Going to the movies is all fun and games until someone goes a little overboard at the concession counter! Unfortunately, you're not going to find many healthy alternatives at the movie theater, so you just have to be wise about what you do order (and don't go for the extra large popcorn if you really only need a small size!). Wondering what snacks will leave your body in a tizzy from their high-calorie count? Take this quiz to find out!
Source: Flickr User The Wandering Eye
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This Sunday I'll be celebrating the Academy Awards in style at an Oscars party. Besides a large spread of food, my friend is supplying each guest with a bag of popcorn — it's the perfect snack for celebrating the film industry. And if you can skip the butter bath, it's also an ideal healthy snack because it's low-calorie, high in antioxidants, low-fat, and filling.
Since my friend's Oscar party leans closer to a fancy affair, she's glamming up her popcorn with creative toppings like a sprinkle of pepper and Parmesan cheese. But before even thinking about what goes on top, make sure you make it the old-fashioned way: on the stove with a little canola oil. It tastes better, is healthier for you, and doesn't contain all the junk found in store-bought microwave popcorn. If you're worried about calories, try our fat-free popcorn or use an air popper.
For a glammed up event like an Oscars party, I like sprinkling healthy toppings like nutritional yeast or seaweed onto my popcorn, or dried spices like rosemary, garlic, and cayenne. If that doesn't sound good to you check out YumSugar's popcorn recipe roundup. How do you like to dress up your popcorn?
Source: Flickr user ThomasLife
With awards shows like the Golden Globes and the Oscars just around the corner, I'm trying to catch up on all the big blockbusters I've missed this year. Watching all those movies (and consequently eating all that popcorn at home) makes me really want to purchase a popcorn maker, but I simply can't bring myself to buy another single-use appliance. Do you own one?
Source: Flickr User veggiefrog
With its caramel popcorn and nuts drizzled in chocolate, Harry & David Moose Munch is one of the most addictive holiday treats. Rather than order a bunch of bags to hand out this year, I decided to make my own!
Since there is a perfect state for the sugar, making caramel can be difficult; I totally botched my first batch! It didn't get me down, and I gave it another try. Be sure the caramel has your undivided attention, and that the pot is centered on the burner. If you can find someone to help out with the process, it will make it even easier to deal with molten caramel.
Once you've mastered the technique for caramel, the rest is a piece of cake. I used a little bit of olive oil and the lunch paper bag method to simply pop the popcorn. Then to complete this sweet treat, microwave quality chocolate chips and drizzle over the caramel popcorn and macadamia nuts. Ready to munch your very own chocolate caramel popcorn? Keep reading.
If you haven't seen them yet, you must not be looking too hard — the triple flavored popcorn tins are already popping up at shopping malls, pharmacies, and grocery stores just in time for the gorge holiday season. Growing up, they were always a big holiday hit in my house. My grandma ate the cheddar, my mom ate the buttered, and I gobbled up the caramel. Now it seems the cycle has shifted as I'm drawn to the buttered, my daughter to the caramel, and my mom to the cheese. Now if they were all equally healthy, I wouldn't care much who ate what. Since they're not, I'm paying more attention and figuring out which one is better for trimming fat while I trim the tree.
Want to see how the three flavors stack up against each other?
It's the most wonderful time of the year: the holiday season! Between edible gift making, Christmas cookie baking, and cocktail party hosting, we've got an incredibly busy 31 days ahead of us. However, that doesn't mean we won't treat ourselves and our loved ones to some culinary decadence. Of course, we're happy to share our foodie obsessions with you! Here are our must haves for December.
Visions of candy corn and Reese's Pieces may be dancing in your head this Halloween, but let's not forget some of the ghoulish holiday's other popular sweet treats: gooey caramel apples and salty-sweet popcorn balls. Which do you prefer?
Source: Flickr Users neil conway and kozumel
Since the Giants will be playing in the World Series this year, there's quite a buzz in the air in San Francisco. It only seems appropriate to celebrate with a quintessential ball park dish, Cracker Jacks. While there might not be a prize, the flavor is a home run! The recipe has you pop your own bag of popcorn, and I was amazed at how easy it was. All you need is a little bit of olive oil. The popcorn is fresh and ready for a deliciously easy caramel sauce. In less than a half hour, you'll have Cracker Jacks. Don't forget to occasionally stir the mixture once it's drying on the cookie sheets — this ensures that it won't stick. Enjoy the World Series this week with a homemade batch of Cracker Jacks: just keep reading for the recipe.
One of my friends, who's vegan, likes to always snack healthy and animal-product-free, which can be difficult when she goes to the movies. To solve this predicament, she brings her own popcorn — topped with olive oil and sea salt — in a baggie in her purse. During the Summer months, with blockbusters galore and the theater's air conditioning calling your name, frequent movie theater jaunts may make for some unhealthy snacking habits. With all the buttery, sugary concession stand choices available, a simple solution may be bringing your own healthy alternatives (like these popcorn ideas). Do you bring your own? Or do you have another way to limit your cal intake at the movies?
Source: Flickr User edenpictures
Just in time for Earth Day, PBS is airing the Academy Award-nominated documentary Food Inc. tomorrow night, and I'm hosting a get-together for all my friends who haven't had a chance to catch the movie until now. I'm keeping it low-key, and won't be serving dinner at the gathering, but plan to offer two different bowls of gourmet popcorn to munch on during the film. One will be tossed with Southwestern spices for a bit of savory sizzle; its counterpart, a caramel cluster version, ought to satisfy a sweet tooth. See both offerings — and make them for your own viewing party! — when you read more.
