Popcorn Party

Dominic came up with a great idea for popcorn - add different seasonings. So we made a lot of plain popcorn and went to town. The seasonings listed are the ones we used. Feel free to try different ones, then tell me in the comments how they turn out.

Flavorful Popcorn

quart-sized, resealable baggies
Butter Buds
Parmesan Herb seasoning, by McCormick
Ranch salad dressing mix
Cheesy Taco seasoning mix, by McCormick
hot chocolate powder
plain popcorn, lots
kettle corn, microwaveable

1. Prepare the baggies by putting 1 - 2 tablespoons of each seasoning in its own bag. Label the bags.

2. Pop the popcorn in an amount that's reasonable for your family. Air-popped corn with butter and no salt works great. I imagine that a low-sodium microwave popcorn would also work well.

3. Fill the bags about half full with popcorn. Seal them up and shake the bags. Kids really like doing this part. Enjoy your popcorn!

Our verdicts:
Butter Buds - tastes like regular buttery popcorn, but less greasy
Parmesan Herb - subtle; good for a little extra flavor
Ranch - much bolder; reminds me of ranch Doritoes
Cheesy taco - very bold
Ranch + cheesy taco - yummy combination
Hot chocolate - used with kettlecorn, it's a delicious dessert popcorn

Saint Patrick's Day dinner

Did anyone else have fun with their Saint Patrick's Day dinner? I know that the traditional meal is corned beef and cabbage, but I made that one year and wasn't too impressed. So I like to have fun with green food coloring instead. Yesterday I made green chicken nuggets (recipe to follow), green mashed potatoes (simply added the food coloring at the end) and green peas. I didn't know how green the chicken nuggets would end up, and they turned out very green. The kids loved it!

Chicken Nuggets

vegetable oil (enough to barely cover pan, adding as necessary)

boneless skinless chicken breasts (I defrosted 4 large ones for my family, and there was more than enough)

corn starch or flour

2 beaten eggs (optional: add a few drops of food coloring)

Italian bread crumbs

Heat thin layer of oil in large skillet over medium heat. Pound chicken until uniformly thin. Cut into nugget-sized pieces. Dip in corn starch or flour, then dip in egg, then coat with bread crumbs. Fry in batches, turning over when golden brown. They will cook quickly if you have pounded them thin enough. Drain on paper towels. Serve with dipping options: BBQ sauce, ketchup, honey mustard, and hot sauce (my family's favorite). These are a huge hit with adults and kids alike.