Ten Acre Popcorn

In our travels we came across another popcorn gem... Ten Acre, Cousin Penelope's Strawberry & Cream Popcorn. Before an inquisitive eye and your nose gets wrinkly from the thought of the flavour it actually is quite good. Not overly fragrant syrupy sweet candy popcorn; just a savoury subtle creamy taste with a natural strawberry flavour. This was absolutely moreish. 

They also have many more delectable flavours like...

Lucia Popperley's Cappuccino, the essence of coffee flavour with a touch of vanilla and a hint of sweetness. Quite enjoyable. 

Ambrose Popperley's Wasabi, spicy, salty and deliciously sweet. Absolutely moreish as well. 

Not surprised that Ten Acre Popcorn are all of the above.  

To find out more about Ten Acre Popcorn click *here*

It's been another one of those weeks... hope everyone is having a good week! -JD 

Portlebay, Sriracha, and Coney Island Classics

Portlebay makes some delicious kracklecorn with unique and interesting flavours. The Orchard Wood Smoked Cheddar is flavourful where as the Chilli & Lime is sheer tasty bliss. This artisan popcorn is produced in Devon, England and if you can find a bag I highly recommend trying it. To find out more about Portlebay Popcorn click *here* 

Sriracha... doesn't need an explanation. With all the Sriracha influenced products out there why should popcorn go amiss. With a Sriracha smell and taste this will please any Sriracha enthusiast! Find out more about POP! Sriracha Popcorn by clicking *here* 

Barbeque popcorn is great however Smokin' Barbeque kettle corn with Pink Himalayan salt sounds intriguing. I thought this flavour would have a bit more of a robust smoky taste. Still, the subtle sweet savoury flavours make this popcorn very easy to munch. To find out more about the Brooklyn based Coney Island Classics click *here*

We have been enjoying ourselves... having some summertime fun! Hope everyone has a great weekend! - JD 

Super Easy Microwave Popcorn

We all know pre-packaged microwave popcorn is not healthy. It is laden with salt and other modified ingredients. This recipe has been floating around the internet for some time and I decided to put it to the test. There are slight variations to this recipe whether or not to use 1 teaspoon of oil or how much popcorn kernels to use however the common ingredient is 1 brown paper bag.    

Everyone loves fluffy popcorn. This recipe will give you that. Providing your kernels are fresh. This is a great way to make microwave popcorn.

You will need the following... 1 brown paper bag, 1/3 cup measuring cup and popcorn kernels. 

Put 1/3 cup popcorn kernels in the brown paper bag. You can add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil if you like and a pinch of salt. Things might get a bit messy if you choose to add oil so place a plate underneath to contain the grease. 

Fold the bag over 2-3 times. Place the bag folded side down or stand it up in the microwave. Either is way is fine and one does not have anymore advantage over the other. Set the microwave to 2 minutes* and press start. When the popping slows, remove the bag from the microwave, be careful because it is hot!. Carefully open, as a bit of steam will billow out, and pour the popcorn into a bowl. It is that simple! In 2 minutes you will have healthier microwave popcorn. 

*microwave ovens vary in size therefore the cooking time will vary.*

I removed the popped bag with only 24 seconds remaining. As you can see the popcorn started bursting out of the bag. I did not add oil because I prefer to melt just a bit of butter and drizzle it over the fluffy popcorn afterwards. 

Nice large fluffy popcorn. No unpopped kernels!  This is my kids favourite way to make and enjoy popcorn. I occasionally make it this way only because I have a stove top popcorn pot so I prefer to use that. Sometimes it is all about the method with me. 

Notes: Certain agencies may not recognize microwaving a brown paper bag... I suppose it could have something to do with the recycled fibre of the bag. If you are concerned there is another method to making popcorn which includes using a microwaveable bowl and covering it with a microwaveable plate. When removing the covered bowl from the microwave one has to be  cautious, both plate and bowl will be extremely hot! I have heard and seen various results using this method as it has been known to burn easily and more unpopped kernels remain. 

Hope everyone is having a good week, we are. - JD 

Last of the 2014 Party Mix

Doing some last minute preparations for tonight and thought I would make this simple seasoned snack. After midnight try saying that 10 times fast. 

Snack Mix

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3 cups Shreddies cereal

1 cup Cheerios cereal 

2 cups popped popcorn

1 cup small pretzels

1/2 cup peanuts - optional

3 tablespoons margarine or butter

1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Place the Shreddies, Cheerio's, popcorn, and pretzels in a large bowl.

In a small/medium sauce pan melt the butter on low-medium heat. Once melted add the Worchestershire sauce and seasoning salt. Stir until well blended. 

Drizzle evenly over the cereal mixture and toss to coat. Turn on to the prepared baking tray and bake until cereal is crisp. 

Serve in individual bowls or a large bowl for sharing.

Notes: This recipe can easily be doubled. Try different seasonings. Add parmesan cheese.  

I guess this is the last post of the year... Thanks to all my followers around the world and hope you all have a Happy New Year! - JW      

Caramel Popcorn

I made caramel popcorn for a snack mostly because I was in a mood after a very draining morning this week and needed to create something in the kitchen. I wanted my energy to go elsewhere. The popcorn turned out alright however I feel that the amounts of butter and sugar could be tweaked. It was very sweet. That is why I served the caramel popcorn in small ramekin bowls. All first attempts are trails not failures... - JW

Caramel Popcorn
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1 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 teaspoon of salt 
10 cups popped popcorn ( equals approximately 1/2 cup of unpopped popcorn kernels)
1 lined baking tray with waxed paper or parchment paper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a microwave safe bowl melt the brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. Microwave for 2 minutes. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Then put the bowl back into the microwave for another 2 minutes. Now you could easily melt the brown sugar, butter, vanilla and salt in a pot on top of the stove, over medium heat. Stirring constantly. Making sure that the sugar has dissolved somewhat and nothing burns.  

Put the popped popcorn into a large ceramic bowl. Pour the hot melted mixture over the popped popcorn and stir until the syrup coats the popcorn. You have to work fast because the mixture tends to glob in places but no worries. 

Take the pre-lined baking tray and pour the coated popcorn onto the tray and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes. Checking after 5 minutes. When the time is up remove from the oven carefully. The tray will be hot. Then spoon into whatever serving bowl you desire and enjoy! 

You can shake some cinnamon on top before you serve or salt but I tend to steer clear of adding more salt than needed.