Jello Glazed Popcorn

8 cups popped popcorn (2 microwave bags has 10 cups)
1 cup salted peanuts or cashews
1/4 cup butter
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar or light brown sugar
1 package (4 serving size) Jello, any flavor

Heat oven to 300 degrees F.  Line a 15 x 10 x 1 pan or two smaller ones with parchment or wax paper or foil.  Place popcorn and nuts in large bowl.

Heat butter and syrup in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir in sugar and gelatin; bring to a boil on medium heat.  Reduce heat to low and gently simmer for 5 minutes.  Immediately pour syrup on popcorn, tossing to coat well. 

Spread popcorn in prepared pan, using two forks to spread evenly.  Bake 10 minutes.  Cool.  Remove from pan and break into small pieces. 

Makes about 9 cups.

Notes:  Careful, caramel syrup gets very hot, adult supervision needed. 

Here's what you need:

Pop the corn, you could do air popped too

Pour the nuts into the popcorn in a large bowl

In a small saucepan, add butter and corn syrup

Add the sugar and jello

Stir on medium heat until it comes to a boil

After simmering on low heat for 5 minutes, pour over popcorn

Mix it until well coated

Spread onto prepared pans

Bake for 10 minutes

Let cool and then break into smaller pieces

EAT!



Going Nutty for Banana Bread

What You Need:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 2-3 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 teaspooon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

 Directions:

Preheat Oven to 325 degrees F.  Butter a loaf pan - 9 x 5 x 3".

Cream the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a small bowl, mash the bananas.  Mix in the yogurt and cinnamon and vanilla. 

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the banana mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until combined.  Add dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake approximately 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Set aside to cool on a rack for 15 minutes.  Remove bread from pan, invert onto rack and cool completely before slicing. 

Gather the ingredients

Peel the bananas

Mash the bananas

and set aside

In another bowl, cream sugar and butter

Add Eggs to creamed mixture, one at a time, mix well and set aside

To the banana mixture, add yogurt, cinnamon and vanilla and mix well

Add the banana mixture to the creamed sugar/butter/egg mixture and stir til combined

Mix by hand til well combined

Measure dry ingedients and mix well

Mix well all dry ingredients

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture

Once it's all mixed, add the walnuts

Stir til combined

Put into a greased loaf pan, bake 325 degrees F for approximately 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For an extra yummy factor, top with softened butter.  Yummy!

Fruity Patooti Smoothie

This is a healthy, yummy, smoothie.  It is great for breakfast or an after school snack.  Make in the summer and freeze in popsicle molds!

What You Need:

• 2 cups orange juice (more or less to get the consistency right)
• 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/2 cup frozen mango
• 1 frozen banana
• 3/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

Measure out the ingredients, add to the blender and blend in the blender, it's that easy!  Be sure to have an adult supervising the blender part. 

Note:  I freeze bananas when they are starting to get too ripe, they are great for smoothies and banana bread/muffins!  I put them in a ziplock, peeled and take them out as needed.

Enjoy!