Merry Christmas week everyone! My guest today is Lindsey from The Cookie Jar and she will be sharing her recipe for her homemade caramel corn! I just took a peek at her blog and noticed that she has a recipe for Sour Cream Enchiladas (holey yummy dinners!!!). It's got Rotel in it.. you just cannot go wrong with Rotel. Me thinks RonChops and I might be having those for dinner tonight!
As a little added bonus for the recipe today.. I have made up a few special caramel popcorn tags! That way you can make up a few batches of this yummy looking corn and give them friends and family with their own special little taglets!
Let's get started with the interview shall we?
L. Chops :: What's your favorite ingredient when cooking?
The Cookie Jar: Butter!
(Note answer to the question about favorite celeb chef) I also love
Rotel (the canned tomatoes and green chilis), my husband says I put it
in everything.
L.Chops: I have a special shelf dedicated to Rotel myself. When they go on sale we stock up big time.
L. Chops :: What leftovers do you have lurking in your fridge right now?
The Cookie Jar: Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas
L.Chops: How strange.. that's what we are having for dinner tonight...hmmmm. :)
L. Chops :: What topping(s) do you like on your pizza?
The Cookie jar: Banana peppers, fresh tomatoes, and onions (sounds weird but I love it!)
L. Chops :: What recipe do you cook best (the one you are known for or that all your friends always want you to make)?
The Cookie Jar: Hmmm, I would have to say my banana pudding or mac and cheese. Oh and also my mexican spinach dip, it's always gone in minutes!
L. Chops :: If you were a salad, which dressing would you pick?
The Cookie Jar: The
dressing from my crunchy romaine salad. The recipe is on my blog, it's
just basically sugar, balsamic vinegar, oil, and seasoning. Never met
anyone that didn't like it!
L. Chops :: What's your favorite ice cream flavor?
The Cookie Jar: Mint Chocolate Chip
L. Chops :: Butter cream frosting or whipped?
The Cookie Jar: Hello?!?
Buttercream without question! And what is up with those other frosting
hater hosts?? I guess they haven't tried my buttercream yet! :)
L.Chops: You can always come back and share your recipe and we can see if we can move them over to the right side of the kitchen!!!!
L. Chops :: What's your favorite memory associated with food (date, family dinner, cooking with someone, etc…)?
The Cookie Jar: That's
tough. I have great memories of my mom making my favorite rotel chicken
and mint chocolate chip ice cream pie for my birthday, but I would have
to say it was the first time I made a "real meal." It was when I was in
college, living in the dorms, and it was valentines day. I was cooking
for my future husband and I remember calling my mom and asking for a
good recipe that didn't need too many ingredients or kitchen gadgets. I
then called her about 10 more times from the grocery and dorm kitchen
because I was clueless about cooking. The meal turned out great and to
this day is a favorite of mine. It is baked chicken breasts with gravy
and that recipe is also on my blog. I think making that meal is what
sparked my interest in cooking and made me see how great it felt to
make something so good and have someone else think it was good too!
L.
Chops :: What do you use to clean your dishes. Plain sponge, sponge
with scrubber attached to one side, scrubber handle thing with soap
refill, scrubber knob thing w/wo soap refill, kitchen towel, etc…
The Cookie Jar: I just use a plain old sponge with a scrubber on one side and elbow
grease. Unlike some of the other hosts my husband doesn't do the
dishes, but not because he won't. I am far too protective of my pots,
pans, knives, etc to let anyone else clean them!
L. Chops: I guess I'll need to find out where to get some of this elbow grease. Does it work as well as Dawn?
L. Chops :: Who is your favorite celebrity chef?
The Cookie Jar: Paula
Deen! I have a funny story about how I basically bear hugged her
against her will in a casino.... but we will save that for another day.
I think she got increased security after that and there may be a
restraining order out on me. I still love her though! Her recipes are
down to earth basics and I think her cookbooks are great for beginners.
I know I can't go wrong making something of hers.
L. Chops: Paula honey...if you are reading this (umm..earth to Lolly..come in Lolly).. it was Lindsey who tackled you in the casino that one time! You really cannot blame her though.. you must have been wearing your Eau De Butter perfume that day and Miss Lindsey does love her some butter (and rotel too).
Lindsey.. consider yourself forgiven.
L. Chops :: If a recipe calls for a clove of garlic – how much do you really use?
The Cookie Jar: A
spoonful or so from my giant jar of prediced garlic. Don't look down on
me for using that, I even heard Emeril say on his show once that he
uses that too. I swear I grind my own pepper though!
L. Chops :: If a recipe
calls for vanilla – do you let the vanilla spill over the measuring
spoon a little or a lot (or do you just double it like I do)?
The Cookie Jar: I
usually just let it spill a little. Although I am very much an "eyeball
it" cook, I try to measure well when I am baking. I have always been
told that you don't mess with proportions in baking or a disaster would
be sure to follow.
L. Chops :: Favorite spice or spice blend?
The Cookie Jar: Definitely Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning. It makes everything better.
L. Chops: I have never tried that before. I'll have to give it a shot!
Thanks so much Lindsey! On to the recipe!
Homemade Caramel Popcorn
Ingredients:
3 bags of microwave popcorn (I prefer Orville Redenbacher's Simply
Salt, I'm not quite sure how fake butter flavor popcorn would work with
this)
9.25 oz can unsalted peanuts
1 cup light brown sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon maple pancake syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Spray 2 large rimmed cookie sheets/jelly roll pans with pam and set aside.
Pop the popcorn and remove any unpopped kernels. Put in a 1-2 large
bowls and mix with peanuts. (I use 2 big plastic popcorn bowls because
I don't have one large enough to hold it all)
In a medium saucepan combine the butter, sugar, salt, corn syrup,
maple syrup, and vanilla. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir
constantly for 5 minutes, keeping the mixture boiling. Remove from heat
and add baking soda while continuing to stir. The mixture will
foam/bubble up.
Pour the syrup over the popcorn mix and stir gently until well combined.
Place the popcorn on the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 1 hour, gently stirring every 15 minutes.
Allow mixture to cool about 10 minutes and stir gently again. Once it is completely cool you can store it in big ziploc bags or put in cute packaging for the perfect last minute Christmas gift!
.....and once you get it into those cute little bags.. you can use these cute little tags to label your tasty little gift packages!
Homemade Caramel Popcorn - Gift Tags
Download PDF HERE
Happy Holiday Hugs everyone!
P.S. Did you really think I could go without announcing the winners of the Pear Pops Fat Quarters from SpoonFlower?? You did didn't you?! Gotcha!
So here we go... and let me tell you.. that was one hardest decisions I have had to make to date...(bloggingly speaking)... Since several folks posted the same ideas I had to pick the person who suggested it first (in case you suggested it and are wondering why you were not picked).
So here are our winners!
1) Pear Pops - Gumbo goes to:
Rachael - La Fuji Mama
She suggested three things but the one that really caught my eye was the bento bag. I think it's going to be totally cool!
2) Pear Pops - Tarts goes to:
Ashley Ann - Hot Butter
She suggested a half apron. I have no idea what this is but several people suggested it so I gotta see what this is all about.
3) Pear Pops - Seaside goes to:
Mayaluna - Maya* Made
She suggested using the fabric as the center and back of a pear-shaped matryoshka doll set! I love this idea and cannot wait to see how they turn out!
Sew...I also picked three runners-up cause I just could not stick to 3 winners. It was completely and utterly impossible! The runners-up are:
Shaina - from Just Because I am Me (she wants to make a pear pops pin cushion) AND Shawna from Nuts to You (she wants to make a baby doll quilt) AND Stephanie from DancyDoodle (she wants to make a little girl's twirl skirt with tulle peaking out...with a small pear apron in front)...all such great ideas!
Because I MUST see these three other ideas in action.. they are going to each get a fat quarter from me once I place my next order (just cause). So hang tight ladies.. I'll be placing another order with SpoonFlower within a week and will be in touch!
Since that was so much fun AND so so so hard (you have no idea.. it took me hours to decide) I am going to do another fabric giveaway and SOON! YAY for free stuff...
BUT..there is just one catch. just kidding. :) No buts and no catches (that sounded so country). I need to figure out which pattern I am going to order and get it in ASAP. I'll keep you guys posted! I might even order bigger pieces this time.. then you guys can really let your creative wings spread!
Special thanks to everyone who entered. I had so much fun reading your ideas. It thrills me to no end that everyone put so much into my little giveaway!
P.S.S. x's & o's,
Lolly
