Paper Bag Popcorn

 I could try and convince you

I was looking for a healthier alternative

 to regular microwave popcorn

with all it's chemicals and additives...

but that wouldn't be true.

I could claim I'm on a diet

and want my popcorn pristine,

 without all that fattening oil

and (blood pressure raising) salt...

but I'd be lyin'.

So I'll confess.

I saw this trick for making popcorn

all over Pinterest

and I thought it looked cool...

and I was curious how it might work

so I tried it out on my taste testers...

Wanna know what they thought?

Well...keep reading.

Here's the secret...shhhh...there is no secret! 

I just used a regular flat bottom brown paper lunch bag.

The one I used says it is a large size.

I put 1/2 cup of regular popcorn in the bag,

I folded the top over twice,

and heated it in the microwave for 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

It might take more or less time in another microwave.

I just listen for the popping to slow down
 to one or two pops per second.

That's when I know it's done.

The bag starts out standing up, but falls over part way through.

No big deal ~ no "This Side Up" signs necessary!

Just like that...I have a full bag of popcorn with no fats,

salt, or chemical additives...

So I quickly went to work adding the fat,

and salt and chemicals back in...
with butter and garlic Parmesan seasoning.

Like I said, I'd be lyin' if I told you this was all about the

health benefits. It was really all about the cool factor...

and the cool factor was high!

 

 

What was the taste tester's bottom line?

This was a hit with my taste testers. I had to laugh because the grandkids had never seen popcorn that didn't come from a plastic wrapped microwave bag. I think it tastes like the air popped popcorn we used to make. Because no oil is used in the cooking, it doesn't hold salt well. If you use butter or perhaps butter spray after popping the salt and flavorings stick to the popcorn better.

Bottom line: I'll keep popcorn and paper bags on hand because I like to be able to season my popcorn exactly how I like it.

Crock Pot BBQ Ribs

BBQ ribs from a crock pot? Yes, really!

I wish I was better at photography...

or maybe with photo editing...

because this photo doesn't do them justice.

You'll have to take my word for it...these ribs were wonderful! 

I was wandering around the Pinterest boards looking for recipes I'd like to make for my taste testers when I came across this one linked to a website called "mmmisformommy.com" . Thankfully the lady who runs that blog is much better at photography than I am. Her photo enticed me enough to try this recipe, and I'm glad I did! If you have a moment you should check out her blog.

This is what I did to make these Crock Pot Ribs:

 I prepared 4 pounds of beef ribs. At this point I just opened the package, rinsed them off and patted them dry. I put them on a cutting board as I prepared the dry rub.

I mixed the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl and then rubbed it on the ribs ~ front and back.

I stood the ribs up along the sides of my crock pot with the meaty sides toward the walls of the crock pot and the bone-side toward the center.

I poured the BBQ sauce over the ribs and then put the lid on the crock pot and turned the crock pot on low for 6 hours.

When the time was up I prepared a baking sheet by lining it with foil and then topping it with a rack.  

I carefully took the ribs out of the crock pot and placed them on the prepared rack, meaty side down. Then I poured the BBQ sauce from the crock pot into a small saucepan (I skimmed off as much fat as I could) and brought it to a boil on top of the stove. I let it cook for about 10 minutes to reduce the sauce and thicken it. While this was going on I turned my oven's broiler on and positioned my oven rack about 10 inches from the broiler unit.

I forgot to take pictures of this part ~ when the BBQ sauce had thickened I brushed it on the back side of the ribs. Then I put the ribs in to broil for about 3 minutes. I pulled them out and gently turned them over, brushed the meaty sides with the sauce and then put them back in to broil for another 3 minutes.

Like I said before, my photography skills don't represent these adequately. These ribs are a pile of yummy, finger licking, BBQ goodness. They were just screamin' for a side of home made potato salad and some iced tea...but then it is mid-February so we made do with some fried potato slices and broccoli spears.

This is the recipe:

3 tbl paprika

2 tbl brown sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (don't skip this ~ it is not at all spicy)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

4 lbs beef (or pork) baby back ribs 

3 cups BBQ sauce (your favorite brand is fine ~ I used KC Masterpiece)

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Rub mixture all over both sides of the ribs. Stand the ribs against the wall of the crock pot with the meaty side against the pot. Pour barbecue sauce over the ribs, cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

After the crock pot time is done, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with foil and putting a rack on top. Carefully remove the ribs from the crock pot and place on the rack, meaty side down. Pour the BBQ sauce into a saucepan and skim off as much fat as you can. Cook the sauce on top of the stove for about 10 minutes or so to allow the sauce to reduce down and get thicker.

Heat up the broiler. Brush the reduced and thickened BBQ sauce on the backs of the ribs and broil about 10 inches from the heating element for about 3 minutes. Take back out of the oven and carefully turn the ribs over. Brush with more BBQ sauce and return to the broiler for another 3 minutes. Brush with more BBQ sauce just before serving.

What is the taste tester's bottom line?

These were very, very good! Even though these ribs were "finger-lickin'-good", they were really messy so I served them with a wet wash cloth at each place setting so hands could be washed as necessary without getting up from the table.

Bottom line: I'm watching for sales on baby back ribs (either pork or beef) so I can make these again!!

 











Omelets To-Go

Don't these look cute...

And yummy...

And easy?

Well, they are ~ all of the above!

We call these "Omelets To-Go" or "Omelet Muffins". Each is a one-egg omelet and can be made in advance and refrigerated or frozen and then reheated in a microwave for a quick breakfast on the go. They also work perfect as a make-ahead option for your holiday breakfasts, and we found them to be great on a recent family trip in a hotel room with a microwave. 

These omelets are so easy to make and are easily adaptable for different tastes. Just as with a regular omelet, there is almost no end to the possibilities for add-ins. We like to use crumbled sausage, shredded cheese and sliced green onion, but you can use bacon, ham, no meat, broccoli, mushrooms, spinach, green pepper, regular onion, Swiss cheese, no cheese, you get the idea...there is no end to the possibilities. You can also make these as egg white omelets if you're avoiding the extra fat and cholesterol in the yolks.

These omelets were one of the first things I tried after I started researching recipes on Pinterest. This one comes from a website called "kalynskitchen.com". On that website they say these can be made in a regular muffin pan using two cupcake papers. I have never tried it that way. I invested in some silicone cupcake cups one day while I was shopping at IKEA. They work so well and the omelets come out so nice. I highly encourage you to use silicone. They can be hard to find, but I understand you can find them at Michael's and on Amazon.

Here is how I do it:

 I start by gathering the ingredients. For this batch I used ground sausage, shredded cheese, and green onions. Of course you'll also need one egg per omelet you plan to make as well as seasoned salt and any other seasoning you'd like in your omelet.

Next, I got my silicone muffin cups and put them on a large cookie sheet lined with foil. I line the pan with foil because I tend to drip some of the egg mixture and it makes clean up soooo much easier. You don't have to make 2 dozen at a time. You can make as many or as few as you choose.

I browned the sausage on the top of the stove and then drained off all the fat. When I use bacon I cook it first and make sure I drain it well and chop it into pieces.

I put the sausage in the bottom of the muffin cups. One pound of bulk sausage was a good amount for 24 muffins.

I sprinkled shredded cheese on top of the sausage. I think I used about a tablespoon per muffin.

 Okay, I forgot to take a picture of the next step...but I'm sure you've seen it before...in a large glass measuring cup with a pour spout, I whisked one egg  per cup (in this case I whisked 24 eggs) and I added the seasoned salt. Then I poured the egg mixture over the meat and cheese till about 3/4 of the way full. I took kitchen scissors and cut the green onions over each cup.

 Then I took a fork and gave each omelet a stir to distribute the ingredients throughout (this is where I really need the foil to catch all the little drips).
 I put them in the oven preheated to 375 degrees for about 25 minutes, until the egg is not runny and they puff up a little bit (they will fall back down when they cool).

 When they have cooled, I put them in freezer bags and freeze them, or in this case I was taking them to a weekend get away at Great Wolf Lodge so I put them in an airtight container and put them in a cooler to keep them cold until we could put them in the refrigerator in our room. The next morning we warmed them individually in the microwave for about 40 seconds on high.

This is the official recipe:

For 12 muffins ~

12 eggs, beaten
1 tsp seasoned salt (or you could try Mrs. Dash seasoning to reduce the sodium)
1 1/2 cups shredded cheese
1/2 pound bulk sausage; crumbled, browned and drained
1 bunch of green onions
other meats, cheeses, and vegetables to taste (all meats should be pre-cooked and vegetables should be pre-cooked or at least blanched)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put meat, vegetables, and cheese in the muffin cups (if using silicone there is no need to grease the cups ~ if using regular muffin pans use two paper liners per cup.)
Mix seasoned salt into the beaten eggs. Use the egg mixture to fill the muffin cups 3/4 full (should just cover the other fillings).
Give each cup a small stir to distribute the ingredients.
Bake for 25 minutes, or until eggs are set and omelets puff up a little bit.
Cool for 5-10 minutes before removing from cups.
Store in the refrigerator or freezer, then reheat in the microwave.


What's the taste tester's bottom line?

These have been very popular with my family. I've purchased 2 more sets of silicone muffin cups for friends and family who liked these enough to make them too. One of my sons has been working out of the state, away from his family, and he makes these to have on evenings when he is not in the mood to cook dinner for himself.
Bottom line: These are worth the investment in silicone muffin cups!  

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites...

 Peanut Butter Brownie Bites...

Peanut Butter Brownie Bites...

try saying that fast!

Okay, sure you can say it now, but try saying it after popping one of these chewy, peanut buttery, chocolately morsels in your mouth ~ that's not so easy!

I found this yummy idea on Pinterest, linked to a website called bakedperfection.com. I'm always looking for something new to try out on my favorite taste testers and since I planned to see them on the weekend it was a perfect opportunity to give them a try. I always bring treats for our family's annual trip to Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City. GoodMan and I usually reserve a larger room at the Lodge for the two of us because we end up with everyone in our room at one time or another. Sometimes we play cards or games and sometimes we just gather and catch up on each other's lives. We keep our room stocked with snacks and drinks and that acts like a magnet to bring everyone to us!

These wonderful Peanut Butter Brownie Bites were a hit with my chocolate and peanut butter lovers. In fact, I took a sample over to some friends before I left for the weekend and I got a call on my cell phone before we even got to the Lodge asking for the recipe! Well, this "recipe" is so easy, it isn't even really a recipe. It's more of a "how-to".

Here's how I did it ~

I mixed together a batch of boxed brownie mix according to the package directions, and preheated the oven to the temperature the mix called for.

I sprayed 2 mini muffin tins lightly with cooking spray. My mini muffin tins hold 24 mini muffins. This single recipe actually made about 40 brownie bites (I doubled this recipe for this occasion so I filled my pans and baked a second batch). I used about a teaspoon of brownie batter for each brownie bite.

I baked them about 13 minutes, until they were set, but not too dry. While they were still warm I used my thumb to make an indent in them (this will hold the peanut butter, so I made it like a little cup).

I warmed some peanut butter in the microwave until it was runny. I used about a cup of peanut butter for each batch. I spooned the peanut butter into the intentions in my brownies while the brownies were still warm. Then I sprinkled semi-sweet chocolate chips and peanut butter chips on top.

I let them cool completely in the pans, then stored them in an airtight container with waxed paper between layers.


This is what they looked like when I was done:

Oops! I mean this is what they look like when they're done:

What is the taste tester's bottom line?

These were the perfect size for a sweet bite here and there. The family members who are not fans of nuts or peanut butter didn't try them, but anyone who likes chocolate and peanut butter gave them an enthusiastic thumbs up! The only complaint I got from the friends who tried them was that I didn't bring enough!

Bottom Line: These were fun to make and fun to eat!