Tag: easy recipe

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Recipes

Homemade Caramel Corn

caramel corn in cookie tins with printable tag

I LOVE handmade/homemade/crafted gifts.  When someone takes the time to make me something, I feel so cared about, honored and loved, may be that’s my love language.  As a kid, my mom has been making and gifting homemade caramel corn with rave reviews.  She only ever made it at Christmas time but each year, she’d gift it our teachers, pediatrician, neighbors and friends.  People truly looked forward to getting this as a gift from my mom.  As an adult, I’ve continued the tradition, gifting this delicious stuff to anyone special enough to get it ;-).  

I’ve decided to SHARE this recipe with you all and show you how to make it into a beautiful gift for just about anyone.  I usually gift this to teachers, neighbors, our pediatrician, my OB, hairdresser, or anyone else that deserves a handcrafted gift.   Making the caramel corn has definitely become a family tradition that I’ve carried with me to my own children.  They know it’s almost Christmas when I get out the caramel corn ingredients. 

If you want to make it at home, here’s what you’ll need.   Large saucepan or pot for the stovetop, roasting pan, cookie sheets for cooling.  

caramel corn in cookie tins with printable tag

Ingredients include:

1 8oz bag of butter Oke-Doke popcorn  This is a VERY specific item but it truly makes the BEST caramel corn.  If you’re in a pinch or can’t find it at your store, make 8oz of air popped popcorn and spray with butter flavored cooking spray.  If you cannot or do not want to go through that much trouble, try to find some kind of butter popcorn in the store, do NOT be tempted to by movie theatre popcorn, this will NOT work.  You need it have butter flavor, but not be greasy.

2 c. LIGHT brown sugar.  I’ve used dark brown sugar in a pinch, but it’s not the same

1 c. butter, I’ve used salted and unsalted without much difference in taste

1/2 c. light Karo syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

 

And here’s how you throw it all together. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees while you gather your ingredients. Empty bag of popcorn into large roaster.

 

In large saucepan or pot, combine butter, sugar, Karo syrup and salt over low heat.

Allow to melt together and bring to a boil.  Boil together for 5 minutes, yep, set a timer and stir occasionally. 

Because you are making caramel sauce, you need to keep an eye on it.  It can go from okay to burned, it like 2 seconds.  Once it has boiled together for 5 minutes, add baking soda and stir vigorously for 1 minutes. Pour caramel sauce over popcorn and gently stir to combine. 

 

   

Bake in oven for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  

 

 

 To give as a gift, add to a decorative tin and wrap with ribbon or twine.  Add a cute holiday tag (free printable here) and you’re set!

caramel corn in cookie tins with printable tag

 

To print, open this FREE Printable and print onto cardstock!  Cut out, punch a hole using a hole punch and add to your gift.  

 

  If you decide to gift, please tag me on Instagram so I can see!!  

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Recipes

The EASIEST Chicken Fajitas

Weeknight Dinner

Weeknights can be crazy around here.  Even though I don’t have babies anymore, we still seem to have the curse of the “witching hour” which means I spend most of my late afternoons, coming up with ways to keep everyone busy and don’t always have time to spend cooking meals.  

 

I try to meal plan as much as I can, mostly so I can keep to our budget. When making my meal plan, I obviously fill Tuesday’s in with Taco Tuesday, because Mexican cuisine is our favorite.  One way I change it up around here, is to offer fajitas on “Taco Tuesday” even though it’s not technically tacos, it fits the profile right?!  

 

Healthy Dinner for the Family

With a recent diagnosis of an autoimmune disease, a focus on gut health and removing inflammatory foods has been imperative in our home.  I’m constantly re-creating our family’s favorite meals to fit the profile of healthy, delicious, easy and family friendly.  

 

Luckily, I discovered Mighty Spark ground chicken and turkey in my local supermarket and it’s changed our weekly menu.  Mighty Spark offers pre-seasoned ground chicken and turkey products.  They literally do the work for you so you don’t have.  Allowing Mighty Spark to do the work, also means we save money, not having to purchase the ingredients to flavor meats, which makes sticking to my budget even easier.  And the best part, for every package of meat purchase, Mighty Spark will donate a meal to someone in need and help in the war on hunger. 

 

 

Mighty Spark offers packaged all natural ground turkey and chicken in addition to premade, flavored patties for easy burger night.  I love all the flavors, but for this recipe, I use the Fajita flavored package. It’s flavored with red pepper, dried cilantro, dried garlic, dried onion, lime, and poblano pepper, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.  

 

For an easy weeknight dinner, I sauté up a package of Fajita ground chicken, add peppers and onions and I’m literally done.  My husband and kids eat this on flour tortillas topped with cheese, sour cream and salsa.  I choose to eat my served over brown rice with avocado and salsa.  It’s seriously so delicious!  

Recipe

1 package Fajita flavored ground chicken

2 peppers, I prefer red and yellow

1 white onion

package of flour tortillas

cooked brown rice

toppings of your choice: sour cream, cheese, salsa, guacamole, avocado

 

If you make these, make sure to tag me on Instagram  or Facebook so I can see the deliciousness you created!!!!

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Recipes

Blender Banana Muffins

Okay, so one thing you need to know about me, I can’t follow a recipe to save my life!  I’m just not good at it. When I make a cake from a box mix, I cannot throw the box away otherwise I have to get it out of the trash at least 5 times.

When I see a recipe I like, I use it as a guide and make it my own, which is why I don’t bake.  Anytime I bake, it’s a fail.  I don’t enjoy it, it’s not fun and nothing ever turns out. When I discovered I could make muffins AND they tasted good, sign me up!  Here’s the recipe, hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Blender Banana Muffins 🍌
• 1 c. Rolled oats
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 c. maple syrup, honey or agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla (or more if you want :-))
• 1 tsp baking soda
• chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the first 6 ingredients in blender or food processor. Be sure not to over mix. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into muffin tin and bake for 13-15 minutes. This recipe only makes 6 muffins, I haven’t doubled it but I’m sure you could!