Homemade Microwave Popcorn

Making microwave popcorn at home is easy and doesn't have all the "other" stuff in it as the boxed brands.  This is air popped taste out of the microwave.  And all you need is a brown paper lunch bag and popcorn kernels.  The fun part comes after its popped when you can add any kind of flavors you like.  My personal favorite combination is olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and ancho chili powder. My mouth is watering.

In a brown paper lunch bag add a 1/4 cup of kernels.  Fold top of bag over a few times and microwave for about 2-2 1/2 or until popping slows careful not to burn.  Open bag and toss with either melted butter or olive oil and your favorite seasonings, or just leave plain. 

Pepperoni Pizza Bites

These are a great bite sized snack perfect for a get together with friends. I am making these to bring with me to a New Years Eve gathering. It's also a great easy recipe to have on hand for football season.

Ingredients: ( makes 24 bites)

3/4 cup of flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flake ( optional to taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped pepperoni
1/2 cup pizza sauce

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24 cup mini muffin pan. In large bowl mix together dry ingredients. Next mix milk and egg. Stir in cheeses. Mix in pepperoni.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan. Bake until puffed and golden about 20-25 minutes.

Serve bites with warmed pizza sauce.

Adapted from Everyday with Rachel Ray

Carving Pumpkins and Roasted Seeds

I absolutely love Autumn.  It is definitely a time to see and feel change all around you.  There are the beautiful colors that are bursting in the outdoors, the bright reds, oranges, and golds.  And Autumn also means all things pumpkin.  I love pumpkins from jack o'lanterns to pumpkin spice lattes.  After a recent trip to go pumpkin picking I was eager to carve my pumpkins and roast the seeds.

First wash and thoroughly dry the pumpkin.

Next cut the top off your pumpkin and remove all the insides, scraping along the walls to get all the seeds and loose bits out.  This is the slimy, sticky part of the job.

Next either print out the pattern you wish to use or lightly draw one on the pumpkin.  This pattern I found on pumpkinmasters.com in the free section.  Using a small punch tool poke holes around the area that you wish to carve this will act as a guideline when out carve.  Remove the printed paper pattern and begin to carve the pumpkin.  All tools I used came from a small pumpkin carving kit that can be found in most stores this time of year.  I used small flameless tea candles to light the pumpkin.

My finished Jack 0'Lantern....I feel like he is smirking!

Roasted Pumpkins Seeds

Now for all those leftover seeds.  Another slimy job is to separate all the seeds from the pulp and rinse them off.  Lay them in a single layer on a foil lined cookie sheet.  I let them dry for one day.  When they are dry Preheat an oven to 350 degrees.  Melt about half of stick of butter and drizzle over the seeds, sprinkle desired about salt over seeds.  Mix seeds to coat with salt and butter.  Again make sure they are in one layer on the cookie sheet.  Bake in oven for about 40 minutes turning halfway through.  Seeds to be nice and golden when finished.