DIY Popcorn

Both our boys love popcorn but the store bought popcorn packets are so expensive. I thought about buying an air popper but then I read somewhere that you can put straight up popcorn kernels in the microwave and they will pop. I thought to myself - Dear Lord instant popcorn is the biggest facade! So I made my own insant popcorn packets. You could proably just put them together at the time you want the popcorn but I work full time so if its going to get eaten in our house it needs to be pre-packaged and done.  here is what I did. Its simple, easy and CHEAP! 

You will need:

Paper Lunch style bags

Popcorn kernels (1/4 C per bag)

A Pen - I used a sharpie that was lying around

A plastic baggie (if you so desire - I resue these since they don't get dirty)

For each paper bag you will want to throw in aproximately 1/4 cup of popcorn kernels. Fold up the bag and insert into the plastic bag (optional).  

When you are ready to enjoy your popcorn just place it into the microwave for aprox 2 mins or you can put it on your popcorn setting. Just like the store bought popcorn says stop once the kernals stop popping or are popping longer than 3 seconds.

Now you can add salt, pepper, or whatever suits you! On move night we tossed it in a bowl and added melted butter for the boys. I take mine bare! Wasn't that EASY!


Enjoy,
Jen

Teacher appreciation baking mitt

Happy Friday!

Today is the last day of teacher appreciation week. Because there are 5 teachers between both of our kids (they are both in pre-school) my budget for teacher gifts was stretched pretty thin. But I found this idea from Skip to my Lou. I found everything needed at the Dollar Tree minus the candy that I purchased at Target. Skip to my Lou also has printable tags! Here are pictures of the oven mitts for the boys teachers.

I included 1 oven mitt, pencils, pens, marking pens, scissors, glue, Air Heads candy, & Twix candy. I calculated it out and I only spent 7.15 per teacher which is pretty cheap!

Enjoy,

Jen

Bruschetta

This last weekend the hot weather finally broke and it started feeling more like October. So for lunch on Saturday my DH and I decided on spaghetti and wine. We had just purchased some rosemary crisps at Trader Joe's and I had to come up with an excuse to eat them. I remembered I had a bunch of tomatoes left and needed to eat them so I decided to make bruschetta! I looked all over the web and couldn't find one recipe that really did it for me so I made my own.

What you need:
3 tomatoes
1/4 onion
2 cloves Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Balsamic vinegar

First chop your to tomatoes and onions. I de-seed the tomatoes as I go.
Next mince the garlic or put it through a press.
Add the tomato, vinegar, and oil to a bowl and let it marinade.
As your tomatoes are marinading olive oil to a small pan and simmer the onions and garlic till transparent. You can skip this and add them directly to the bowl but I personally get indigestion when I eat raw onions.
Add the onions and garlic to the bowl. Mix together and add your salt and pepper to taste.

If you don't have crisps you can make your own. Preheat your oven to 400. Slice a baguette or Italian bread and on a diagonal at about 1/2" slice. Brush with olive oil and place them on a sheet oil side down. Place in the top rack for 5 to 6 mins.

DIY snow candles - ready to publish

I saw these great vases in a online DIY that had Epsom salt in them to mimic snow. I thought to myself what a great idea, but I thought what am I going to put in them and what to do with all that Epsom salt when its done? Well I decided to coat some candles with it. Here is what I did.

First I put a bunch of the Epsom salt in a bowl.

Then I placed a paper towel around the area I didn't want the salt.

I sprayed the uncovered area with Elmer's spray glue.

Then you roll your candles in the Epsom salt

Here is what they look like done.

Easy Peasey Just like that!

DIY Instant Oatmeal Packets

You may already know our son Xavier has ADHD. In an effort to keep it under control I have cut refined sugar (among other things) from our diet. Instant oatmeal packets have a lot of added refined sugar (and other gobbly gook) so I decided to make our own. I looked at several sites and ended up making my own recipes (I don't usually do this)! Here is what I came up with. 

Here are the basics that you will need: 

Oatmeal (I used quick cooking oats for my kids)

Oat flower OR you can blend 1/2Cup of oats in a food processor or blender

Fat free dried milk

For the Blueberry, Banana, & Strawberry packets I purchased freeze dried fruit at Trader Joe's

If making Raisins packets you will need Raisins, cinnamon, & brown sugar. If you want to be creative you can add other ingredients like flax seeds, bulgur, or whatever! 

Don't ask why baking powder is in this picture (it was late)!

I decided to make my own oatmeal packets from paper bags. I will create a tutorial for this in case you want to make your own. You could just use plastic baggies but those I can't throw into my compost bin!

DIY oatmeal packet recipe ingredients are per oatmeal packet

1/4C Oats

2 TBSP Oat flower

2 TBSP of preferred fruit

1 TBSP powdered milk ( I didn't use this for the raisins packet)

2 TSP brown sugar (raisin packet only)

Even though I made 4 different flavors I set mine up assembly line style. 

After they were fully assembled I colored them with crayons. I let the boys help me decide what we were going to name them. 

Enjoy!
~Jen