October11
Found these in the farmer’s market last week, but I’ve also come across them in the supermarket: Popcorn still on the cob that you pop in the microwave… cool!
October is National Popcorn Month, so I thought I’d try it out. These crisp autumn days are just begging for a big bowl of hot popcorn sprinkled with a little Parmesan cheese… lo-cal comfort food (except the cheese, of course).
And you know how much we love popcorn around here. Click here… and here.
Golden yellow Popcorn on the Cob differs from Flint corn, also known as Indian corn or calico corn. Flint corn is absolutely gorgeous, with kernels of purple, burgundy, red, orange, yellow and white…but it’s also hard as a rock (hence the name “flint”). Great for fall decorations…not so great on the teeth!
Don’t try popping up a bowl of Flint corn… it’s too tough.
If you see Popcorn on the Cob, grab a couple of ears. Place one cob in a brown paper bag and fold the top of the bag to seal it. Put it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the popping slows (watch and listen carefully!). Eat it right out of the bag.
I promise the kids will be fascinated… and it’s the perfect complement to family movie night!
October1
Run, run as fast as you can, you’re going to want to catch these Gingerbread Men!
Planning a Halloween or Day of the Dead Party? Here’s a super easy recipe I came up with for my friends at Right@Home, the bilingual website that’s got a witch’s cauldron full of ideas to celebrate the day… everything from recipes, cleaning and organizing, to decorating and crafts. They’ve even got great suggestions on how you and your family can get the most out of these beautiful fall days.
What makes the Save-A-Step Gingerbread Skeletons recipe so simple is the “secret” ingredient: boxed cake mix! Let the kids help decorate these little men with their favorite candy or sweet topping. Make them scary or BOO-tiful… but get creative!
For more recipes like this, sign up for Right@Home™ by clicking here.
Save-A-Step Gingerbread Skeletons
prep: 15 minutes (and 2 hours in the refrigerator resting)
cook: 10 to 12 minutes
makes: 12 6-inch Gingerbread Skeletons
you’ll need…
1 package Spice Cake Mix
1¼ cups all purpose flour (plus a little extra for rolling out the dough)
2 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup dark molasses
3 teaspoons dried ground ginger
1 16 ounce can Ready-to-Serve White Frosting
Candy, cereal and other sweets for decorating
let’s get to it…
Heat oven to 375°F.
Blend cake mix, flour, eggs, oil, molasses and ginger in a large mixing bowl. Remove dough from bowl, divide in half and place in two Ziploc® Brand Storage Bags Gallon size or wrap separately in Saran™ Premium Wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.
Lightly flour a work surface and place half of the dough in the center. Cover with parchment paper or waxed paper and roll dough to ¼-inch thickness. Cut with gingerbread man cookie cutters. Place 1-inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before decorating.
Spread frosting on each of the cookies and decorate with candy.
Cooking Know How:
- Evenly divide frosting into four separate Ziploc® Brand Freezer Storage Bags and add a few drops of orange, black or purple food coloring to each bag. Reserve one bag for white frosting. Knead the sealed bags to mix the colors completely. Push the frosting into the corner of the bag and snip off a corner and squeeze into a bowl. Use the Ziploc® Brand Freezer Storage Bag as a decorating bag by snipping off a tiny corner: very small for dots, and a little bigger for writing and outlining.
- Use cut up red and black licorice and marshmallows to make “bones” and Red Hots cinnamon candy or frosted cereal for “eyes.”
Right@Home is an online destination for helpful cleaning and organizing tips, delicious recipes and coupons for SC Johnson home care products.
