Gingerbread Popcorn

I love specialty popcorn.  Remember when I made this one?  mmmm

I also love movie theater popcorn, even though it makes regular popcorn that you pop at home taste inferior.  However, I have learned that if you take a few ingredients and spruce up your "at home" popcorn, it really makes a difference.  Plus, there are an infinite number of delicious possibilities!

Since fall is upon us and I wanted to bring a special popcorn to my friends on our girl's Bunco night, I decided on this flavor.  I love anything 'gingerbread' so I knew it would be yummy!  This would also make a great snack to set out for your family while you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner because it won't fill them up.


Gingerbread Popcorn
Source: Tasty Kitchen
12 cups popped Popcorn (I used Tender White)
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ginger
½ teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ teaspoons Cloves
½ cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter
1 cup Light Brown Sugar, Lightly Packed
2 Tablespoons Molasses
1 Tablespoon Water
1 pinch Salt
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract


Put the popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.   
Sift together the baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl and set aside.
Cook the butter, sugar, molasses, water, and salt in a medium-sized, thick-bottomed saucepan over medium heat until the temperature reaches 305ºF (hard crack stage), stirring occasionally. Then remove from heat. Carefully stir in the vanilla and baking soda/spice mix and then pour it over the popcorn/nut mixture.
Use 2 heat-safe rubber spatulas to toss the popcorn around to distribute the toffee throughout. Spread out the popcorn onto wax paper. Let it cool and then break it apart. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Watergate Salad

One of my sweet friends told me about this dish (and how much she loves it) about a year ago, and I had never heard of it before.  Then, as I was scanning through one of my cookbooks, there it was!  It could not be easier to throw together in a skinny minute, and it is a nice marriage of textures and flavors.  Creamy cool whip and pistachio pudding, tart pineapple, sweet mini marshmallows, and crunchy pecans.  Yes, it's light green...but who cares?!

When I told my husband that I made "Watergate Salad", he responded by wondering what was in it with the lettuce.

: )

I can't blame the guy, it is called a salad.  He was pleasantly surprised when I told him there was no lettuce (he still tries to boycott most veggies when possible) and was even more pleased when he tasted it!  He said his favorite part was the pecans...I wonder if you can guess MY favorite part?  (I know my mama can!!)  If you're not my mama and you have no clue, my favorite part is definitely the mini marshmallows.


Watergate Salad
Source:  Southern Plate cookbook

20 oz. can crushed pineapple (juice and all)
1 cup mini marshmallows (I added extra, which made it that more awesome, heehee)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 small box instant pistachio pudding
8 oz. whipped topping

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together well.  Chill before serving.  If the salad is too thick, it can be thinned with a little milk (I did not have to use any milk; the consistency was just right).

Pepperoni Bites

Tomorrow is the last day of school.  HALLELUJAH!!  I am one step closer to being free for the summer!  One of the things that I will MISS from being at work are the days we all bring in food (birthdays, holidays, etc.).  It's always a great opportunity to try new things and learn new recipes.

The last time food was brought in, I could not hardly stay away from these Pepperoni Bites that my friend made.  They are bite-size, which is always dangerous for delicious snacks.  I felt like I could eat more and it "wouldn't really add up to that much".  : /

She gave me the recipe and I immediately made them that weekend for a cookout we were hosting.  They were a hit once again!  They are very simple to make, with such a good flavor.  Buttery, soft and crisp from the crescent rolls, salty and creamy from the filling....mmmmmmm...

Here are a pan of them that I made.  Just looking at them now makes me sad that they are gone...no more for me to eat....wahhhhh!!!

Here's what the middle looks like:

They are baked on a cookie sheet, but if you are making a batch for a party, they stay nice and warm if you line your crockpot and put them hot from the oven into the crockpot set to "warm".

Pepperoni Bites
1 7 oz. bag of pepperoni slices (I used Hormel Original)
1 8 oz. block cream cheese, softened
2 cans of regular Pillsbury crescent rolls

Put all the pepperoni slices into a chopper or blender and chop until they are ground up.  Dump this into a bowl and mix well with softened cream cheese. For ease of the next step, cover mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until it becomes firm.

Preheat oven to 375.  Unroll crescent rolls into 8 triangles each.  Then cut each triangle into 3 smaller triangles.  Place a dollop of pepperoni/cream cheese mixture into the center of each small triangle and fold the dough all the way around the mixture, forming a ball.

Place pepperoni bites on a cookie sheet and bake at 375 until they are golden brown (follow crescent roll package directions for how many minutes).

Enjoy!  And don't say I didn't warn you about how addictive they are!!

Cookies & Cream Popcorn

Remember that snack I mentioned on my Facebook page the other night?  The awesome, awesome snack?  Yeahhhhh...

 

When I came across this recipe online, it took me approximately 3 nights before I made it.  And it only took that long because our commissary no longer carries chocolate candy coating ("it's a seasonal item"  blehhh!!) and I had to go get it at WalMart (thanks WalMart, for understanding that my candy coating needs span throughout the year, not just in December). 

This is a wonderful snack and HIGHLY addictive.  I ate quite a bit of it before it even cooled and dried.  ooops...   But trust me, so will you! 

Take a look at this goodness:

Happy snacking!  : )

Cookies & Cream Popcorn
Recipe found at Sweet Treats and More via Sing for Your Supper

1 bag popcorn, popped (I used Tender White kind)
6 oz. white chocolate candy coating (popular brand names are CandiQuik and Almond Bark)
10-15 Oreos, crushed or roughly chopped (I used 15...duh!  lol)

Place the popped popcorn and Oreos in a large bowl. Heat the white chocolate candy coating in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in between until melted and smooth.
Drizzle the white chocolate bark over the popcorn/Oreo mixture and stir to coat. Dump out on a large sheet of wax paper and spread into a single layer. Let cool and harden. Break into small pieces and serve.

*Note: My husband and I ate some of this the night I made it, after it had cooled on the counter, and it was delicious!  I put the rest of it in a large Ziplock bag to eat the next day, but unfortunately, I won't be eating any more of it because now it just tastes like 'plastic bag' to me.  I don't know if this is just me, but I wanted to warn you so that you will know to put any leftovers in a different kind of container that may work better.

Sausage Balls

It's true, I'm still alive.  I didn't cancel my blog.  I didn't fall off the face of the earth.  What did happen?  My laptop died.  : (   It's pretty old, so I was afraid this would happen one day soon, and sure enough, it did.  I had to get a different hard drive put in, cloned with all my info, and I've been instructed to "free" some memory or it will permanently crash.  :'( 

For the meantime, I can blog again!  Oh, how I've missed it!

Mmmmmm, sausage balls.  I'm sure you've had them.  They've long been one of my favorite snacks, and they definitely fall into the "once you pop, you just can't stop" category.  Especially when they first come out of the oven...Lord help me!!  Do you see all that yummy sausage and swirls of cheesy goodness??  Oh yeah, and my other favorite part...the crispy bottoms!

I brought this large container full of sausage balls to work.  This is what I brought back home.  Seems like they were a hit! 

Sausage balls can taste different, depending on who is making them.  Some people like to make them with hot, spicy sausage.  Others like to use sharp cheddar cheese.  Some like them more dry.  Me?  Not so much.  You can see what I do like below.

Sausage Balls

1 lb. regular sausage
3 cups Bisquick
1 lb. shredded mild cheddar cheese
Enough milk to moisten

Combine sausage, Bisquick, and cheese (I use my clean hands to combine all of this).  Adding small amounts of milk will help all the ingredients come together.  You don't want the mixture to be too wet, juuuust enough milk to allow you to combine the ingredients.  This will also prevent the sausage balls from being dry.  Roll mixture loosely into balls and place onto an ungreased baking sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes, or until golden. (Mine took 15 minutes to bake).