Oh yeah, you read that right. Homemade. Kettle. Corn.
Get excited. 
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popcorn
SkinnyPop Walking Tacos
I don’t know if I’ve ever told you, but I graduated from the Home of the Walking Taco. Yeah. You should be pretttyyy jealous. 
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DIY Wednesday: Chili Cheese Popcorn
Popcorn is one of my favorite snacks because it’s easy to make and you can eat a huge bowl of it without feeling gross. I’m a huge fan of volume eating because I like food. Unfortunately, a lot of popcorn that you can buy in the store is NOT so good for you. Flavored popcorn tends to be full of artificial ingredients, preservatives, oils, and way too much sodium. That can be a real bummer when you figure that out after you’ve already inhaled a whole bag by yourself.
But don’t you worry because I’ve got you covered! You can make your own flavored popcorn at home with half the bad junk and all the tastiness. I was surprised by how good these turned out and even Adam who tends to like plain things said these were addictive. Husband approval means you know it’s good!
You probably have most of these ingredients already and if so you’re only a few minutes away from a healthy snack!
Chili Cheese Popcorn
- 3 cups air-popped popcorn (or you can use this method if you don’t have an air-popper)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried minced onion
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
- Mix all the seasonings together and measure out one tablespoon into a small bowl. Add the melted coconut oil and mix everything together. You want it to be pourable. Set this aside.
- Pop your popcorn and put it into a large bowl. Make sure you do this after you get the seasoning mix together. You want the popcorn to be hot when you mix everything together.
- Once the popcorn is popped, pour the spice mix over the popcorn and toss to coat. It might take a few minutes, but keep tossing and the seasoning will get on all the popcorn.
Happy snacking friends and see you on Friday!
Recipe: Popcorn Clusters
Friday.
I can hear the collective sigh of all you hardworking people! I know that this week has been crazy busy for me and I am really glad that the weekend is almost here.
Adam and I are actually going to his aunt’s wedding today in Waukegan so our weekend is going to start a little early. But I did want to make sure I gave you guys something yummy to make over the weekend. I’m always thinking of you like that!
This is just a quick snack I threw together because I randomly had leftover popcorn. I know, weird right? Who has leftover popcorn? Anyway, I was going for a healthy popcorn ball but that did not happen at all. Luckily what did happen is a fairly tasty treat/snack. It’s always great when your mistakes turn into delicious things. Don’t you wish that would happen in real life? Like don’t worry about messing up that interview, it’s now a plate of cookies! That would be awesome. Oh well, maybe someday…. Ok enough babbling onto the snack!
Popcorn Clusters
- 1 1/2 cup popped popcorn
- 2/3 cup assorted nuts and seeds (I used pecans, almonds, and pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate pieces
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 3 tbsp tahini or almond butter
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- In a medium bowl mix together the nuts, seeds, and chocolate. Set aside and line a muffin tin with liners. Place about 2 tbsp popcorn in each liner. Sprinkle a little of the nut/seed/chocolate mix over this.
- Place the oil and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and place over medium high heat. Heat until the mixture is just bubbling and then add in the tahini or almond butter. Stir to combine and heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn of the heat and stir in the cinnamon and salt and then moving quickly pour about a tablespoon over each muffin liner.
- Once all the tahini mixture is used up, move the popcorn clusters to the freezer and freeze for at least 30 minutes or until the clusters have hardened.
Once the clusters have cooled you can pop them out of the tin and store them in an airtight container. Make sure to keep them in the freezer or fridge so they don’t melt! Now you have a delicious snack whenever you get hungry!
OH! You guys should also go check out the blog Girl-ish. They are an awesome blog that writes about fashion, entertainment, life, and health and I am one of their newest contributors! I’m really excited to be working with these ladies and can’t wait to bring you more tasty and healthy food over there.
Have a super weekend and see you guys on Monday!
Once you pop…
No, this isn’t a post about Pringles. Sorry! But it is about popcorn, which happens to be one of my favorite snack foods. I’m not a huge snacker anymore, but Friday and Saturday nights beg to have a big bowl of popcorn in your lap while you watch a movie. I don’t have a recipe for you this Friday per say, but I do have a few ways that you can enjoy popcorn as a healthy (yes, healthy) and delicious snack.
First, let me be clear and say when I talk about popcorn I am NOT talking about movie theater popcorn covered in “butter” and salt nor am I talking about microwave popcorn that is also covered in “butter”. I am talking about buying the actual kernels of corn and popping them yourself. Before you stop reading and move on to other things because making popcorn yourself takes way too much time and energy, let me assure you it really doesn’t. Making your own popcorn is a fairly simple and easy process. The easiest way to make healthy and totally customizable popcorn is to pop it using an air popper and then add your own toppings. This is how I make my popcorn and it is as easy as measuring out your popcorn, pouring it into the machine, and turning it on. That’s it. No extra oils or additives just delicious popcorn. Most air poppers are fairly inexpensive and will last you a long time too.
Popcorn made in my air popper. Yum!
Another way to make popcorn is on the stovetop. In a large pot, heat a little oil (coconut oil is really good for this) and add in your kernels. Shake the kernels occasionally and as the oil heats up your kernels will start to pop. I’ve done this a few times and I recommend you make sure you keep an eye on the popcorn because once the kernels start to pop, it can get a little crazy. If you’re not watching you might have a kitchen full of popcorn, which might not be a bad thing…..
For those of you who like to just put a bag of popcorn in the microwave and hit go, you can still do that too. Place your popcorn into a paper bag and roll it closed. Use the popcorn setting on your microwave and you’re good to go. No added chemicals or preservatives, just popcorn!
Now that you know how easy it is to make popcorn on your own, how about some topping ideas? You can add pretty much anything your little heart desires and that is what makes popcorn such a great snack. You can customize it to whatever craving you have at that time! For toppings try:
- Salt and pepper. A classic flavor and really yummy
- Garlic powder and Italian seasonings. A very savory treat
- Nutritional yeast. A healthy way to add a cheesy flavor and one of my favorite toppings
- Cinnamon and nutmeg. A nice and light sweet flavor
- Pumpkin Pie spice. Who doesn’t like all things pumpkin?
- Dark chocolate or cocoa nibs. Chocolate is a great popcorn topping. Melt it first and drizzle it or add chips while your popcorn is hot and make melty clusters.
- Cajun seasoning. Like spicy? Then try some cajun or creole seasonings
- Honey and peanuts. Ok, this might sound weird but this combo tastes an awful lot like cracker jacks. Add in some warm honey and peanuts to your popcorn and stir to combine everything
There are seriously endless ideas when it comes to popcorn toppings. Popcorn is a great snack that is light, fills you up, and satisfies the need to munch on something while relaxing at home. So give homemade popcorn a try and see why I absolutely LOVE a nice big bowl of popcorn on the weekends!
Life Healthfully Lived 