Microwave Popcorn

We tried something new over the weekend, homemade microwave popcorn. Typically I make popcorn on top of the stove. And, as I have said before, I like sweet popcorn the best. But, my oldest prefers the regular popcorn with butter and salt. So, I tried this specifically for her.

I can't believe how simple this is. So, simple in fact that my kids can make it on their own. And, of course, I love that! Just throw some popcorn into a paper bag and microwave. We made two batches to feed the four of us and we added melted butter and salt. My oldest was in heaven. I have a feeling she is going to be making this for herself all of the time. And, best of all, it is a super cheap snack.

Microwave Popcorn

¼ cup bulk popcorn
1 paper lunch bag

Pour pop corn into lunch bag. Fold over top of bag three times, tightly creasing it each time. Stand bag upright in microwave. Cook on high until all the kernels have popped. (My microwave pops all of the kernels in about 3 minutes and 15 seconds.) Enjoy immediately with melted butter and salt. Serves 2.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.

Homemade Cranberry Almond Delight

Photo Credit: Kar's Nuts

My girls absolutely love having this trail mix in their lunch boxes. I discovered Cranberry Almond Delight last fall while searching for some healthy lunch box options. However, since my New Year's Frugal Kitchen Goal, I have been working toward lowering my weekly grocery bill. And these individual packets are a bit pricey. But with only three ingredients, I knew I could duplicate this mix easily.

And, along with my effort to prepare more homemade convenience foods, I made a trip to my local dollar store to pick up some small reusable containers. These containers are perfect for my kids lunch bags and at two for a dollar, I won't be heartbroken if one accidentally gets lost or thrown away.

Cranberry Almond Delight

1 cup party peanuts
½ cup raw, whole almonds
½ cup dried cranberries.

Measure all three ingredients into a quart sized mason jar and shake to combine. Cover and store at room temperature.


Sweet & Salty Popcorn

Photo Credit - Popcornopolis

Growing up, my mom made lots of stove top popcorn. She served it with real butter and salt. However, I have never been much of a regular popcorn lover. But, when I tried Sweet & Salty Popcorn (or kettle corn) for the first time, I fell in love with it. There is something about that touch of sweetness that transforms regular popcorn into an entirely different snack for me.

Lately, I have been making this Sweet & Salty Popcorn quite a bit. Three times in the last week to be exact! Although this is perfectly good plain, we have found that we also really like to flavor it with cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cocoa powder.  All flavors are gobbled up at my house, but my favorite is the pumpkin pie spice.  If you can’t get everyone to agree on a single flavor, each person can season their own portion to taste.

Sweet & Salty Popcorn

¼ cup butter

1 Tbsp. olive oil

¼ cup white sugar

½ cup popcorn kernels

1 tsp. salt

Cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or cocoa powder (optional)

In a large pot, melt butter and olive oil together over medium high heat. Add sugar and heat until it just begins to brown, stirring constantly. Add popcorn and stir. Cover and continue to cook until all of the popcorn has popped, occasionally shaking the pan to keep it from scorching. Remove from the heat, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with salt and additional seasonings, if desired. Yeild: 8 cups popcorn.

Easiest Mac and Cheese

Photo Credit - Kraft

Macaroni and Cheese is a staple at our house. But, my kids have never been too excited about the kind that comes in the little blue box. Instead, I have always made stove top macaroni and cheese by melting butter, adding flour, and finally stirring in milk and cheese. Nothing fancy. But this recipe is so much simpler, and my kids have asked that I switch to this recipe permanently. And, with only three ingredients (macaroni, cheddar cheese, and sour cream), you will hear no complaints from me!

I've made this recipe several times now and I have used cubed cheese as called for in the recipe and grated cheese. Both work great. I have also skipped the baking part and just stirred it up on top of the stove and it has also turned out beautifully. I have even used different shaped pasta, and all of it has been good. I would imagine that if you liked a cracker or bread crumb crust on top that you could add that too.

I found this recipe on Jessica's blog called Life As Mom. So, be sure to check out Life As Mom for all kinds of fun info on recipes, budgeting, child care, and family life.

Blog Link: Life As Mom

Recipe Link: Easiest Mac and Cheese

Alfredo Sauce

My cooking has changed a bit now that it is just me and the kids, especially my dinner menus. We eat a lot less meat and the kids don’t seem to notice. I discovered this recipe over the summer and we like it because it is incredibly thick.  And, thanks to this recipe, my kids have learned how to “twirl” their pasta onto their forks to eat it. We always giggle a lot about it and they certainly make a mess with it, but it makes dinner so much more fun!

This recipe makes enough sauce for a full box of pasta. I typically toss angel hair pasta directly in the sauce before serving. It would also be perfect on grilled meats, in lasagna, or with steamed veggies. It reheats nicely too, so don’t be afraid of leftovers.

Alfredo Sauce

½ cup butter
2 cloves minced garlic
8oz. cream cheese
2 cups milk
6oz. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in a sauce pan along with the garlic. Cut in cream cheese and whisk until melted. Whisk in milk a little at a time until smooth. Add cheese, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Whisk until cheese is completely melted. Serve over pasta, meat, and/or veggies.

This sauce thickens as it cools, but you can thin it with additional milk if need.

This recipe has been adapted from the one found here.

Candy Corn Crunch

Last weekend I went to a party at my neighbor's house. It was a girls night out and we had a blast! It was the first time I'd had a babysitter since I moved to North Carolina and I have to say it was an absolutely fabulous treat to come home to a quiet house where someone else had put the kids to bed. My neighbor went all out with Fall treats and Halloween decorations. And, as part of her decorations, she had candy corn displayed in pretty cocktail glasses on the food table.

As the party was coming to a close, we were discussing what to do with all of the leftover candy corn. One of the girls said that she liked to mix candy corn half and half with peanuts for a snack. Perfect! So, my neighbor gave me the candy corn, and I made up an unbelievably huge batch of Candy Corn Crunch to share. I sent some with my son on a camping trip this weekend, gave some to my neighbor, and the girls and I have been munching on the rest of it.

I would imagine that if you are allergic to nuts, that mini pretzels would be just as good as the peanuts.  And, raisins or dark chocolate chips might be good additions too.

Candy Corn Crunch

2 cups candy corn
2 cups peanuts, cocktail or dry roasted

Mix together and serve.

My Budding Chef!

The other day, while eating lunch, my little one decided that she wanted a second sandwich. Well, the rule at our house is that you have to wait for seconds until everyone has finished their first helping.  So, not wanting to wait, she went to the counter and made her own peanut butter and jelly sandwich! This is the first time she had ever attempted making any food on her own and she did a great job. She was so proud of herself that she started jumping and dancing around the kitchen and singing about making her own lunch. Since then, she has made a number of sandwiches on her own and she has even moved on to putting jelly on her own biscuits in the morning. My little one is growing up!

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

A Special Snack

Every week while I take my son to piano lessons, my oldest stays at home and creates a special snack. The two younger ones truly look forward to this snack. Not all of her special snacks have been edible, but all have been a learning experience for her.

This week during the lesson I received a call from my daughter asking if she could use some “kitchen equipment.”  A little nervous, I asked what exactly she wanted to use. The answer: the mini muffin pan. I breathed a sigh of relief and asked what she was making. Jam Tarts. My daughter has never used the oven by herself before, so I started to get nervous again. But, she was ahead of me. She planned to have the tarts ready to bake when I got home to help her pre-heat the oven and bake them. No problem.

These Jam Tarts were the best special snack she has ever created. So, I asked her to write down the recipe. After reviewing the recipe below, I realized that she needed a lesson on standard units of measure!

Jam Tarts

A hunk of butter

7 cereal spoons of flour

2 sugar spoons of sugar

Jam

Mix butter and flour to bread crumb texture, then mix in sugar. Then mash in the pan. Then cook for 10 minutes. Then put in the jam of any kind and cook it for five more minutes. Yield: 9 mini tarts.

Do your kids like to create in the kitchen?