MARTHA WASHINGTON BALLS

I got the recipe for these little candies that taste like Almond Joy candy bars from my sister-in-law.

2 boxes of confectioner's sugar
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), softened 
(must use real butter, no substitutes)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure almond extract
1-14 oz bag pkg. shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups chopped nuts
1-12 oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 bar paraffin

Cream together sugar and butter in a bowl;add milk. Stir in almond extract,coconut and nuts;mix well. Form candy into 1 inch balls. Place on waxed paper and refrigerate for 3 hours. Melt paraffin and chocolate in top of double boiler, stirring well. Remove from heat but allow chocolate to remain over hot water. (If chocolate becomes too thick, return to heat for a minute or so to thin). With toothpick, dip each ball in chocolate and place on waxed paper to set.

Alternatives:
1. Just use melted chocolate chips w/o the paraffin. It is more difficult to get good coverage, messy and frustrating. You will not get the shine but you are not eating paraffin, if that bothers you.
(Shocking news: Most chocolates that you buy have paraffin mixed with the chocolate.) 
2. Use melted almond bark with a little vegetable oil or crisco added to get even coverage. Place dipped candies in the freezer for five minutes, to get the shine. (Almond bark will make the candies sweeter).

Too bad these aren't diabetic-friendly since Almond Joy is my favorite candy bar!  Enjoy some for me!

NO BAKE ITALIAN CAKE

If you know me, you know I love coconut.  I will make me a sugar-free version of this!  Thanks Anna DeLong for sharing this with me!

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small can crushed pineapple, undrained
40-50 vanilla wafers
1 8-oz. carton cool whip, thawed
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
12-16 maraschino cherries, rinsed

Whisk together sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice in a small bowl until thoroughly combined. Mix in pineapple with juice and set aside.

Line the bottom of a small glass baking dish (8x8 or 7x10) with vanilla wafers. Pour all of the pineapple mixture over vanilla wafers then add another layer of vanilla wafers on top of pineapple mixture. Spread cool whip evenly on top of vanilla wafers then sprinkle with coconut. Top with cherries then cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours before serving.