Birthday Popcorn…

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When I posted Cassidy’s 1st birthday party last week, I promised to share the recipe for the birthday popcorn, so here it is!

I think every kid should have lots of bright and colorful treats at their birthday party, and while this popcorn is ridiculously easy, it’s equally as popular! Every time I have ever made this (and trust me, I’ve made it for almost every occasion!), people seem to go nuts over it. I love it because I can customize it for ANY occasion- Christmas, Halloween, baby showers, Easter…you name it. All you need is different kinds of sprinkles and you’ve got endless possibilities. 🙂

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Birthday Popcorn

2 bags unbuttered microwave popcorn, popped (I prefer the ‘tender white’ variety made by Orville Redenbacher)
12 ounces white candy coating or almond bark*
colored rainbow sprinkles
wax paper

Place the candy coating in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring each time, until melted and smooth.

Lay out two long sheets of wax paper on a wide surface. Place the popped popcorn in a very large bowl and slowly drizzle the melted candy coating over it. Stir with a large spoon until all the popcorn is coated. Spread in an even layer over the sheets of wax paper and immediately sprinkle liberally with the sprinkles. Let dry for at least 2-3 hours. Break into pieces and serve. Makes enough for 24-36 people.

Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original

*white chocolate chips can also be used

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Halloween Oreo Popcorn…

One bright, sunny, fall day, Cookies and Cream Popcorn met Halloween Popcorn.

Cookies and Cream Popcorn loved Halloween Popcorn‘s bright, colorful sprinkles and Halloween Popcorn couldn’t resist Cookies and Cream Popcorn‘s bits of crunchy, creamy Oreos. They instantly fell in love and that’s how Halloween Oreo Popcorn came to be. And they lived happily ever after….in my tummy. 😉

Since Halloween is only 5 days away (wahoo!!!), I knew I just had to post something to get us all in the spirit (right, like I need any help…). This Halloween Oreo Popcorn is the perfect treat for snacking on the couch while watching The Nightmare Before Christmas with your little pumpkins! 🙂

Halloween Oreo Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn, popped (this time, I used buttered popcorn and it turned out great!)
10-15 Oreos, chopped
1 bag candy corn
1 16-ounce package white chocolate bark or candy coating**
Halloween sprinkles
wax paper

Place the popped popcorn, Oreos, and candy corn in a very large bowl (you need plenty of room to stir the popcorn). Melt the white chocolate bark in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until melted. Drizzle over the popcorn mixture and stir to coat each piece of popcorn.

Pour the mixture over wax paper and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles and allow to cool for at least 15-30 minutes. Break into pieces. Serves 6-8.

Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper

**Almond bark or candy coating can be found on the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips. You can substitute white chocolate chips if preferred.

…….HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEEEEN!! 🙂

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Halloween Popcorn…

During the Halloween season, there’s nothing better than being snuggled up on the couch, watching Halloween movies and eating fun snacks (well, unless you’re a kid, in which case trick-or-treating is pretty hard to beat!). We make it a tradition every year to watch our favorite Halloween movies- Disney’s Icabod Crane (the cute animated version with Bing Crosby narrating), Hocus Pocus, Young Frankenstein, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and of course, my all-time favorite- The Nightmare Before Christmas (ok, so I watch that one pretty much year ’round…). And watching those great movies just wouldn’t be the same without some kind of yummy snack; like this popcorn. It’s just a simple mixture of popcorn and candy corn coated in white chocolate bark and Halloween sprinkles. Nothing hard or complicated, just fun and downright yummy! Perfect for parties, trick-or-treaters or movie-watching! Whatever you make to snack on this Halloween, I hope you have a wonderful, FUN, safe time with your friends and family! Happy Halloween!!!

Halloween Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn, popped
1 bag candy corn
1 16-ounce package white chocolate bark*
Halloween sprinkles
wax paper

Place the popped popcorn and candy corn in a very large bowl (you need plenty of room to stir the popcorn). Melt the white chocolate bark in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each time, until melted. Drizzle over the popcorn and candy corn and stir to coat each piece of popcorn. Pour the mixture over wax paper and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle with Halloween sprinkles and allow to cool for at least 15-30 minutes. Break into pieces. Serves 6-8.

*I know I’ll get questions about this: white chocolate bark (or white chocolate candy coating) can be found in your regular grocery store on the baking aisle with the chocolate chips and nuts.

Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original (however, this isn’t exactly a new concept- I’m sure it’s been done many times before me)

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Caramel Corn…

I guess this pregnancy has me really digging caramel, because I feel like I’ve been making lots of caramel-y treats lately even though I’m normally not a huge fan. Hey, there are worse things to crave! Last week I had a whole afternoon to myself and thought I’d try my hand at homemade caramel corn. I’ve made it once before, but with my mom’s help (in fact, I believe it was during the Halloween season and we munched on our homemade caramel corn while watching Halloween movies!) and lucky for me, she wrote the recipe down for me! Yay! So I got in the kitchen and whipped up this delicious caramel corn- man, oh MAN! What a TREAT! This was rich, buttery and most importantly, good ‘n crunchy! I took a big bag to work and none of us could stop munching on it! I will most definitely be making this again; probably on Halloween, in fact. A perfect snack to munch on while watching Hocus Pocus! 🙂

Caramel Corn

6 quarts popped corn (3 bags microwave popcorn- I used Tender White)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cook brown sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over popcorn and stir to coat. Place popcorn in a large roasting pan or spread out over two baking sheets lined with greased foil. Bake, stirring every 15 minutes for about 45 minutes. Caramel corn will be crunchy (with no sogginess) when done. Let cool and break into pieces. Makes enough to serve a large crowd- approximately 10-12 people.

Recipe source: my mom

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Cookies and Cream Popcorn…

Warning: this snack is highly addictive and could cause awesomeness overload- a rare, but critical side effect to snack awesomeness. Munch with caution.

Remember when I made Bridget’s Bunny Bait? Well, I happened to have leftover popcorn and white chocolate candy coating, then I looked over and saw a half-eaten package of Springtime Oreos (you know, the kind with the pretty yellow cream?)….a legend was born and a monster was created – I couldn’t stop eating the stuff! This couldn’t be easier to make and couldn’t be more delicious. If you love Oreos as much as Joel and I do, this is right up your alley! Make it! Make it today!

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

1 bag popcorn, popped (I used the Fluffy White variety)
6 ounces white chocolate candy coating
10-15 Oreos, crushed or roughly chopped (I used the Springtime Oreos with yellow cream, which is why my popcorn has a bumble bee-type look) 🙂

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.

Recipe source: Sing For Your Supper original

**I still get questions about this, so I’ll clarify: white chocolate candy coating (or almond bark) can be found on the baking aisle next to the chocolate chips and nuts. It comes in 12 ounce packages, usually in 1 large block (it sort of resembles a large ice tray). You can use regular chocolate chips, but you’ll have to refrigerate it to harden it before serving.

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Bunny Bait…

HAPPY EASTER!!! Those of you who celebrate are probably spending today getting those eggs ready to dye, making pies (or as my mom usually does- making a ginormous banana pudding), getting cute little Easter dresses ready for church tomorrow morning, and maybe even sitting down with your kids, explaining what this holiday really means and why we celebrate. Easter is such a wonderful holiday and Joel and I really love it! Every year we dye eggs (yes, apparently we’re still 10 years old…) and watch The Ten Commandments with Charlton Heston. Tomorrow we’re heading to my parents’ house, so I’m spending today making fresh strawberry pies and….BUNNY BAIT! What’s bunny bait, you ask? It’s basically just popcorn tossed with vanilla candy coating, Easter M&Ms and pretzels, but I’d like to think the Easter Bunny is out there just counting the minutes until he can hop over to our house and snatch a paw full! 🙂

Parents, this is something the kids would absolutely love! It’s super easy and quick to make (not to mention totally and completely addictive!!!), and the kids could help by breaking the pretzels into pieces and stirring the M&Ms in. I think someday when we have kids of our own, we’ll definitely make this a tradition in our house.

I hope whatever your plans are, that you all have a wonderful and happy Easter with your friends and family!

Bunny Bait

1 bag popcorn, popped (I used Tender White)
6 oz. white chocolate candy coating
1 bag Easter M&Ms
pretzel sticks, broken into small pieces
colorful sprinkles, if desired

Place the popped popcorn in a large bowl with the broken up pretzels and M&Ms. Heat the candy coating in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each time, until melted and smooth.

Drizzle the candy coating over the popcorn mixture and stir to coat. The pretzels and M&Ms will sink to the bottom, so make sure to get those stirred in and coated with the rest of the popcorn.

Spread out on a large piece of wax paper, top with a few sprinkles (if desired) and let cool. Break into pieces and serve in a large bowl.

Recipe source: slightly adapted from Bake at 350, originally from This Blessed Nest

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