Snack time! This one may surprise you....
For all those readers just interested in the food and not the food facts/story, skip down to the first picture and it will take you to the recipe! For those ready for the full crazy adventure....let's do this.
Thanks to my brain reverting back to not knowing how to regulate ANYTHING I have the lovely up and downs that go with uncontrolled blood sugar. Since my cells cannot make energy, all my energy comes from food. Once I am out of food energy from breakfast... time to eat lunch! Quick! Before a crash and blood sugar low! At first it was hard to realize this trend. I mean I wasn't even hungry! But my cells were. All of a sudden I would be realllllly grumpy (me?! Never!), lightheaded, feel as though I was going to pass out, numbed hands and legs, slurred speech....Not a good look. Once I had my diagnosis and this was explained to me, it alllll started making sense. The weird rush to find gummies or juice or fruit also started making sense! Sugar was helping me immediately, but not for maintaining my blood sugar level in the long term. Soooo now I have to snack. A lot. And it can be annoying when you aren't actually hungry. So when the snack alarm goes off, I sometimes have the whole "someone tell me what to eat" moment. Well there is one that always sounds good! And for all you popcorn lovers out there, you are going to love this!!!
Popcorn!!!! Now I know you are all going "whaaaaaat?!" But it's true. Popcorn can bring me back from some baaaaad crashes and can even help ward off a migraine. My blood pressure can be all out of whack, eat some popcorn, boom, back to a more normal range. Just like that. And as for a non food related note, for anyone dealing with overstimulated nerves, muscle, or joint pain- a weighted blanket works wonders for me! I crawl under that thing with my popcorn bowl next to me and it certainly takes the edge off a bad day!
Now this is a specific way to make the popcorn. For all those dreaming about that movie theater or microwave popcorn with the grease and oil and stuff (shudder). Not. That. Kind. I'm telling you this tastes wayyyy better and is actually good for you! (Okay minus the bit of butter but you need butter with popcorn!) I have even converted my husband who thought the only way to make popcorn was in a microwave. Now he's asking for the good stuff...success!
Three big items you will need to do this. An air popcorn popper, popcorn kernels, and nutritional yeast. You can find an Air popper online for under 20 dollars and it is soooooo worth the investment! I am still using my trusty Air popper and it has been through several years with quite a few batches of popcorn! Air popping popcorn means no added oil or grease or any of that bad for you stuff. It uses only heat to open up those kernels and pop them straight into your bowl! I particularly love the small hulless popcorn, called ladyfinger popcorn. They are so delicious and tender. But you can certainly get whatever kind you want! And lastly, nutritional yeast. I know it sounds strange but it adds a nutty delicious flavor while boosting some major health benefits.
Speaking of which, let's talk about those! Here are the health benefits of this special popcorn blend:
(facts obtained from a book called "The Best Things You Can Eat" by David Grotto, R.D.)
-Popcorn- I figured out a long time ago that for some reason popcorn helped me to feel better on those not so great days. But I honestly just discovered the WHY! I really had no idea it had this many benefits. Popcorn is a nice whole grain snack that is full of fiber. This much I knew. Turns out that a serving of popcorn contains more antioxidants per serving than some of the top-ranking fruits and vegetables. Say whaaaaat?! Sounds like my snacking ideas are validated!
-Nutritional Yeast- This one isn't something you stumble across every day but trust me it is definitely one worth adding! It is a flavor you can't really place at first...but something about it is so good and so addicting that you just cant stop eating it! Which is great news because nutritional yeast contains all of the essential amino acids and is high in vitamin B! It is a nice flaky "seasoning" that you can easily sprinkle on your popcorn too. Funnily enough, this book actually recommends putting it on popcorn. Go figure!
So now that all the popcorn fans are jumping for joy, time to make our snack!
Ingredients:
-1 Cup of Popcorn Kernels (you can make a 1/2 cup for a smaller batch, I have to share mine!)
-1 Tbsp of Butter
-2 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast
-Seasonings- I like to use garlic salt and seasoned salt
-Simply Lemonade and POM pomegranate juice for an antioxidant punch to quench your thirst!
Air Popcorn Popper
Small Sauce Pan
Big Popcorn Bowl
Cook Time: Only as long as it takes to brown your butter! By the time your popcorn is done popping you are just about there!
*Full recipe credit goes to my Mom, who created this masterpiece of awesomeness!*
First I like to start browning my butter while I pop my popcorn. By the time your popcorn is popped your butter will be almost done! Nice timing if you ask me. Since I am making a double batch (1 cup) of popcorn, I am using 1 Tbsp of butter. Feel free to use the amount you wish! Less is healthier, more tastes deeeeelicious. You want to have enough so that your seasoning and nutritional yeast stick to the popcorn pieces. If you don't have "enough" butter, most of the seasonings and yeast will fall to the bottom of your bowl. I just pinch what falls down and sprinkle it back on my popcorn as I eat it. No biggie!
Anyways back to the butter. I put a tablespoon of butter into a small sauce pan on a low medium heat. It should look like this and end up being a nice brown caramel color. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn!
This popping sound causes an immediate stampede of dogs into my kitchen. Some popcorn kernels make it into the bowl, then pop, causing them to pop way up and out of the bowl and onto the floor. Have no fear. No kernel goes wasted in this house!! Those 2 or 3 pieces make my dogs' entire day. Can you tell someone else likes this snack?
So give this a try! It is so delicious and the perfect snack or movie watching companion! I hope you enjoy this recipe! Popcorn that makes you feel good!! Until next time!
Let's get to Cookin'!
~Abigail
Thanks to my brain reverting back to not knowing how to regulate ANYTHING I have the lovely up and downs that go with uncontrolled blood sugar. Since my cells cannot make energy, all my energy comes from food. Once I am out of food energy from breakfast... time to eat lunch! Quick! Before a crash and blood sugar low! At first it was hard to realize this trend. I mean I wasn't even hungry! But my cells were. All of a sudden I would be realllllly grumpy (me?! Never!), lightheaded, feel as though I was going to pass out, numbed hands and legs, slurred speech....Not a good look. Once I had my diagnosis and this was explained to me, it alllll started making sense. The weird rush to find gummies or juice or fruit also started making sense! Sugar was helping me immediately, but not for maintaining my blood sugar level in the long term. Soooo now I have to snack. A lot. And it can be annoying when you aren't actually hungry. So when the snack alarm goes off, I sometimes have the whole "someone tell me what to eat" moment. Well there is one that always sounds good! And for all you popcorn lovers out there, you are going to love this!!!
Popcorn!!!! Now I know you are all going "whaaaaaat?!" But it's true. Popcorn can bring me back from some baaaaad crashes and can even help ward off a migraine. My blood pressure can be all out of whack, eat some popcorn, boom, back to a more normal range. Just like that. And as for a non food related note, for anyone dealing with overstimulated nerves, muscle, or joint pain- a weighted blanket works wonders for me! I crawl under that thing with my popcorn bowl next to me and it certainly takes the edge off a bad day!
Now this is a specific way to make the popcorn. For all those dreaming about that movie theater or microwave popcorn with the grease and oil and stuff (shudder). Not. That. Kind. I'm telling you this tastes wayyyy better and is actually good for you! (Okay minus the bit of butter but you need butter with popcorn!) I have even converted my husband who thought the only way to make popcorn was in a microwave. Now he's asking for the good stuff...success!
Three big items you will need to do this. An air popcorn popper, popcorn kernels, and nutritional yeast. You can find an Air popper online for under 20 dollars and it is soooooo worth the investment! I am still using my trusty Air popper and it has been through several years with quite a few batches of popcorn! Air popping popcorn means no added oil or grease or any of that bad for you stuff. It uses only heat to open up those kernels and pop them straight into your bowl! I particularly love the small hulless popcorn, called ladyfinger popcorn. They are so delicious and tender. But you can certainly get whatever kind you want! And lastly, nutritional yeast. I know it sounds strange but it adds a nutty delicious flavor while boosting some major health benefits.
Speaking of which, let's talk about those! Here are the health benefits of this special popcorn blend:
(facts obtained from a book called "The Best Things You Can Eat" by David Grotto, R.D.)
-Popcorn- I figured out a long time ago that for some reason popcorn helped me to feel better on those not so great days. But I honestly just discovered the WHY! I really had no idea it had this many benefits. Popcorn is a nice whole grain snack that is full of fiber. This much I knew. Turns out that a serving of popcorn contains more antioxidants per serving than some of the top-ranking fruits and vegetables. Say whaaaaat?! Sounds like my snacking ideas are validated!
-Nutritional Yeast- This one isn't something you stumble across every day but trust me it is definitely one worth adding! It is a flavor you can't really place at first...but something about it is so good and so addicting that you just cant stop eating it! Which is great news because nutritional yeast contains all of the essential amino acids and is high in vitamin B! It is a nice flaky "seasoning" that you can easily sprinkle on your popcorn too. Funnily enough, this book actually recommends putting it on popcorn. Go figure!
So now that all the popcorn fans are jumping for joy, time to make our snack!
Ingredients:
-1 Cup of Popcorn Kernels (you can make a 1/2 cup for a smaller batch, I have to share mine!)
-1 Tbsp of Butter
-2 Tbsp of Nutritional Yeast
-Seasonings- I like to use garlic salt and seasoned salt
-Simply Lemonade and POM pomegranate juice for an antioxidant punch to quench your thirst!
Air Popcorn Popper
Small Sauce Pan
Big Popcorn Bowl
Cook Time: Only as long as it takes to brown your butter! By the time your popcorn is done popping you are just about there!
*Full recipe credit goes to my Mom, who created this masterpiece of awesomeness!*
First I like to start browning my butter while I pop my popcorn. By the time your popcorn is popped your butter will be almost done! Nice timing if you ask me. Since I am making a double batch (1 cup) of popcorn, I am using 1 Tbsp of butter. Feel free to use the amount you wish! Less is healthier, more tastes deeeeelicious. You want to have enough so that your seasoning and nutritional yeast stick to the popcorn pieces. If you don't have "enough" butter, most of the seasonings and yeast will fall to the bottom of your bowl. I just pinch what falls down and sprinkle it back on my popcorn as I eat it. No biggie!
Anyways back to the butter. I put a tablespoon of butter into a small sauce pan on a low medium heat. It should look like this and end up being a nice brown caramel color. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn!
Next is to pop your popcorn. Most air poppers hold 1/2 cup at a time and have a measuring cup on top. Pour your kernels into the cup and into the popper UNPLUGGED (so that your kernels don't go everywhere as you try to pour it in). Have your favorite popcorn bowl ready underneath and plug it in! Since the air popper can push some of the un-popped kernels out before they are ready, I like to hold my popper at an angle, keeping everything inside the air popper until they look like they are ready to eat.
This popping sound causes an immediate stampede of dogs into my kitchen. Some popcorn kernels make it into the bowl, then pop, causing them to pop way up and out of the bowl and onto the floor. Have no fear. No kernel goes wasted in this house!! Those 2 or 3 pieces make my dogs' entire day. Can you tell someone else likes this snack?
Once all of your popcorn is popped, your bowl should start looking mighty tasty!
Time to add the caramelized butter! Use a spatula to scrape out all the butter while pouring around the bowl to cover your popcorn pieces. Toss with your hands to coat as much as you can. Now for the nutritional yeast! SO GOOD! I like to use 2 heaping spoonfuls because I am in love with it! Use as much or as little as you want, but give it a try ON the popcorn. It is delicious!! The nutritional yeast I use looks like this
Little flaky pieces of healthy awesomeness. Go ahead and season your popcorn to taste and then toss it all with your hands. It is ready to eat!!
Oh man look at those pieces that got coated in the butter and seasoning....best bites in the bowl!
To quench your thirst in this salty snack, I like to make a POM punch to go with it. Pomegranates are high in antioxidants and we will definitely talk about their health benefits in a later blog. I just mix POM pomegranate juice with some tart Simply Lemonade and mmmmm! A refreshing drink to go along with your snack!
Let's get to Cookin'!
~Abigail
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