[DIY Sweet Treats] Valentine's Day Pink Popcorn Pops

When my son's teacher announced that the kids are going to be giving each other Valentine's Day cards or candy, of course my brain switched on to craft mode and I started to think of ideas on projects that would make a really cool, yummy gift. Something different, you know? Of course, we did buy some cartoon card box sets at Target for Josiah to pick out as well. Yet, I could not help but want to make Pink Popcorn Pops!! 

If you have been hiding under a rock and never heard of this amazing 'Pop-Queen' is what I call her, then head over to this site, Bakerella. Just a warning though, be prepared to be blown away by some of the most cutest, most yummiest, most artistic, sweet treats known to grace this earth, in my honest opinion. She totally ROCKS with her genius ideas and inspiration! 

My first discovery about her was a few years ago when I made these to-die-for Oreo Truffles, which has become a family favorite for the holidays (which I will post about when I can). BUT OH, THEY ARE INSANELY GOOD! Not sure if she has made anything with popcorn, but this creation of mine was inspired by her idea of 'bite-size' treats. I'm sure if she did, hers would be a hundred times better :) Thank you, Bakerella!!!

PINK POPCORN POPS

You will need:

• Popcorn Balls (see recipe below)
• Lollipop Sticks
• Lollipop Treat Bags w/ribbon
• Red Felt or Cardstock - Cut out of a heart
• Gift tags - I cut up my own tags with decorative edged scissors
• Hole Puncher

Pink Popcorn Recipe (my revised version inspired by this recipe at food.com)

• 2-3 Bags of microwaveable popcorn. I used Newman's Own - Natural flavor 
• 6 T Butter
• 3 Cups Mini-Marshmallows
• 4 T Strawberry Jello 

Directions:

I followed the recipe, but doubled all the ingredients except the Jello because 4 T is actually a lot and even with doubling the popcorn and marshmallow mixture, it was just perfect for my taste. But, maybe some of you might want to add more of it who like it a little bit tangy and tart. 

NOTE: I regret that I didn't take pictures of actually making the Pink Popcorn balls, so I will try my best to explain the process. 

After popping all the popcorn, I poured it all out into a large aluminum roasting pan, but you can use a really big mixing bowl or baking dish. It's a lot of popcorn to mix so that is why I chose to use whatever was big enough to hold all the popcorn. In a medium pan, melt the butter over med-low heat. Add in the marshmallows until completely melted. Then mix in the strawberry gelatin until blended into a creamy mixture. Turn off heat. Drizzle the mixture all over the popcorn and then with a rubber spatula or spoon, mix it all up to coat the popcorn as evenly as possible. Don't worry if every single popcorn isn't completely covered. Once that is done, form the balls using your hands and because it does get a little sticky and messy, I like to use latex gloves while doing this part.  I also try to make sure that before I form them, I look out for popcorn seeds and be sure I pick them out. No one wants to bite down on hard bits of corn :)

PROJECT TUTORIAL:

 1. Here is a layout of everything that I used to create each one.

2. A yummy close up of the pink popcorn ball.

3. Used decorative scissors to trim the piece of paper and wrote my love note on it.

4. Then I carefully pushed a lollipop stick halfway through the center.

5.  Punch a hole through the top center of the heart where you will be threading a ribbon through.

6. Punch a hole through the tag or strip of paper.

7. Place the popcorn pop into the lollipop treat bag, which already came prepunched with holes and a ribbon. Thread the ribbon through the felt heart and tag, then tie it into a bow.

VOILA!

Here are some optional ideas that I had thought about after making these:

• Dip popcorn balls into dark or white chocolate, caramel, or cinnamon & sugar
• Experiment other Jello flavors/colors
• Combine popcorn w/nuts, chocolate chips, or M&M's

The day that I brought these to my son's class, a lot of the parents were excited to find these in their children's stash and it brought back childhood memories for some. I liked how these turned out, but I feel that I still haven't found that perfect pink popcorn recipe that does remind me of the ones I used to eat growing up as a child. If you or anyone you know, has a recipe for it, I'd love for you to share!!

Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed this little craft tutorial! I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!

I have more good stuff to share in a few days, so I hope you'll be back to visit my blog soon!

Mmmmm...Pumpkin Bread

One of the reasons that I love the Fall season is because of the fact that I love Pumpkin Bread. There is only one in particular that I am head over heels for and it's the Pumpkin Bread + Muffin Mix at Trader Joe's. Yes, it's not your fresh-from-scratch kind, but don't let this box fool you. It never fails to please my taste buds and it's extremely moist and buttery, but without the butter. :) 

If you have a TJ in your neighborhood, go there now! Actually, run! Because these babies are so popular, that you may even find them out of stock. If you don't have a TJ in your area or even in your state, I don't know what to say except hope + pray they expand their regions, which I'm sure they will. There are so many other great finds at TJ that you can't find in your typical grocery store. To me, it's a whole new shopping experience where I find simple, convenient, and more healthier food and cooking choices that make my life so much easier.

Let's look at my delicious pumpkin bread that I baked the other day, shall we?

Mmm, mmm, mmm.... Pumpkin Bread. I think I'll go eat a slice now. :)

xoxo,
Dahlia

RECIPE : Semi-Homemade Pizza Bagels

Last weekend, when we were over our friends' house for a gathering, we made BAGEL PIZZAS with the kids. Originally, my friend was going to make the dough from scratch, but instead this brilliant idea was born. With only a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes to make, saved us both time and money which was a huge benefit and didn't sacrifice any fun especially for the kids. They loved it!

So today, I thought about how much my boys enjoyed making Bagel Pizzas and thought it would be nice to make for lunch. Here are some photos of how simple and easy they are to make, following with the recipe down below :) Enjoy and let me know if you try them!

Bagels, Pizza Sauce, Cheese, Mushrooms, and Pepperoni (You can customize it to your own and add your favorite toppings)

I love the squeeze top bottle that Contadina Pizza Sauce comes in, makes it so easy!

Lucas in charge of the cheese :)

Josiah adding the mushrooms + later on, we all added the pepperoni

Ready to go in the oven

15 to 20 minutes later, VOILA!

SEMI-HOMEMADE PIZZA BAGELS

• Pre-sliced plain bagels
• 1 bottle Contadina or any Pizza Sauce
• Shredded Cheese

Make It Your Own Toppings:

Pepperoni Slices

Italian Sausage

Ground Beef (cooked)

Ham

Sliced Mushrooms

Bell Pepper

Zucchini

Baby Spinach

Red/Yellow onion

Black Olives

Tomatoes

Pineapples

Preheat oven to 350 degrees while you prepare and make pizzas. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bagels are golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 

*Thanks to Jechane Reyes and Chanelle Molina for the inspiration:) 

XOXO,

Dahlia

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Mother's Day is just a few days away and some of you may or may not have gotten that special mom a gift. If you're thinking of surprising her with something other than just flowers, a card, or a box of chocolates and want to give her something she will definitely enjoy and doesn't cost an arm and a leg, why not make CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES? 

If you think that making them yourself isn't as good as Shari's Berries or the ones found at Godiva Chocolates, I am here to tell you that its just as good AND easy to make --easier than a lot of you think and easy peasy on the wallet. So, if you're interested in knowing exactly what to buy and how to make it, then you are in good company.:)

So here is what you need:

Baker's Dipping Chocolate or Hershey's/Ghillardelli chocolate chips or baking bar will work just fine. Just follow the package details for heating instructions.

On a baking sheet or rack covered with wax or parchment paper, place the chocolate dipped strawberries on the rack or sheet until the chocolate has dried and settled. For quicker results, you can stick them in the fridge for 10-15 minutes. Voila!

Overall, it took me less than 20 minutes to make and cost me less than $10 depending on where you buy your groceries at. But, the very thought, time, and effort it took for you to make them, will definitely be appreciated and not to mention make her life SWEETER:)

I would definitely suggest packaging it up in a nice little box or pastry bag that you could easily find at your local craft or discount store like the Dollar Tree, Michael's, or even Target and make it all nice and pretty. I'm sure either way, that special mom, whether it's your mom, sister, aunt, grandmother, cousin, or friend, will love and remember you for it. I know I would.:) C'mon, who doesn't love chocolate strawberries or chocolate anything?

By the way, this is great for other occasions besides Mother's Day, too! It may not be something you want to give as a gift all the time, but perhaps when you're craving for something sweet and delicious for dessert (like I did with these) or you have a whole lot of strawberries that you have no clue what to do with, this would definitely be a quick fix! Enjoy!

xoxo,
Dahlia