Cosmos Creations

What’s better than munching on a bag of Cosmos Creations? What about using Cosmos Creations in some of your favorite sweet treats! Cooking with Cosmos is a series where we take some of the best classic dishes and replace ingredients with Cosmos. We hope you enjoy this series as much as we do!

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‘Tis the Season for holiday treats! We don’t know about you, but to us, the white chocolate and peppermint combo have Christmas written all over it. Add Cosmos Creations to that mix and you’ve got a treat to share that will have your friends and family wanting to know how to get more…assuming you’re able to save enough to share! The best part is, not only is it delicious, it’s super simple!

Ingredients:

1- 6.5 ounce bag Cosmos Creations, Caramel flavor
1 1/2 Cup White Chocolate Discs
1/4 - 1/2 Cup Crushed Peppermint candies or candy canes
1 Cup Powdered Sugar

Directions:

To start, make sure you get everything prepped as you won’t want to stop once the chocolate melts. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax or parchment paper. Measure out the powdered sugar into a 2 gallon resealable storage bag. If you don’t have a 2 gallon size bag, separate the powdered sugar equally into two 1 gallon size bags. Crush enough peppermint candies or candy canes to make 1/4 to 1/2 cup, using a blender on pulse is easiest. Leaving some larger chunks creates a nice texture. Once everything is prepped, you’re ready to begin.

Pour the entire bag of Caramel Cosmos into a large bowl (really, a large bowl, you’ll need plenty of room for mixing). In a microwave-safe bowl, pour the white chocolate discs. Melt discs by microwaving for 30 seconds at a time, checking the chocolate and mixing each time. Should only take about a minute and a half, depending on your microwave. Once the chocolate is melted and smooth, fold in crushed peppermint. Immediately pour the mixture over the Cosmos. Mix well to entirely coat the Cosmos. Once everything is well coated, pour contents of the bowl into the 2 gallon bag prepped with powdered sugar. If using two 1 gallon sizes, put half of the mixture in each bag. Seal the bag and shake until everything is well coated with powdered sugar. There shouldn’t be any clumping. If there is, break them apart and continue shaking. Pour onto lined baking sheet to cool.

Enjoy!

{In the earlier days of Cosmos we had a specialty line that featured various chocolate covered Cosmos, including a White Chocolate-Peppermint version. Since we no longer make them, we’ve had many people ask if we’ll come out with them again. Now here’s a way to make your own version!}

This year we’re offering three different deals. Take advantage of one, two or all three! Deals start Monday!

Buy one 16 oz bag of Cinnamon Crunch Cosmos, get one free! Code must be entered at time of check-out to receive discount. Code valid through December 31, 2013.

Offer valid from Monday December 2 through Sunday December 8, 2013. Valid on ground shipments only.

Receive a sampler pack for every $25 spent, up to $100. Sampler pack includes 4 Grab & Go sizes bags, 1 of each flavor. Great to use for stocking stuffers or holiday gift baskets…or to save for yourself! Offer valid Monday only!

Cheesecake is good. Apple crisp is good. Together they’re really good. Make them with Cosmos Creations? We’ve got our next recipe for Cooking with Cosmos and you’ve got yourself a crowd-pleasing dessert!

Ingredients:

8 Cups Cinnamon Crunch Cosmos Creations (1- 6.5 oz bag, plus some more)
3/4 Cup (12 Tbl) Butter, melted

2- 8 oz Packages Cream Cheese, softened
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1 Cup Brown Sugar, firmly packed
1 Cup flour
1/2 Cup Quick Cooking Oats
1/2 Cup Butter, softened

Directions:

Preheat your 350 Degrees. Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pour the 8 cups of Cinnamon Crunch Cosmos in. Process until ground fine.

Pour into a medium sized bowl, reserving 1 cup out for later use. Mix in the melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Press into the bottom of the greased baking dish. Bake for 8 minutes.

While the crust is baking, begin preparing your cheesecake filling. In a standing mixer fitted with the whisking attachment, beat cream cheese, eggs, sour cream, sugar and vanilla, scraping the sides with a rubber spatula when needed.

Using just over half of the remaining ground Cinnamon Cosmos, sprinkle over the apples and toss until they are all coated.

Pour the remaining ground Cosmos in a medium bowl (you can use the same bowl that was used for the crust mix). Add the brown sugar, flour and quick cooking oats. Mix until just blended. Using a pastry cutter, blend in the softened butter until mix is crumbly.

Remove the crust from the oven. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the hot crust. Sprinkle with the Cosmos covered apples. Top with the crisp toppings, coating as evenly as possible.

Bake, uncovered for approximately 45 minutes. Top will be browned and crumbly and the edges of the cheesecake will have browned.

Let the dish cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover with foil and chill in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours.

Once chilled completely, cut into squares, serve and be prepared for everyone to tell you how fantastic it is!

P.S. Did you know you can now follow us on Pinterest too?

We are proud to be partnering with Oregon Bi-Mart stores now through November 30 to help support The Harrington Family Foundation and their commitment to quality education for children across the state of Oregon.

Show your support by heading in to your local Oregon Bi-Mart and buying a bag (or 2 or more!) of Cosmos Creations today! Helping a good cause never tasted so sweet!

More about the Harrington Family Foundation: The Joey Harrington Family Foundation believes every child has a right to receive a quality education and proper health care in a safe and nurturing community. Its mission is to support, through financial contributions, non-profit organizations within the State of Oregon that share this vision. Recognizing the benefit of working with community partners to achieve its goals, the foundation seeks out respected organizations, businesses, and individuals who are dedicated to the belief that improving the quality of life for children today is an investment in the well-being of society tomorrow.

What’s better than munching on a bag of Cosmos Creations? What about using Cosmos Creations in some of your favorite sweet treats! Cooking with Cosmos is a new series we’re working on where we take some of the best classic dishes and replace ingredients with Cosmos. We hope you enjoy this series as much as we do!

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Magic bars are nothing new, but we wondered what this classic treat would taste like with a Cosmos Creations crust…and boy are we glad we did because the finished product did not disappoint!

Ingredients:

4 Cups Cosmos Creations, Caramel flavor
1/2 Cup (1 stick) Butter, melted
1 Cup Butterscotch Chips
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Chopped Nuts (optional)
1 14 oz Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees. Grease a 9×13 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, pour the 4 cups of Caramel Cosmos in. Process Cosmos until ground fine. {Don’t worry, there’s still enough Cosmos left over to munch on while your dish is cooking!}

Pour into a medium sized bowl. Mix in melted butter until mixture is crumbly.

Press the Cosmos mix into the bottom of the greased baking pan, making sure it is as even as possible. Sprinkle with butterscotch chips, chocolate chips, coconut and chopped nuts.

Cover evenly with the entire can of sweetened condensed milk. Bake for 25-35 minutes. Top will be bubbly and browned.Let it cool 4-6 hours before cutting.Enjoy!

Note: Trust us…it will be tough to wait until it cools completely but if you don’t wait you’ll end up with a big crumbly {but still tasty} mess!

Unfortunately, it’s a story we know all too well. We hear from Cosmos fans every day…they just discovered our product…maybe thanks to a family member, perhaps in a taster box…they love it! They want more!

So they visit our website, click on our store locator and their happiness quickly fades to disappointment. No stores near them carry the heavenly morsels.

While we are tirelessly working to make sure Cosmos is available across the nation {and yes, eventually the world} we can still use your help.

We can tell stores all day long that people will love Cosmos Creations but that doesn’t always work.

If you’d like to see your favorite grocery store stock Cosmos Creations you’ve got to let them know!

Download this flyer, print it out and present it to the store manager, asking them to stock Cosmos Creations.

Don’t forget to say please.

Just because it’s Wednesday and Teacher Appreciation Week is now half over, that doesn’t mean that you’ve run out of time to tell your kids’ teachers “thanks”!

Don’t worry, we’ve taken all the guess work out of what to do. How about a bag of Cosmos!?

Materials Needed:

• Printable Tags (Download by clicking HERE)
• Hole Punch
• Ribbon or string
• Cosmos Creations

Simply download and print out the provided tags (tags print 4 to a sheet). Have your child sign his or her name, or if they’re too young to write their own name, do it for them. Punch a hole in the tag and in the seal bar of your bag(s) of Cosmos. (**Make sure it’s the seal bar only or the Cosmos may not be fresh by the time it makes it to the recipient!**) Attached the tag to the bag of Cosmos with a string or ribbon.

Viola! A quick, easy and tasty idea that any teacher is sure to appreciate!

First of all, thank you to everyone for that took a few minutes out of their day to nominate a teacher making a different in their community. It’s always refreshing to hear stories of how teachers are inspiring today’s youth to try harder, believe in themselves, make a difference in their community and to “reach for the Cosmos”.

And the winners of this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week giveaway are…

Mr. Matheson, teacher at Thurston Middle School in Laguna Beach, California. Nominated by Kristi.

Mr. Messiter, teacher at Kestrel Heights in Durham, NC. Nominated by Rachel.

Mrs. Teel, teacher at North Adams –Jerome in North Adams, MI. Nominated by Chris.

Ms. Walker, teacher at Edy Ridghe Elementary School in Sherwood, OR. Nominated by Sharon.

Mrs. Chidester, teacher at Mcloughlin Middle School in Medford, OR. Nominated by Elizabeth.

If a teacher you nominated won, please be on the look-out for an email from us later on today!

Teachers are role models. Teachers are heroes. Teachers don’t teach to be praised, they teach to make a difference.

Teachers inspire their students reach for the Cosmos!

Teacher Appreciation week is coming up! May 6 - May 10, to be exact.

We figured there’s no better way to show our appreciation for today’s educators than to spread some love with Cosmos!

If there’s a teacher making a positive impact in your community, we want to hear about it! Take a minute to tell us why they deserve a sweet treat.

If they’re chosen you’ll both receive a Cosmos Creations prize pack to be delivered during Teacher Appreciation Week.

Enter by filling out the entry form by clicking HERE.

Here’s the details:

• Open for entry until 11:59 PM on Sunday May 5, 2013.
• 5 deserving teachers will be chosen.
• Winners will be announced Monday May 6, 2013.
• Prize packs will be shipped for delivery by Friday May 10, 2013.
• Must be 18 or older to enter
• Open to US residents only

With bombings, explosions, flooding, ricin laced letters and Lord knows what else, this week has been a rough one on our country. And that’s putting it mildly.

We still have to carry on with our day to day lives. For many, that means things as simple and mundane (and sometimes dreaded) as mowing the lawn or grocery shopping. Instead of just trudging through the weekend to-do list, why not try and brighten someone’s day while we’re at it?

Here’s a list of 10 easy ways to be a blessing to others at the grocery store:

1. Instead of looking for the parking spot closest to the front of the lot, park a little further back and leave the spot up close for someone that may need it a little more than you. Or, on the same token, if you come upon a prime spot at the same time as someone else, let them have it.
2. On your walk into the store, if you notice that someone has littered, pick it up and put it in the trash. After all, it is Earth Day this weekend.
3. If your grocery store has a coffee shop in it, leave $5 with the cashier to buy the coffee for the next person in line.
4. Pick up some muffins, or cookies, or brownies (or a bag or two of Cosmos Creations) and drop them off at your neighborhood fire station on your way home.
5. Leave a sticky note on the bathroom mirror with “You are Beautiful” written on it.
6. If someone in the dairy or freezer aisle is behind you and needs to get into the same cold case as you, hold the door for them while they grab their milk. Then smile and tell them to have a great day.
7. Pay for the groceries for the person behind you in line.
8. Let the person in line behind you go in front of you.
9. If your grocery store has a bulletin board on the way out the door, print off a “Free Compliments” flyer (like this one found via Pinterest) and post it on the board among the for sale items.
10. When you’ve loaded your groceries in your car and you’re taking your cart back to the cart corral, if you see someone near your finishing up loading their groceries, offer to take their cart for them.

BONUS IDEA: Possibly the easiest, and arguably the most impactful, thing you can do is to pray. Pray for the stranger at the grocery store. Pray for loved ones. Pray for all those impacted by this week’s tragic events. Pray for healing. Pray for understanding. Just pray.

We don’t know everyone’s story or how this week’s events have impacted those around us. Let’s ban together to help restore others’ faith in humanity. Let’s encourage one another. Let’s show compassion. Let’s be a blessing.

Will you join us?