It's National Popcorn Day!

It’s National Popcorn Day! I’m delighted to present to you two tasty popcorn recipes for you to enjoy on this occasion – or anytime!

The National Popcorn Board (who knew there was such a thing?) says that today, January 19th, is National Popcorn Day. However, it seems to be a matter of debate, since others claim whichever Sunday the Superbowl lands on is the right day.

Today is the last round of the playoffs, for the Conference Championships, which will determine who gets to play in Superbowl XLVIII, which will be held February 2nd, 2014 in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The teams are currently down to Denver Broncos vs. New England Patriots, and San Francisco 49ers vs. Seattle Seahawks. It looks like Denver will be winning the first game of the day right now bar anything unforeseen (they are ahead 20-3 in the 3rd Quarter.) The other game will be determined later tonight 6:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Well we are big Packer Backers here, so we will just enjoy seeing the best team win (and hope no bad calls or poor playing determine the results). So whoever your favorite team is, we are on your side. 😉

But back to the popcorn. And who doesn’t like to munch some nice crispy corn on a cold winter day?

I have two recipes for you today, neither of which are my personal recipes, but both I have tried and enjoyed. I hope you do too.

One is for the definite sweet tooth, and the other will satisfy even the most die-hard of savory snack craving monsters. Make a batch of each and you will have things covered!

~Sue

Are you ready for some POPCORN?????

First up is Una Rose’s recipe for Microwave Caramel Corn, for which you can find the recipe here.

Here is what I had to say about it:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

“I am going to be quite honest and admit that deep down, I somehow expected this recipe to fail. Why? It seemed too easy…to cook the caramel as simply as one would melt butter for popcorn. I expected one sticky, gooey, horrible mess. Imagine my surprise to discover how easy making caramel corn really could be- without messing around with a candy thermometer and whatnot. The caramel corn was very easy to break apart once it cooled, and the buttery caramel had a slight soft texture, but not very sticky. In fact, I’d say this was perfect! “

Ingredients:

1 bag of micro-wave popcorn
1/4 lb unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup miniature marshmallows

Method:

Pop popcorn according to package directions.
Mix butter, sugar and marshmallows in a microwave-safe bowl and cook on high for about 2 minutes (or more!) until melted, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so.
Pour caramel over popcorn and toss to coat thoroughly; allow mixture to cool.

Next is Garlic Butter and Cheese Popcorn, by Sharon123. You can see her recipe here.

Here is what I had to say about it:

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

“Delicious! The popcorn is just full of Parmesan and garlic flavor! The toppings stick nicely to the popcorn too- no puddles of cheese powder in the bottom of the bowl.”

Ingredients:

2 quarts popped popcorn
3 -4 cloves garlic, minced
3 -4 tablespoons unsalted butter or 3 -4 tablespoons olive oil (or a mixture)
1/2 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
salt to taste

Method:

Pop popcorn your favorite way and set aside.
Melt the butter and add garlic and cook for a few minutes to infuse flavors.
Pour over popcorn and toss; season with salt to taste and toss again with grated cheese.
Serve hot!