Shark Snacks - Popcorn
Shark Week kicked off on Discovery Channel last night!
We’ve been celebrating for a little over a week now, but since it has now officially started, we figured you might need a yummy treat to enjoy as you watch! We often call this recipe “Pink Popcorn” simply because we usually dye it pink. Although for this week’s festivities, we’re going to make a slight change and create some “Blue Popcorn!”
To make “blue popcorn,” here’s what you’ll need:
3-4 bags of homestyle or salted popcorn
1 cube butter
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. water
1-2 tsp vanilla
blue food coloring
under the sea themed candies to sprinkle on top (optional)
Directions:
Pop the popcorn and put in a large bowl. (set aside)
Add the butter, sugar, water, and vanilla to a pot over medium-high heat. Mix well.
Once it’s all mixed, let it come to a boil. Allow it to boil for 11 minutes, while stirring continually. Around 10 minutes, add a couple of drops of food coloring.
After it has boiled for 11 minutes total, remove from heat and immediately pour over the bowl of popcorn. Mix well.
Sprinkle some candies or sprinkles on top to match your under the sea theme. We chose gummy sharks, swedish fish, pretzel fishies, white chocolate chips, and blue sprinkles!
Since this recipe requires using a stovetop, you’ll want to take the lead on the cooking portion of this activity. However, allowing your child to pick and add their own candy mix-ins after it’s made, is a fun way to get them involved.
Now… I have to be honest… for baking activities like this, it’s sometimes hard for me to let my child take the reigns. 1. Because I like my kitchen to stay somewhat clean and put together. and 2. Because my kids like to go a little overboard with the sprinkle distribution. Which then makes the entire treat somewhat inedible from my perspective.
However, one easy way to work around that is to simply give each child their own smaller bowl and ingredients. I’d recommend putting some candies on a plate for them, adding some blue popcorn to their own small bowl, and just letting them take the lead. It gives my children their own freedom and creativity, while letting me keep some sanity. :) And in the end, they get to eat whatever they create. And I can enjoy what’s left in the big bowl. Win-win!
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If you want a festive treat that doesn’t involve quite as much sugar, this snack can absolutely be modified to meet your needs! When I was first cooking the ingredients, my kids just had fun munching on the plain salted popcorn that I had set aside. You can easily turn the plain salted popcorn into a festive treat by simply mixing in a few pretzel goldfish or swedish fish. Or you could make candied popcorn using yogurt (dyed blue of course to match the theme ;)) and leave out the candy and chocolates all together.
I’m all about a fun festive treat here and there. But I also think that there should be balance! So wherever you’re at or whatever works for you, know that there are always options! And there are always ways that we can make things fun and festive without overdoing the sugar.
And if you decide that the “blue popcorn” is the right treat for you today, I hope you enjoy every bite of it! I know we will be doing the same.
Cheers,
Meg
