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Candy Corn Popcorn Balls {& How to Make Them!}

2011

Candy Corn Popcorn Balls

I am re-posting this from last year since it was such a hit- both to make and to share!

The first Halloween I had Rebekah, I ripped this recipe out of a Cooking Light magazine, thinking that one day she would probably be my little helper in the kitchen and we would enjoy making these.   I had good instincts about my 3 month old.  :)  I brought the recipe with me when we moved and then  realized that Scotland does not have candy corn!!  So, a few of us went in on an American Store order and split the shipping, and I got a bag of candy corns- I paid close to $4 for them, but it was worth it!  I am really excited about this recipe {which is essentially a twist on rice krispie treats}!

  • 8 c (light) popped microwave popcorn (about 1 bag)
  • 1 c candy corn
  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1 (10-oz) bag marshmallows
  • cooking spray

Combine popcorn and candy corn in a large bowl.  Melt 1/4 c butter in a large saucepan over med heat.  Stir in 1/4 t salt and all the marshmallows.  Reduce heat to low; cook for 7 minutes or until the marshmallows melt and the mixture is smooth.  Make sure to stir frequently.

Pour marshmallow mixture over marshmallow mixture, stirring to coat well.  Lightly coat hands with cooking spray; shape popcorn mixture into 20 (2-in) balls.

{Check out this site for fun candy corn crafts!}

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Irish Soda Bread

2011

Last night I was menu planning and therefore going through all my recipes.  I decided to throw away any I hadn’t ever used or didn’t love.  I came across 2 that I had never tried but always meant to: cinnamon rolls & Irish soda bread.  I made both today, and I’d like to share the bread with you because it was sooo darn easy and so good, especially with homemade beef stew!  If you don’t know me, then you know what it means for me to say that homemade bread is easy.  It means that anyone can make it.  Seriously, anyone.

Irish Soda Bread

I got this recipe from my sweet Scottish neighbor 2 years ago.  It’s brilliant!

  • 1lb flour {3/4 plain, 1/4 self-raising}
  • 1 t sodium bicarbonate/baking soda
  • 2t salt
  • 1/2 pint soured milk {=milk +2t lemon juice}
Mix dry ingredients.  Then, add the soured milk, and mix well.  Knead the dough with a little extra flour and form into a ball on a greased baking sheet.  Score a cross on the top.
Cook for 35 minutes at 200C.
While lovely warm, you can wrap in a cloth until ready to serve.
{Note: mine got nicely toasty and brown on the outside which made me worry it was overdone.  However, the inside was perfect and soft!}

This is how I interpreted "scoring a cross" on the top.

Lovely and brown.

Yet deliciously soft and moist on the inside.

Great with stew!

 

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2 New Grill Recipes

2011

Here are 2 Asian kebab recipes for the grill I did in the last 2 weeks, and both were awesome!  We didn’t actually grill as you can never count on a nice day in Aberdeen when menu planning, so I just cooked them inside.  A George Foreman grill would have been ideal, but I used a saute pan with a little oil to keep it all from sticking.

Hoisin-Glazed Beef Kebabs

Ingredients

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon chile paste with garlic
1 pound beef tenderloin filets, cut into 16 cubes
16 (2-inch) pieces green onions (about 4 onions)
16 grape tomatoes

Cooking spray

Preparation

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
2. Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add beef to bowl; toss well to coat. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
3. Thread 4 beef cubes, 4 onion pieces, and 4 tomatoes alternately onto each of 4 (12-inch) skewers. Place kebabs on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 5 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness.

Soy-Mirin Chicken Skewers

 

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
  • 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut lengthwise into 1-inch strips
  • 1 large red bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 large green bell pepper, cut into 8 pieces
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
  • 3 cups hot cooked rice

Preparation

  • Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; add chicken to bowl, and toss to coat. Let stand 15 minutes, turning chicken occasionally.
  • Prepare grill.
  • Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Place marinade in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 5 minutes). Thread chicken and bell peppers on 8 (12-inch) wooden skewers. Brush skewers with marinade. Place skewers on grill rack coated with cooking spray. Grill 4 minutes on each side or until done, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade. Remove from grill; sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve with rice.

 

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Ice Cream Sandwiches!

2011

I’m not sure I have seen such delight on Rebekah’s face as when I asked her if she wanted to help me make ice cream sandwiches.  We had just baked chocolate chip cookies and needed a good dessert for our guests that night.  So, I bought some vanilla ice cream and planned ice cream sandwiches.  Rebekah was soooooo tickled that the cookies were the “bread!”  She couldn’t wait to tell our guests how we had made them and they were “sandwiches!”   I do love my girl and her infectious enthusiasm!

*You can use whatever kind of ice cream you like!

Bake your cookies and grab some ice cream.

Make sure you have an eager helper who's good as stuffing them!

It's that easy- just fill them, being careful not to break the soft cookies. Then, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them!

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Cheese & Artichoke Soup

2011

This is a great soup recipe and nice for going meatless.

Cheese & Artichoke Soup

  • 1/4 c butter
  • 1c chopped onions
  • 1c sliced carrots
  • 1c diced celery
  • 1/4 c flour
  • 1 1 /2T cornstarch {corn flour in the UK}
  • 1/8t baking soda {to prevent curdling}
  • 4c chicken broth
  • 4c milk
  • 2c grated cheese of your choosing {we used Red Leicester, hence the color of my soup}
  • 1t black pepper
  • 2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
  • salt to taste
  • {great with crusty bread…just sayin’…}

Melt butter in a stock pot and saute onions, carrots, and celery.

Combine flour, cornstarch, and baking soda, and add to vegetables.

Add chicken broth and mix well.

Add milk and stir until mixture boils and thickens.  Reduce heat and add cheese and pepper.  Stir until melted, then add artichokes.  Taste for salt.

 

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