Popcorn balls a great holiday treat

When I was making my grocery list one evening while getting ready to make Christmas treats, I almost forgot about my family's most requested recipe -- Harriet's Caramel Popcorn Balls.

These are by far the best popcorn balls I have ever had. I even bought myself a special candy thermometer a couple of years ago so I could make popcorn balls just like Harriet's -- soft, chewy and melt in your mouth.

Harriet's Popcorn Balls

1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups popping corn

1/4 cup butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Add 1 tablespoon of the oil to a four-quart saucepan, and heat over high heat. When oil is hot, add 1/2 cup of popping corn. Keep pan moving constantly. When corn stops popping, remove from heat. Repeat until all corn has been popped. Set aside. In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer inserted, combine butter, sugar and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in condensed milk; simmer, stirring constantly, until thermometer reads 238 degrees F. Stir in vanilla. Pour caramel over popped corn and stir to coat. Butter hands lightly; shape popcorn balls about 3 inches in diameter. Wrap the balls individually in waxed paper.

Mexican Dip

1 16-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained

Several drops hot red pepper sauce, or to taste

1 tomato, chopped

1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 cup salsa

1 cup nonfat sour cream

3/4 cup shredded nonfat cheddar cheese

4 scallions, thinly sliced

10 pitted small black olives, sliced

In a blender or food processor, puree the beans, pepper sauce and 2 tablespoons water. Transfer to a 12-inch serving platter; spread in a thin layer on the platter. Leaving a 1-inch border, top the bean mixture evenly with the tomato, bell pepper and salsa. Leaving a 1-inch border, top the tomato layer evenly with the sour cream and cheese. Sprinkle with the scallions and olives. Serve with baked tostados. Makes 8 servings. Each serving without the chips is 1 point, 89 calories, 1 g fat, 1mg cholesterol, 365 mg sodium, 129 total carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 8 g protein, 150 mg calcium.

Love That Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 cup tomato sauce

3/4 cup quick cooking oats, uncooked

1 medium onion, chopped

1 egg

3/4 tsp. garlic powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Ketchup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients. Mix well. Shape to form a loaf. Bake in a large, shallow baking pan about 1 1/4 hours. I like to cover the meatloaf with ketchup halfway through baking.

Makes 6 servings. Each serving is 4 Weight Watcher points.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Don't cast a crust of stale bread on the waters and expect chocolate cake in return.

GARY'S TIP: A great trick for polishing your silverware: Line a pan with aluminum foil. Add water and bring to a boil. Add some baking soda and stir. When the water comes to a boil again, put in your silverware and turn off the heat. Wait a few minutes, then remove. Your silverware will shine like new.