Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

This was given to be by a friend and then my sister and it comes with a "highly addictive" warning. It takes like a cinnamon roll on popcorn--especially with the drizzles of white chocolate "frosting" mmmm.

12 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup kernels or 2 reg size bags of microwave popcorn) I used butter flavored popcorn because, well, why not.
1 cup Pecan halves roughly chopped or left in half
1 cup brown sugar
3/4-1 t. cinnamon (I added extra)
1/4 cup Karo syrup
1 stick of real butter (1/c cup)
1 t. good vanilla
1/2 t. baking soda
4oz or so of your favorite white chocolate

Directions:
Remove all un-popped kernels and place popcorn in large bowl. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Chop cold butter into cubes and place on top. Pour corn syrup over the top of that. Microwave in a safe bowl on high for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave 2 more minutes, stir, Microwave a final 2 minutes.
Remove and add vanilla and baking soda. Stir. Mixture with foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and nuts, stir very well to combine.

If you like it crunchy:
Pour out onto a foil lined jelly roll pan and place in oven at 250 degrees for 30 min, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove and spread on large piece of parchment, waxed paper or foil. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Let dry and break into chunks. Package or keep in a container.

If you like it soft:
Pour mixed popcorn out onto a large rectangle of parchment, foil sprayed with Pam or waxed paper. Drizzle with melted white chocolate. Let dry and package or put into a container or plastic bag.

Tricks & Treats Candy Bar Topiary

I wanted to make this last year and ran out of time. I first saw this idea from Dylan's candy bar in NYC. I took this picture quickly with my phone after I finished it, it's larger than the picture shows. Fast and quick and very fun-- if you can keep your family from picking treats off! Lynn took one right off the front- hello? Just keep extra treats around so it's not a temptation to muss up your tree! :)

This would be fun to take to a party, people can just pull treats off. ;) I think a Christmas Tree would be very fun to make- what a fun "anytime gift" this would be. Best part-- it only took about 10 min. to put together.

Candy Bar Topiary

1 foam topiary- any size

pot to serve as a container

stick or bamboo skewer

Assorted mini candy bars

Ribbon bow for a topper

Cute cupcake liners for a topper (opt)

Glue or Satin Pins (I preferred pins, so candy could be removed easily)

Directions:

Staring with the bottom of the topiary, pin mini candy bars in any order, random etc.. all around the tree. Work your way up to the next level overlapping the bottom level slightly. You just don't want to see the pins. I used 2 pins per candy bar. Place in a pot or cute container and fill the bottom of the topiary with loose candy bars. To make this topper, flatten 2 cupcake liners out and snip around the liner edges to help it lie flat. Glue together with a suckers stick or bamboo skewer inside. Insert into the very tip of the topiary. Fuss with it until you like it.

Cupcake Wrapper Treats

When I saw this idea I went crazy with buying up all the cute cupcake wrappers. They look like little fortune cookies- perfect for treats, party favors etc.. You can use these for any occasion and craft stores, even Walmart had cute ones. Hobby Lobby's were my favorite!

Cupcake Wrapper Treats

Cute cupcake liners

Glue (I used Fabri-Tac-- by the way, where have I been that I didn't know this glue existed? It's awesome! Strong, fast drying like hot glue without the heat) but you can use hot glue as well. You can also stitch by machine, but that requires more work than I am willing to give... :)

Treats- I used dove chocolates, Hershey Bliss works and after dinner mints. I loved the dove the most because they have little sayings inside the foil--and they are yum!

Directions:

Fold cupcake wrapper in half.

Glue around the outer edge leaving 1/4 to 1/2" open at the end (enough room to push treat in)

Insert treat and push up the bottom center to a create fortune cookie shape.

Pumpkins!

These are inexpensive foam pumpkins. A project I'm kind of getting addicted to. The first shot is a topiary.

TOPIARY

3-4 foam pumpkins.

Black lace in different patterns 1/2 yd. for each pumpkin

Glue, needle and thread

Urn you have lying around your house.

1/4 " dowel

cream colored craft paint

For the topiary, paint some off white. I pulled off the stem and vines of all the pumpkins, except the top one. Fill the hole with hot glue (sawdust spills out)

Cover pumpkins tightly with lace and stitch bottom or glue and trim excess. Cut a small hole in the lace for the top pumpkin's stem and vine to poke out.

I was looking for a dot patterned lace, and being impatient and not finding one, I just inserted upholstery tacks around the pumpkin and then covered it with a double layer of black tulle yardage.

Insert dowel in the bottom two and stack in a urn large enough to hold them. Trim stick if needed and insert in the bottom of the top pumpkin. I'm in love with these.

PAINTED PUMPKIN

Using the craft foam pumpkins, paint off white and let dry.

Stud pumpkin with upholstery nails randomly or in swirls etc..

Tie off the stem lots of fun ribbons.

METALLIC PUMPKIN
1 foam craft pumpkin

Silver paint

craft sealer top coat spray paint

Paint and let dry. Spray with a sealer. Top with ribbons and stack in a basket or on top of a candlestick etc..

Union Square Cafe's Bar Nuts

On late afternoons Union Square in NYC will serve these amazing nuts at the bar-- I found this adaption of the recipe from Nigella Lawson a few years ago and -they- are- totally addictive. I like taking them to parties. It's an easy recipe and best served hot, but frankly I eat them cold too, and they are great! I have variations to the recipe which are noted below.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups (18oz) assorted unsalted nuts (I use almonds, pecan halves, whole cashews, shelled pistachios, macadamias, peanuts.) You can also use Brazil, hazelnuts etc.. basically whatever you like.

2 T. coarsely chopped fresh rosemary leaves ( I use 1/2 t. dried, which I grind fine in a spice grinder, because we don't like strong rosemary in things- you could chop it fine as well)

1/2 t. cayenne pepper (I usually double this)

2 t. brown sugar (I usually double this as well)

2 t. sea or kosher salt

1 T. melted butter (I use 1-2 T)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toss nuts in large bowl to mix them up and then spread out in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Toast in the oven until lightly golden brown, about 10 min. In a large bowl, combine spices, salt and melted butter. Basically, what I look for, is a soft burn in the throat and a hit of sweetness from the sugar. So if I don't get enough heat, I'll sprinkle in a bit more cayenne. It's a very flexible recipe. Toss the nuts in the spiced butter really well, then serve warm and watch the bowl disappear... ;)

"TrIMMing tHE TrEE" sNaCKs

65 boxes were filled with just the right amount of energy boosting carbs, protein and chocolate antioxidants to give everyone enough energy to trim the trees this year!  (Yeah, right)  :)

This mix is similar to Harry and David's Moose Munch.  I got the idea because the chocolate turtles I was planning to give away to the neighbors were not working so well and a lot of work.  Sometimes I'm about minimum effort and maximum pleasure... and looking at my time constraints I decided the turtles would have to wait!

It was bad enough in all my holiday running around that I copied and cut 65  3" circle tags for the boxes, glued them all on, filled them with mix and then realized I had spelled "Trimming" with one m.  Ahhhhhh.....  you know what?  They went out to the neighbors anyway and hopefully they didn't mind!!  (Or thought I didn't know how to spell Trimming.... )  

 Lynn and I had been Christmas shopping in Park City and he bought some Moose Munch and I made the mistake of thinking I could just have a little... Hmm Mmm.  That stuff is really great.  Anyway, here is my version:

Kettle Corn (make or buy)

Caramel Corn (make or buy)

Chocolate peanut clusters

Chocolate almond clusters

Chocolate cashew clusters

Chocolate covered popcorn (pop some corn, pour in a bowl- pour melted chocolate over the top, stir, let dry on waxed paper)  

*Ratio:  2 bags micro popcorn (butter and salted) to 12oz your favorite chocolate.

Mix in a large bowl and enjoy.   I put in A LOT of nut clusters so every bite had some chocolate nuts in it.  There are no real measurements here and you can add different nuts etc.. as well.

Stake Primary Training

Everything pictured above is given in recipe form on this blog-- I think!