"Beginnings and Endings" Recipe Contest Winners!

While slow-smoked ribs, barbecued briskets and burgers are to some the stars of their family cookouts, many find the food that comes before and after the main dish what deserves top billing. And that's certainly true with the iParenting community! Our mouths watered over all the delicious recipes you submitted. Here are the winners!

Congratulations to Ronay Frank from Cloquet, Minn.!

"I have been making this recipe for quite a few years now and it is fun and easy to do," says Frank. "I thought of it myself one day and everyone seems to like it. Good for really any kind of parties (potluck), birthday parties, graduation, etc. I thought of it kinda this way – a miscellaneous recipe, very simple to make!!!!! Very good too!!"

Oooey Gooey Chewies

1/4 cup margarine or butter
1 package (10 ounces) large marshmallows
4 cups granola with raisins
1 1/2 cups puffed rice cereal
1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts

Grease a 13x9-inch pan with margarine or butter. Put marshmallows and the 1/4 cup margarine or butter in saucepan. Melt over low heat until marshmallows are melted, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Remove from heat.

Stir in the granola with raisins, puffed rice cereal and sunflower seeds or peanuts. Transfer mixture to the prepared baking dish. Press with buttered hands evenly. Let cool completely. Cut into bars. Makes about 24 bars.

Congratulations to Tina Sehl from Marquette, Mich.!

"I have been making the chocolate eclair recipe for about six years now," Sehl says. "I play pool on a league and one year someone brought this dessert to our year end banquet. She wrote the recipe down for me and I've modified it with the other types of pudding, frosting. One really nice thing about this dessert is that you can modify it for diabetics also. I have a boyfriend who is diabetic and he loves it when I make this dessert (except for the frosting – I've not found a good sugar-free way to make frosting). The best part about this dessert is how easy it is and yet people think that you fussed for a long time over it, and it goes quickly once cut into."

No Bake Easy Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 individual packages graham crackers
2 packages (3 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 tub (16 ounces) chocolate frosting

Line the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan with graham crackers. In a large bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Stir well. Stir in whipped topping into the pudding mixture. Spread half of mixture over graham cracker layer. Top with another layer of graham crackers and the remaining pudding. Top all with a final layer of graham crackers.

Melt frosting in microwave for 20 to 30 seconds. Pour over graham crackers. Refrigerate until firm.

Tip: You can use different flavors of pudding, whipped topping and frosting for a different dessert!

Congratulations to Gwen Austin Yuffa from Denver, Colo.!

The recipe was given to me by my sister," Yuffa says. "I've been making it for at least five years now. It's one of those recipes that's easy to throw together for company and everyone always loves it."

Corn Dip

2 cans Mexican-style corn, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 cans chopped green chilies
2 slices jalapeño peppers, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic powder
5 dashes hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon cayenne

Mix all ingredients. Heat until cheese is melted in a 350-degree oven, about 25 minutes. Serve with corn chips.

Congratulations to Sally Sibthorpe from Shelby Township, Mich.!

"These cookies are gooey, rich and full of stuff you shouldn't eat but can't resist," Sibthorpe says.

Cherry Caramel Pecan Bars

1 package (14 ounces) caramels
2/3 cup cream
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans plus 1/3 cup chopped pecans for garnish
1 1/2 cups dried cherries
1 1/4 cup white chocolate chips, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt caramels with the cream, stirring frequently until smooth. Reserve until needed.

In a medium bowl, stir together flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Stir in melted butter. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove mixture from the oven and sprinkle the crust with 1 cup pecans, dried cherries and 1 cup of white chocolate chips. Reserve 1/4 cup of the caramel mixture. Drizzle the remaining caramel mixture over ingredients in the pan. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly over the top and pat down lightly.

Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden. Let cool before cutting into bars.

Melt the remaining 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips. Drizzle bars with reserved caramel mixture and melted chips. Sprinkle with remaining chopped pecans.