Easy Caramel Corn

With Fall, comes tailgating and football parties.  And with tailgating and football parties, comes food (more importantly, snacks).  That's where this recipe comes in!  This is probably the easiest recipe out there for homemade caramel corn (at least from what I've found) and don't let the ease of the recipe fool you: it's just as tasty!

I've been making this caramel corn for years now and it's always been a hit whether I've brought it to work parties, holiday gatherings, giving away as gifts or just making it here at home for something to munch on.  It's also very versatile and can be combined with other goodies such as pecans, candy corn, peanuts, etc. 

Easy Caramel Corn

Ingredients
3 bags Unbuttered Popcorn, popped
1 cup Unsalted Butter
2 cups Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 cup Light Corn Syrup
1/2 Tsp. Baking Soda

Directions
Empty the popcorn into a brown paper bag, being careful to not let the unpopped kernels get in.

In a small saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup over med-high heat.  Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and stir in the baking soda.

Pour the caramel over the popcorn in the bag; close the bag and shake well.  Microwave on high for 2 minutes.  Remove and shake well or mix with a wooden spoon so that all of the popcorn is coated in caramel.  Spread over wax paper and let cool. 

**Be careful as it will be very hot coming out of the microwave**


Yield: 14-16 Servings
Source: From Grand Temptations

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Sweet & Salty Olive Oil Granola Clusters

Just reading the title, I'm sure you're probably thinking this: "Granola? With olive oil in it? Ewww. Gross!" But let me just say that it's the furthest thing from being gross! It's actually really, really good and while you only get a hint of the olive oil flavor, it's fruitiness pairs well with the rest of the ingredients!

The combination of both sweet and salty flavors hits your taste buds with an explosion and it's really, really addicting! I make homemade granola quite a bit and up until now, this was my favorite recipe. But I think I've converted and now I'm definitely sold on granola with olive oil in it!

The marriage of salty pistachios and almonds paired with the sweetness of dried berries and olive oil is enough to put you over the edge. But wait! There's more...Top it off with a sweet maple, brown sugar and cinnamon-y glaze and they'll be scooping you up off of the floor after taking a bite! We couldn't keep our hands off of the stuff and while my usual granola recipe doesn't last long around here, I think this one has it beat by a long slide!

Plus, I learned a new trick: how to make your granola cluster! Probably sounds silly, I'm sure, but sometimes I like reaching into the bag and pulling out a cluster to munch on rather than a handful of it loose. If you whip up an egg white and pour it into the mixture, it clusters it like a champ! But if you choose to not, that's fine too, because the loose version is wonderful in a bowl of milk, atop of yogurt or spilled over a heaping scoop of ice cream!

Sweet &Salty Olive Oil Granola Clusters

Ingredients
3 cups of Old-fashioned Oats
1 1/2 cups Pistachios, hulled
1 cup Almonds, roughly chopped
1 cup Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1 cup Dried Fruit
3/4 cup Maple Syrup
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Egg White

Directions
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the oats, pistachios, almonds, coconut, and fruit; mix well until combined. Add in the maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon; toss until evenly combined.

In a small glass, whisk the egg white until it becomes frothy and foamy (about 2 minutes). Mix into the granola mixture.

On a baking pan covered with parchment paper, spread the mixture out in an even layer. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, to get evenly browned.

Remove from heat and let cool completely. As it cools, it will begin to harden and form into one large piece. Once it is cooled, using your hands, break up the granola into clusters of your desired size.

Store in an air-tight container or resealable plastic bag.

Yield: 6-8 Servings
Source: Adapted from The Kitchn (originally adapted from The New York Times)

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Baked Potato Chips with Gorgonzola Crumbles

See these? They look delicious don't they? Well let me be quite honest in saying that they are! One of my weaknesses includes snacks that are crunchy. You know, potato chips, crackers, pita chips, tortilla chips, etc. I love them all, but I don't love the fact that they're usually fried and really not the best thing for you. Now they have the baked potato chips out, which are really good (especially Lay's Baked! Cheddar & Sour Cream Crisps) but they're packaged and my whole philosophy behind packaged food is: It's Not Good For You! You know as well as I do, that we buy it (some of it) and eat it, but I really try to stay away from it because even though they're baked and supposedly "good for you" they're in a package and stuffed with preservatives and all sorts of other weird things that we cannot pronounce!

Lately, when I want a crunchy snack, I have been making my own! It's super duper easy and they actually taste a lot better than some of the crap you get in the store! Most people always have potatoes on hand and they go great with just about anything. And again, because you're making them, you control what goes on them...you can make them as salty as you like or as plain as you like. And if you really want to go all out (like I did), dress them up with a little Gorgonzola sprinkled on top, pop 'em back into the oven until it melts a bit and voila...a tasty and healthy snack! If you don't like Gorgonzola, use something else...cheddar, Parmesan, mozzarella, etc. You can dress them up even more by topping them with chili, sour cream and scallions or doing an Italian version. And if you really want to get creative, try making some of your favorite flavors: salt and vinegar, salt and black pepper, dill pickle, southwestern ranch....whatever your heart desires!

Baked Potato Chips with Gorgonzola Crumbles

Ingredients
2 Lg. Idaho Baking Potatoes, sliced thinly
Olive Oil Cooking Spray
Salt
Gorgonzola Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray. Spread potatoes out evenly on the baking sheet and spray lightly with cooking spray. Season, to taste, with salt and bake for 30 minutes (or until crisp).

Lightly sprinkle Gorgonzola, to taste, over the chips and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes (or until cheese begins to melt and becomes bubbly). Carefully remove the pan and serve immediately.

Yield: 2 Servings
Source: With a Cherry on Top

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Fruit & Nut Granola

Not only has my obsession with food increased over the years, but so has my addiction to Food Network.  It is my drug or my caffeine, if you will, and I watch (almost) anything and everything I can on the network every chance I get.  I remember starting out as a virgin to the network back in college when Rachael Ray first came out with 30 Minute Meals.  Since then, my love for her has grown tremendously as well as the addition for my love with her counterparts.  Whether it be watching the "greats" themselves such as Paula Deen and Bobby Flay or a fun episode of Food Network Challenge, Chopped, Chefs vs. City....I enjoy them all!

This recipe actually comes from one of the greats, Giada De Laurentiis, and is something I adapted and made for the first time last weekend.  I saw it on one of her episodes of Giada at Home over the summer and remembered it as what appeared to be an easy, tasty and healthy treat to try.  Because we are trying to be a tad bit more healthy in our household, I figured I'd give it a whirl and make it as a snack to munch on throughout the day!  To our delight, this easy-to-make homemade granola was so yummy!  The combination of nuts and dried fruit paired with cinnamon in the background made it a snack that was irresistable.  That being said, we have munched on it all week and it's time to make more!  The recipe below is the original by Giada, however, I made a few of my own changes to it the first go-round (mostly because I didn't have certain ingredients on-hand) and am making additional changes this time as well (I have noted those where appropriate).

Fruit & Nut Granola
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Ingredients
Non-stick cooking spray
1/3 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup cranberry juice
1 1/2 Tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup almonds
1/4 Tsp. salt
1 cup dried cranberries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, cranberry juice, and cinnamon over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. - I have used other versions of cranberry juice (i.e., Cran-Raspberry, Cran-Grape, Cran-Apple, etc.) and it works just the same.

In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, almonds, fruit and salt. - I have used a mixture of dried cranberries, strawberries, blueberries, and cherries and it ended up turning out really good - I would presume any sort of dried fruit would work.

Pour the maple mixture over the oat mixture and stir until combined. Spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Cool completely. Store in an airtight plastic container or resealable bag for up to 1 week.

Source: Adapted from Giada at Home

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