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For years, my mom used to come over on Halloween to bring popcorn balls and caramel apples for our kids before they left to go Trick or Treating. Of course, I usually had half of them eaten by the time they kids got home. This year, I decided to make popcorn balls. I remember thinking that when my kids are grown and have kids of their own, I will have all the time in the world to continue the tradition of making caramel apples and popcorn balls. Well, I have to admit it has taken me….well, lets put it this way, our oldest grandchild is 17 today and this is the first year I have made popcorn balls. The sad thing is, Jaden will already be gone with his friends to head to downtown Phoenix to go to a Haunted House. Well, I hope when he gets down there with his friends, he will think to himself, “oh man, what am I doing here, I could be home having a popcorn ball that my Nana made me?” That will show the little whipper snapper. Who knows, it might be another 17 years before I attempt making them again. Maybe Jaden’s kids will enjoy them. Surely I will have more time then to make Halloween treats. Before I post the recipe, I have a concern that I need to share. A concern and a question. If any of you out there are missing a teaspoon, would you please private message me. Don’t embarrass me by commenting on here that you wondered what happened to that 8th spoon that goes with your dinnerware. It happened yesterday at church, of all places.
There I was sitting at a table with 8 other ladies at Bible Study when I reached in my purse for a pen to write down things that would be worth remembering when I looked at something shiny laying across my wallet in the middle of my purse. I pulled it out and lo and behold, it was a teaspoon. Of course, the ladies all laughed and said “my goodness, do you have a liquid med in there that you have to take at a certain time?” I laughed and said yes. I didn’t want them to know that maybe I was either getting alzheimer’s or I was becoming a kleptomaniac and then had alzheimer’s and didn’t remember stealing it from someone’s home,department store or restaurant. I have never seen this spoon in my life. The only thing I could think of was the possibility that maybe when we went to a top notch restaurant with friends who visited us last week from California, maybe a spoon fell off the table and into my purse? Or maybe, I stole it from Dillards when I walked through the home department. Honestly, I don’t have a clue. If an alarm goes off the next time I walk into the department store I’m going to assume the later.
So, before I forget the recipe or feel an urge to go “shopping” for dinnerware that matches the spoon in my purse, here is the recipe for the Popcorn Balls….
In case I am arrested for stealing a beautiful spoon, maybe one of you might bring me one of the delicious popcorn balls next Halloween, and maybe a curling iron and diet dr pepper!
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup butter
2 teas water
2 5/8 cup powdered sugar
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 teas vanilla
5 its plain popped popcorn
1 cup plain M&M’s
*I added orange gel coloring to the mixture before pouring it over the popcorn
In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine the corn syrup, butter, cold water, powdered sugar and marshmallows. Heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil. Add the food coloring and vanilla at this time and stir until mixture is the color you have added.
Grease hands with oil, butter or shortening and quickly shape the coated popcorn into balls before it cools. Wrap with cellophane or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
ast night we were invited to some friends who live across the street from us to play cards. Patti had just returned from Texas and while there she ate this amazing dessert at their kids house. She made it for us last night and oh my gosh, it was some of the best dessert I have ever had. You need to believe me when I say that this layered dessert is a winner. Thanks Patti for sharing it with us last night and then sharing the recipe today. Wasn’t even mad that you beat me at cards after having some of this great dish.
We are so excited to have friends coming in from California who have become like family. When we began to plan when they could come, I immediately knew what we would be having for dinner their first night here….chicken fried steak! So after deciding on the main course, and knowing the only things you MUST have with the steak is mashed potatoes, black eyed peas/green beans, we didn’t spend too much time on the side dishes. Looking through different recipes, I remembered that not only is German Chocolate cake is Randy’s favorite cake, it is also one of theirs. So I decided to make one. This one is a little different from the original. Because the homemade cake is so light, it doesn’t hold up well to what I wanted to do, so I used the Betty Crocker, pudding included German Chocolate cake mix and made it in a glass pyrex 9×13. When it was baked and still warm, I poked holes with the handle of a large wooden spoon so the homemade German Chocolate frosting could seep into the cake. This gives the cake such a gooey-gooey texture and allows for the coconut-pecan mixture to ooze through out the entire cake. Then, of course to cover up the holes, what does one do? Well, one makes homemake chocolate frosting to drizzle over the top of that. And to top it off, we will have a side dish of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, sitting ever so lovely beside it.
Last night we had spaghetti & meatballs for some friends. Since we had some sauce and meatballs left over, I decided to use them in a new way this evening. Using slices of baguette, we sliced a couple of the meatballs and made our own little munchies. As we were eating them, it dawned on me how great these would be for a party appetizer. Perfect little snack when you are wanting a light meal, but want something with lots of flavor. *recipe for spaghetti & meatballs are on blog
Chocolate Castles 