Homemade Microwavable Popcorn in a Bag

Homemade Microwavable Ranch Popcorn in a Bag

 Summertime is near. And that means a lot of outdoor time. This summer I plan on bringing a lot of things outdoors – including our weekly movie night -so that we can fully take advantage of the amazing weather and comfortable SoCal evenings. How do I do it? Well, we turn the trampoline into a theater and throw a sheet over the net! It’s a blast for the kids and adults. 

And what does every movie night need? Popcorn! 

We don’t always have microwavable popcorn on hand ready to go but we do always have a good supply of popcorn kernels. My husband prefers to make his on the stovetop. But for me? I like to use this shortcut and let the kids make homemade microwaveable popcorn in a bag. Plus I have an awesome tip to kick it up a notch! You only need 4 ingredients (plus a paper bag)! 

Homemade Microwavable Popcorn in a Bag for movie night

Pro Tip: Add seasoning, like ranch or dried herbs, to add a little kick to your popcorn.

Homemade Microwavable Ranch Popcorn in a Bag ingredients

Homemade Microwavable Popcorn In A Bag

  • 1/4 cup popcorn kernels
  • 1 tablespoon olive or coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon – 1 tablespoon ranch dip mix (depending on preference)

Add all ingredients together in a bowl and stir to combine and coat the kernels with oil and seasoning.

Put coated kernels in a paper bag and seal well at the top by folding over twice, then folding the top into a triangle (see photo below).

Microwave on high for about 2 minutes or until there are about 2-3 seconds between kernels popping.

Remove carefully from microwave (bag will be hot!), shake up a bit, then pour popcorn into a bowl to share.

Homemade Microwavable Ranch Popcorn in a Bag pour seasoned kernels in bag

Homemade Microwavable Ranch Popcorn in a Bag ready to enjoy

What’s your favorite movie treat?

Easy Snack Ideas plus Green Juice Recipes

This shop featuring green juice recipes has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #FreshOnTheGo #CollectiveBias

Easy Snack Ideas plus Green Juice Recipes

Do you ever have a day where you are just starving? Didn’t have time to grab a snack because the baby has been sleeping on you all day and opening or making anything would wake her up? Or you’re running around doing errands with the kids in tow and didn’t have time to individually bag their favorite snacks before you left and need something quick because they’re whining and complaining about the fact that you’re starving them?

Many a day I find myself getting to the afternoon and realizing I hadn’t even had breakfast. And I wondered why I was so irritable and moody by the time I picked up the kids. So I’m changing things up. Prepping meals, having snacks on hand, and making sure I take the time to enjoy snacks and meals even when I’m busy. Working from home means that I have to fit things in. Schedule them. So I’ve started to schedule snack and meal times too.

Easy Snack Ideas plus Green Juice Recipes and Ready SnaxEasy Snack Ideas with Ready Pac ready Snax

Easy Snack Ideas

I love snacks. Especially ones I don’t have to prep. With limited time, as I mentioned, I need easy. When I was at Costco I saw these awesome Ready Snax filled with some of mine and my kids favorite snacks already packaged together. Carrots, grapes, cheese, and pretzels. All awesome snacks I normally spend time preparing in baggies individually only to have 1/2 wasted or forgotten somewhere. And, lets face it, I’m eating their snacks too so I want something I enjoy.

Now I can grab a few Ready Snax and everyone’s happy. At least until lunchtime. 

The kids both love the green juice I prep ahead since I mask the kale and spinach taste with apples and cucumber. Even I wouldn’t like just kale or spinach juice. The fresh juice is much better than the sodas and processed juices I could buy for them elsewhere. I simply juice everything in the juicer on Sunday and put in a large pitcher in the fridge to use throughout the week. It lasts 2-3 days and is a great way to get veggies into me and my kids in addition to our snacks. Plus, they know what they are drinking. I don’t really hide anything. 

Easy Snack Ideas - pretzels, cheese, carrots, and grapesEasy Snack Ideas - Easy Green Juice Recipes

Green Juice Recipes

Basic Green Juice

  • 2 handfuls spinach, rinsed and dried
  • 2 handfuls kale, rinsed and dried
  • 3 celery ribs
  • 2 cucumbers
  • 2 green apples
  • 1 lemon, peeled

Add all ingredients to your juicer alternating the greens with the fruit and cucumber.  Enjoy as is or chill in the fridge! If storing, make sure to shake well before drinking.

Alternatives

In addition to green apples and/or cucumbers you can add pineapple, mint, pears, ginger root, other types of apples, etc. The awesome thing about green juices is the variety in what you can create! There are many benefits to juicing.

Easy Snack Ideas plus Green Juice Recipes with spinach and kale

Ready Pac Ready Snax at Costco

As I mentioned before, you can find Ready Pac Ready Snax at Costco. I found mine in the refridgerated section on an end cap with the pre-packaged salads.

Great After Workout Snacks - Carrot Tangerine Juice Recipe

Looking to go beyond the green juices? Try this delicious carrot tangerine juice or green monster juice as well!

What do you grab from the fridge at snacktime?

Summer Activities, Staycations and a Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops Recipe

OshKosh Disclaimer

Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pop - delicious summer recipe

The school year has come to an end and we are ready for summer! Warm weather, lazy days at the beach, and finding creative ways to cool off in our gorgeous city.

Living in a major tourist destination means that we’re lucky enough to staycation a few times through the year. And summertime is the perfect time to book a staycation and relax poolside at a local hotel or visit a local amusement park.

One thing I love about staycations is that we’re not far from home. And that means having fun and getting a little creative while out and about. That includes figuring out fun snacks to make when we’re away from home so we don’t have to spend to much extra on snacks and meals.

OshKosk Play at Knott's Berry Farm

OshKosk Summer Play at Knott's

Oshkosh Daily Playtime

Most hotels we stay at when we’re on our staycations have a fridge and freezer. So we like to bring yogurts for breakfast, pb&j for lunch, and some fun treats for desserts.

When it gets really hot, a good frozen treat is perfect for cooling down. Especially one that includes all of the ingredients I already have in the mini-fridge.

OshKosh playtime on the slide

We love creating creme pops at home, so why not re-create a simpler version on the road? And if you don’t have bowls all you need to do is grab your yogurt cup, mix in some chocolate spread and peanut butter, and freeze. Then eat up like ice cream instead of a pop!

These 3-ingredient chocolate peanut butter yogurt pops are the perfect way to enjoy our time in the sun but stay cool while participating in our favorite summer activities.

Oshkosh Summer Fun at SeaWorld

Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops Recipe

Chocolate Peanut Butter Yogurt Pops

  • 1 cup vanilla yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons chocolate spread
  • 2 tablespoons peanut butter
  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all three ingredients and combine well.
  2. Pour into small cups and stick a paper straw or craft/popsicle stick into the center of the pops.
  3. Place in freezer and freeze for at least 4 hours up to overnight.
  4. Pop out of the cups and enjoy!

OshKosk Knott's Summer Play

OshKosh Daily Play

If you’re looking for great outfits for the kids to show off on your next staycation, check out this coupon for OshKosh. Need to find a store near you? Try the OshKosh store locator.

SUM15-Mom-Blog-CouponV2

 How are you cooling down this summer?

For other fun ways to spend your summer when you return from your staycation, check out these fun Summer Activities for Kids or try making these Mandarin Orange Creme Pops with the kids.

Summer Activities For Kids

Mandarin Orange Cream Pops aerial

Making Snacktime Fun with Butterfly Crackers

This shop featuring Butterfly Crackers and after school snack ideas has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PutItOnARitz #CollectiveBias

Making Snacktime Fun with Butterfly Crackers

When I pick up my kids from school the one thing on their minds as we head home is, “What’s for snack?” All of the learning and activities they did between lunch and the end of their school day has left them starving and it’s up to me to help satiate their hunger.

Finding snacks they both like can be difficult but when I put a little effort into it I can usually please both of them. All it takes is 5 minutes and a little scrounging in the fridge and pantry to create a fun and simple snack for them to enjoy while they work on homework or play a game. [Read more…]

Outshine Funny Face Frozen Fruit Bars

I created my healthy #Outshine Funny Face Frozen Fruit Bars as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars by Crowdtap.

funny face frozen fruit bars #outshine

You know that time in the day that you just start craving something sweet or salty? Because I know it isn’t just me! There’s some time either right after nap time and before my husband gets home or after the kids are in bed that I just crave something bad.

And since I’m on Weight Watchers and trying to watch the mindless snacking, I’ve been trying to find alternatives for my old go-to’s as well as healthy snacks that the kids can enjoy with me as well. So when I found these deliciously tasty looking frozen fruit bars on my most recent grocery trip I knew I had to try them.

60-70 calories each and no fat?! Sign me up! Plus I knew the perfect way to make these bars the ultimate after school snack for the kids. Put funny faces on them! What kid could resist awesome funny face frozen fruit bars? Not mine. [Read more…]

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Granola Bar Recipe

Tracking Pixel

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Pistachio Health Institute. pistachio granola bar recipe

I absolutely love finding great, healthy snacks that both of the kids and I love. Over the past few months, the kids have expressed an interest in pistachios. Mainly because they see their grandpa eat them but also because they love how fun they are to eat!

Since I’m always up for a challenge when it comes to food, I love that it takes SO long to enjoy an entire serving of pistachios. That means that I get to slowly enjoy my snack instead of rushing through eating it. And the kids love trying to open each one themselves making it a game to them.

When I choose snacks I try to choose ones that’ll keep me feeling full and satisfied. Pistachios are a good source of fiber, providing 12 percent of the daily value per 30-gram serving. And besides the health benefits, eating fiber may help you feel full longer and makes it easier to follow a healthy eating plan. Go pistachios!

pistachio granola bar recipe pistachios

Healthy snacks are great for a healthy lifestyle. They can help make us feel good and taste great as well. And? You get more nuts per serving with pistachios than any other nut out there. If you reduce your serving to 30 pistachios, you have a great 100 calorie snack ready for you to enjoy.

Below are a few great tips from Celebrity Trainer Valerie Waters as she helps us focus on smart snacking:

pistachios shine like the stars large

Since my kids already love pistachios I thought I’d take their love one step further and make some delicious dark chocolate pistachio granola bars for them as an after school treat. Something they could make with me after they got home and enjoy after naptime (because you better believe I still enforce naptime here!).

I took a few ingredients we had in the cupboard, chopped up a handful of pistachios, and made some delicious granola bars that are sure to be a hit when they wake up!

pistachio granola bar recipe ingredients

Dark Chocolate Pistachio Granola Bar Recipe

  • 1 cup Chex rice cereal
  • 1/2 cup oats
  • 1/2 cup sweetened granola
  • 1/4 cup pistachios (shelled and chopped)
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries (unsweetened)
  • 1/8 cup coconut (unsweetened)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup almond milk
  • 1/3 cup almond butter (unsalted)
  • 1 tablespoon honey or raw agave (more or less to taste)
  1. In a large bowl, mix together the rice cereal, oats, granola, pistachios, chocolate, dried cranberries, coconut, and salt.
  2. In a small bowl mix together almond milk, chia seeds and almond butter. Stir until almond butter is dissolved into almond milk.
  3. Add almond mixture to dry ingredients and mix everything together until a dough forms.
  4. Press the dough into a wax paper lined 8 x 8 inch dish or a bar pan. Place the dish into the freezer and let set for about 20 minutes, or until hardened. Cut dough into bars. Wrap the bars individually and store in the freezer or fridge.

 

pistachio granola bar recipe bar pan

pistachio granola bar recipe cut out

What are your go-to healthy habits for 2014?

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of the Pistachio Health Institute.



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