Archive for the ‘Snack’ Category

• Caramel Popcorn

  Date: 2010.06.07 | Category: Kids, Life, Snack, Sweets | Response: 0

  Summer has officially started at my house. We will be driving from Texas to Virginia Beach, Virginia for vacation this summer. We lived in Virginia Beach for 5 years while we were in the Navy and have a lot of friends that are still there. We are so excited to see everyone again. For the first time ever we rented a condo on the beach instead of staying at hotel. We are hoping with a full size kitchen we will cook more and not eat out so much, to save a few bucks. I can’t wait to get to the beach!!

  What are you guys doing this summer? I would love to know.

  

  With summer in full swing the kids have been staying up a little later, playing the Wii, playing in the sprinkler and watching movies. Last week I make caramel popcorn to go with their movie. My daughter was the only one that ate it, not sure why, I thought it was pretty tasty. The results tasted a lot like Cracker Jacks minus the peanuts. I have never made caramel popcorn before, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I was trying to make popcorn balls on a stick but that didn’t work out, I pretty sure it’s because I did not have cream. I only used sugar and butter. My next attempt will start with a recipe search on Tastespotting. For now this was pretty easy and really good. Here’s the recipe.

  Ingredients
  1 cup sugar
  5 tablespoons butter
  1 bag of microwave popcorn
  
  Directions
  1. Pop popcorn according to package.
  2. In a medium sauce pan combine sugar and butter and cook on medium until the sugar is dissolved.
  3. Cook until you get a nice amber color.
  4. Spread popcorn onto a cookie and evenly pour caramel over popcorn.
  ~~~Caution: The caramel is very very very hot so please be careful. Do not touch with your bare hands give it time to cool~~~
  5. Let the caramel popcorn cool and break the pieces apart.
  6. Enjoy!!

  I have everyone has a great summer.

• Chocolate Chip Cookies

  Date: 2010.05.17 | Category: Cookies, Snack, Sweets | Response: 3

  

  Hey Guys and Gals!  I hope everyone had a good weekend.  We had a pretty great weekend, my 4 year old niece stayed the night with us and we made cookies.  I promised her the next time she came over we would make cookies.  She loves chocolate and chose to make chocolate chip cookies.  Everyone in my house loves chocolate chip cookies.  I would have to say it’s the favorite in our house.

  I did not use my go to chocolate chip cookies recipe this time around, I wanted to try this recipe I found on Desert Candy.  The ingredient that drew me in was the oatmeal blended into a powder and the lovely story about her Mother.  I’m not sure how I came to find Desert Candy but I can almost guarantee it was through Tastespotting or Food Blog Search.  But any who.

  This recipe was great.  The cookies have a wonderful chewy texture to them and I love the chocolate chips along with the specks of grated chocolate.  You must try this chocolate chip recipe, I promise you will not be disappointed.

  

  Ingredients
  adapted from Desert Candy

  1 stick butter (soften)
  1/2 cup sugar
  1/2 cuplight brown sugar (packed)
  1 egg
  1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  1 cup flour
  1 1/4 cups oats, blended to a powder
  1/2 tsp baking powder
  1/2 tsp baking soda
  1/4 tsp salt
  6 oz milk chocolate chips
  2 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped

  Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.
  2. Blend the oats to a powder in a food processor.  Combine the oat-flour with the regular flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, set aside.
  3. Cream the butter with the sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until just combined. Fold in the chocolates
  4. Roll a tablespoon of dough into a ball and place on a parchment  lined cookie sheet two inches apart Bake for 6-10 minutes.

• Fruit Roll-ups or Fruit Leather

  Date: 2010.04.28 | Category: Kids, Life, Snack, Sweets | Response: 30

  Giveaway-100 4×6 custom prints designed by you.  Stop by to enter the giveaway

  It’s been close to one month since  my last post and I can’t believe it has been that long, sorry for being gone so so long.  We have been a little busy around the house and when I say we I mean my  husband.  We are trying to find out if we have a green thumb.  Shaun has a little garden in the back yard.  We are hoping to produce tomatoes, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, yellow squash, egg plant and zucchini. This is the first time we have ever attempted to grow any type of food. I think it will turn out great. We, I mean Shaun has also planted flowers in the front of the house, pink hydrangeas, my favorite flower by far. They are so pretty every time I look them I smile, they are happy flowers. I will write a post in a few days with pictures of our garden and flower bed in a few days.

  

  On to the fruit roll ups. Strawberries were recently on sale at Target so I bought four pounds and decided to make fruit roll ups for the first time. I did a little research and it’s not hard but it does require a little planning. It can take up to 8-10 hours in the oven for the fruit roll ups to dry. All you need for this recipe are strawberries, sugar, lemon juice and a food processor or blender. So lets get started.

  

  adapted from Fly Through Our Window
  Ingredients
  4 pounds of fresh strawberries, cleaned and stemmed (or any fruit you would like)
  1/2 – 1 cup of sugar (depending on the sweetness of the fruit)
  juice from 1 lemon
  
  Directions
  Preheat oven to 170F degree

  1. Toss everything into a food processor and blend until smooth.
  2. Pour into a heavy sauce pan and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
  3. Reduce heat and skim off foam that will form on top with a spoon.
  4. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30-45 minutes until mixture is the consistency of applesauce.
  5. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  6. Pour mixture on parchment paper and spread evenly.
  7. Bake at 170F for 8-10 hours. Until the center is no longer sticky
  8. Cut into strips and roll up. There you have it, homemade fruit-rolls.