use a little improving, needs some more sweetness, but the effects were definitely worth it! I think these powerful little bars might become one of my favorite pick-me-ups!
  If you'd like to get some for yourself, you can find them here:
        http://briskbars.com 
​They're also available on amazon too. 
​ #NewtoBB