Jody's Popcorn Review

I was thrilled when I found a gourmet popcorn company in Virginia Beach.  I grew up in Chicago and Garrett's Popcorn was the bomb.  You would get freshly made carmel and cheese popcorn in your bag and it literally had to be pulled away to stop eating.  There was always a line out the door as well.

In the recent years, since moving to the south, the only other gourmet popcorn I have tasted is from the PopCorn Factory.

Jody's Popcorn is in Virginia Beach and looking at their website they have some unique flavors but especially packaging and colored popcorn.  You can get bagged popcorn in many university colors and packaging perfect for those spring grads or High School seniors who are receiving their acceptance letters.

They also offer holiday popcorn as I noticed  a St. Patrick's Day bag as well.  All reasonably priced around $4-5 dollars  for a small bag.

I started the review and then went back to their website and was pleasantly surprised their inspiration was from Chicago as well.  Here is a little blurb from their website:

Jody and her husband, Alan, always enjoyed visiting different resort areas and feasting on fresh caramel corn. In fact, when they lived in Chicago, a great date included a trip to a caramel corn store and a long walk munching on the delicacy....read more

They also offer holiday popcorn as I noticed  a St. Patrick's Day bag as well.  All reasonably priced around $4-5 dollars  for a small bag.

The folks at Jody's sent us 3 different samples to try out.  Their original Recipe 53 Carmel Corn, Chocolate Drizzled and Funfetti.  We saved them for our Friday movie night.

Verdict, it was not Garrett's popcorn.  Definitely not as fresh tasting but I am not sure what Garrett's would taste like if it was packaged for longer storage.
The chocolate Drizzled by far was our favorite.  The funfetti was enjoyed by the kids but really disliked the Purple kernels.  I tried one of them and it definitely had a weird aftertaste.

Since we are popcorn snobs, I thought I would try it on another test group.  The kids had some friends over the next day and I took out the carmel corn and funfetti.  I liked the chocolate drizzled too much to share!!

The kids enjoyed it but also did not care for that purple colored one??

I think they have a great concept especially with the unique packaging.  They also offer fudge and candy apples. Next time I am in Virginia Beach I am definitely going to visit their oceanfront store.  If you are not in the area visit their website and have some delivered.

The folks at Jody's are offering my readers 15% off their entire purchase just enter REV15 Go visit Jody's now to check out their other selections and let me know what you think.

Shamrock Pretzels

IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY ENTERED THE UPPERCASE LIVING Magnetic Board GIVEAWAY DO SO TODAY HERE, ends 3/2

Received my March Issue of Family Fun today and I love going to the final page to see what seasonal treat they created.
This month in honor of St. Patrick's Day they made shamrocks out of no other than my favorite food crafting items, pretzels and chocolate.



I first looked for chocolate covered pretzels at Kroger and was unable to find any.  I know one of the pretzel companies makes them around Christmas.  I then found yogurt covered pretzels in the bulk section of Fresh Market.  Just incase I also purchased tiny twists pretzels  to cover some in chocolate or bark, a little more tedious and not sure if I would have ever completed the project!!  So relieved when I found the covered ones!!

Using chocolate connect 3 pretzels into this shape.  Add the stem from a broken pretzel.  Let them set.

The magazine suggests using green frosting to outline the shamrock.  I did not have any so I simply tried more white chocolate, that I melted in a ziploc bag.  I also found some green chocolate discs that worked well.

 Then cover or dip into green sprinkles.

Tired of making these.  How about just adding some more green chocolate and sprinkles to the left over pretzels.  Festive enough.  My daughter enjoyed making these.

Here is another cute option the little ones can help make from the Crafty Crow.

Ceasar-Roasted Fish Perfect for Family or Special Occasion

I would consider myself both lucky and a unlucky that my children enjoy seafood.  Really more lucky that they are not picky but when you have to buy enough fish to serve 5, it can get pricey.

I went to a local fish market to pick up the fish for this recipe because if they did not have what I needed I wanted to be sure the fish monger would have an educated opinion for another option as well as know what was the freshest.

The best advice I have heard when choosing a fish recipe is don't be stuck on the type of fish in the recipe.  Often it will not be the freshest or they won't have any in stock.  When you go to a place that you like and trust they can suggest other types of fish that would go well with the preparation method.

I did not bring my recipe with me but asked for something close to Swordfish that would stand up to this sauce.  I was given local Rock Fish.  I also asked them to cut the fish in the proper serving sizes as I knew my knives were probably not as sharp as theirs.

 I prepared the Caesar sauce while the oven was heating.  If you were entertaining and did not want all the clean up while your guests were enjoying appetizers, you could prepare the sauce earlier and just take it out to get to room temperature while you were preheating.

This was and incredibly easy but delicious dish for our family.  The kids gobbled it up.  I had never cooked capers before but they added a wonderful texture to the dish.  It also makes more sauce that I prefer to definitely serve some on the side for your guests to serve themselves.

This is a great and super easy recipe that is fancy enough for a dinner party or date night and easy enough to throw together for your weeknight family dinner.
When you are not trying to be budget friendly!!  The clean up is even easier with as you line the cookie sheet with tinfoil.

Casear Roasted Fish From HOW EASY WAS THAT

Ingredients

• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon anchovy paste
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 pounds striped bass steaks, 3/4 to 1 inch thick, cut into 6 portions (to serve 3 kids and 2 adults I only got 2 lbs)
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, white and green parts (4 scallions)
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 3 tablespoons drained capers
• Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

Preheat a clean oven to 500 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. 

For the Caesar sauce, place the garlic, parsley, anchovy paste, and mustard in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and pulse to make a smooth sauce.

Place the fish on the pan and sprinkle both sides generously with salt and pepper. Set aside one third of the sauce to serve with the cooked fish. Spread the fish on one side with half the remaining sauce, turn the fish, and spread the remaining sauce on the second side. Sprinkle with the scallions and allow to stand for 10 minutes.

Roast the fish for 10 to 12 minutes, until the center is just barely cooked. Cover the fish with aluminum foil and allow to rest on the pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saute pan until very hot, add the capers, and cook for 30 to 60 seconds, until they start to pop and are a little crisp. Serve the fish hot with the lemon wedges, frizzled capers, and the reserved Caesar sauce.

Homemade Ricotta-Barefoot Style

A friend made Barefoot Contessa's Ricotta recipe from How Easy Was That and suggested I try it.  Growing up in an Italian Family I will honestly say I have never seen any of my family members make this from scratch.  I will confess that since moving south and not having speciality shops around, I have been buying the grocery store brands which taste much different than the deli versions my mother and grandmother brought home.


I read the recipe and not too surprising that Ina Garten made something so complex so easy.


It literally takes 40 minutes from start to finish.  I could almost not contain myself at the result.  I have never made cheese or even yogurt before so this was quite a treat.
And only 4 ingredients:

• For the ricotta
• 4 cups whole milk
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 tablespoons good white wine vinegar

For preparation instructions go Here

It tasted amazing and if I had some Italian bread I would have spread it on some toast and eaten it just like that.  We made a baked ziti out of it.


The best part of this concept is that you can control the ingredients in your ricotta.  I used organic milk and cream.  I also used 2 percent instead of whole milk.
 I am not sure what the whole milk might have looked like but this felt and looked right.

Curdling

Finished product

So if you have a hankering for fresh ricotta don't be afraid and skip all the sodium and chemicals in the packaged brands.  It really is Easy.

Brilliant Lenses Screen Cleaning Wipes review

Happy Valentine's Day to you. 


Last week I was thrilled to receive my sample of Brilliant screen cleaning wipes.  My husband complains about my computer screen being dirty all the time.  Not quite sure why the kids are even touching the screen but it often has fingerprints on it.  Happy Valentine's Day to you!!


These wipes come with SR-8 which provides gentle, superior  cleaning to any electronic screen and removes dust, dirt, finger prints and makeup while imparting an invisible, durable barrier that protects screens 50x more form scratching. Helps protect against re-soiling to keep your screen brilliantly clean!

• Cleans and protects monitors, electronics, eyeware and more!
• No Alcohol or Ammonia
• Added scratch resistance with SR-8

They are also suggested to work well on all type of eyewear.

I also used it on my smart phone.  I had to use the wipes a second time on the computer as it left streaks. However if you cleaned small portions at a time you could get it clean.  They come in individual packets so if you traveled with your laptop/ipad it is convenient to carry around with you.  These are a must have for any touch screen appliance. 


 The are pretty cheap at $3.99 for a pack of 5.  You can buy your own pack HERE or your own chance to win a free one HERE




I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.

Easy Chocolate-Cherry Clusters

Do you need a quick and last minute Valentine or Chocolate Fix treat?  If you liked the ease of my 123 Cookies you will really like these. Even though it is still cold outside I don't mind having a dessert recipe that does not require the oven.
Plus the kids can easily get involved with these.

I found these yummy treats in my Feburary Issue of EVERYDAY FOOD.  I used a small ice cream scoop and placed them in white and red mini cupcake holders I had around the house.  I also used a variety of chocolate that I had in the house including semi-sweet chips.  The quality of the chocolate is going to shine through with this recipe.

The first time I made them with real dried cherries, the second time with cherry infused cran-raisins preferred the original although the others were not bad.  Don't like cheeries, why not try dried apricots or blueberries?  Let me know if you try a different combination, maybe some white chocolate?

I halved this recipe and made 18 using my mini ice cream scoop.  The original recipe says it makes 18 heaping tablespoonfuls.

3 cups of Cornflakes
1/2 cup dried cherries
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped 1 3/4 cup

In a large bowl, break cornflakes into small pieces with your fingers.  Add cherries and toss together.

Place 2/3 cup chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water and stir occasionaly until it melts.  The second time I just used the microwave to melt the chocolate.
Remove from the heat and add remaining chocolate, stirring until melted.  Pour over cornflake mixture and gently fold just until cereal and cherries are completely covered.

Drop by heaping tablespoons onto two parchment-lined baking sheets or into mini paper or foil cupcake holders and let cool for about 1 hr.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Put them in a baggy or Dollar store heart container to give to your Valentine.

   

Banana Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting-A valentine's breakfast

What valentine in your home would not love to be woken up with a banana chocolate chip muffin with cream cheese filling?  It is still a muffin right?  My husband was not sure why I was feeding my kids cupcakes after school, but then I explained and he changed his mind!

I don't have a "go to" banana bread recipe. I find that I look for one that has similar ingredients that I have on  hand and still improvise!!  If you have an incredible go to recipe please comment and leave your link in my comments.

I had some Valentine's day cupcake holders already so this was my holiday inspiration.

I thought they looked pretty cute right out of the oven.

 But then I decided it make them a little more special with cream cheese frosting.  I found a recipe and cut it in half as I did not want a lot of frosting for a breakfast treat, especially since I added mini chocolate chips to the muffins!!

4 oz cream cheese room temp

3 tablespoons butter-softened

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Cream all ingredients together.

I used my cookie press for decorating.  THis is the first time I have used it for that purpose and it worked out pretty nicely.  No worries about squeezing out the frosting from the wrong end of the bag. I had some heart sprinkles on hand as well. 

                                     Want  a bite!!

Why you are out getting ingredients for these muffins, why not grab some of these coupons:
$1.25 off ONE (1) CAN OF 3-IN-1 MULTI-PURPOSE OIL
$1.00 off (1) 59oz Simply Beverage™, any variety
$1.00 off Olivari Mediterranean Olive Oil
$0.50 off any 3 Campbell's Condensed soups
$0.75 off Nature's Own Thin Sliced Bagels

Join today's Blog Hops

My first attempt at Applique

I found some left over Valentine's Day fabric from my Cookie's in a Jar present last year.

I thought I would give a whirl at applique.  I did it several years ago but never tried it again.

I googled a good description and found these great and easy to follow directions HERE from Seamingly Smitten

I bought a single flour sack towel at Ben Franklin, not the cheapest place but did not want to buy a bunch unless I knew it would be a success.  Plus the ones at Target were really thin and this one was more of a durable one.

Following the directions the same except I did not have the double sided Heat Bond so I used fabric tape to hold everything in place.

I could have stopped here, pretty proud of the outcome,

But,  I decided to pencil in an arrow and came out with this:

This is really an easy process especially if you are only using one easy design and fabric choice.  Visited my sister this weekend so she I gave it to her, I think I need to make one for myself.

Heart Glazed Cornmeal Cookies

I am not sure if I would have tried these cookies unless I saw them in Everyday Food Magazine.  I had never eaten a cookie made from cornmeal before and not sure what to expect, but they made them look so cute.

I made a half of a recipe just incase!!

I did not have the proper sized mini heart shaped cookie cutter, I only have smaller versions of cutters in Fall shapes from Williams Sonoma.  I also found a few small cutters in my kids playdough drawer.  Don't  worry we washed them!!

Well this is what we came up with.  I think you can use this technique even in a sugar cookie dough.

This would make a cute back to school or fall treat.

The taste was actually really good.  They were sweet but not overwhelming, more of a short bread cookie with a little texture.  The kids and adults in the house ate them up!!

Be sure to make the glaze a thick consistency or you will get some mess ups.

 I also found a great product at the grocery store, If You Care Parchment sheets.
 They are unbleached and chlorine free. The great part about these is that they come in sheet sizes perfect for my cookie sheets so no worries about cutting them wrong.

This is the full recipe that yields 40, I made about 18 with a half of recipe.

2 cups all purpose flour-spooned and leveled
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 to 2 drops red or pink food coloring

Preheat oven to 400'.  In a medium bolw, whisk together flour, cornmeal and salt.  In a large bowl, using an electrick mixer, beat butter and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar on medium-high until creamy, 3 mins.  Add egg and 1 tsp vanilla and beat until combined.  with mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.

place 1/4 granulated sugar in a small bowl, roll dough into 1 inch balls and coat with sugar.  transfer to parchment-lined  baking sheets.  with the bottom of a glass, flatten balls to 1 1/2 inches in diamenter.  Press a 1 inch heart shaped cookie cutter into each.  Do not cut through.  bake until cookies are golden at edges, 10 mins rotating cookies sheets halfway through.  Let cookies cook on wire racks. (store plain cookes in airtight container for up to 4 days)

In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, and 1 3/4 teaspons of cold water.  Whisk in food coloring. With a small spoon spread glase inside heart.  Let set 15 mins.  40 cookies.

Popcorn Valentine's Day Treats

I saw these inexpensive Popcorn containers at Target 2 for $1.00 and bought 6 thinking I could use them for the kids teachers for Valentines day.

After researching for a fun popcorn recipe I decided I would try Chocolate glazed popcorn from allrecipes.com.

I made a half recipe incase it was not good and it is not close enough to give them out. I also adapted the recipe per some of the reviews.

I filled cellophane bags almost full and put tied a ribbon around them.

I had my daughter make her own cards with the saying "You are a pop,pop pop ular teacher!) (taken from an idea from Family fun.)

We added the tag and here is a cute and tasty snack.

My daughter and I loved the popcorn, my son and husband did not care for it.

You can also buy a bag of gourmet popcorn, Fresh Market had some for under $3 that would be cute. I am also going to try chocolate covered popcorn using white chocolate and M& M's. Will post about that one too.

Made one up with a few bags of microwave popcorn. Still cute idea!!

I used my Whirley Popcorn Maker which I adore and have been using for the past 10 years and hopefully 10 more..

I think for our next batch for the teachers we will use the traditional chocolate coated popcorn:

Chocolate covered pictured:

• 4 cups popped popcorn
• 1/2 cup peanuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup granulated and 2 tablespoons brownsugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 2 Tbspoons buttter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F  Oil a  baking pan with sides.
2. Place popcorn(making sure to take out all unpopped kernals) I didn't into a large, metal bowl, and set aside. Stir together the sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, and butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it comes to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, then pour over the popcorn. Stir until the popcorn is well coated. Spread the popcorn into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes
4. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool to room temperature. Break into small clumps, and store in an airtight container.

1 cup of unpopped popcorn kernels will yield about 2 quarts of popped corn.

White Chocolate Popcorn

2 bags microwave popcorn or 8 cups of popped popcorn

12 – 16 oz. white chocolate chips, melted

3/4 C M &M’s

3/4 C peanuts (or more M & M’s) 

1/2 cup chocolate chips-optional

Pop popcorn, remove unpopped kernels.  Put popcorn in a big bowl.  In separate bowl, mix together melted white chocolate and  M & M’s, until coated with white chocolate.  Pour over popcorn and mix to coat popcorn with white chocolate.  Spread onto two jelly roll pans or cookie sheets. 

Optional--Drizzle with melted dark or milk chocolate.  Let it sit until chocolate has hardened and popcorn breaks apart in bit pieces.  


IF YOU DONT WANT TO make your gift how about buy some flowers