Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Pebble Magnets

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I have a fondness for small stones as many windowsill in our house can attest. On walks I often find myself with a few choice pebbles in my pocket tracing their edges with my fingers. 

I also love magnets. A couple years ago I combined my love for magnets with a couple other loves and made vintage typewriter magnets. This time, it's pebble magnets.




This particular collection of stones hails from our own yard, New Hampshire, a beach on the island of Santorini in Greece, and the shores of lake Huron in Michigan.


I strive to keep clutter out of our lives and off our fridge and the simplicity and harmony of these stones seems to balance the utilitarian and man-made elements we keep there.

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Friday, October 19, 2012

Coconut Oil Kettle Corn

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Some time ago I received a request to do a post on coconut oil kettle corn, so here it finally is.

It's as tasty as you can buy but so much healthier! Coconut oil has countless health benefits and more are still being discovered. Unlike many of the other healthy oils (olive for example), it can be used for high heat cooking, which is perfect for kettle corn. 

After looking up a bunch of recipes, I experimented myself and have found the following to be spectacular!

Coconut Oil Kettle Corn

Ingredients:
1/4 C coconut oil
1/2 C popcorn kernels
2T powdered maple sugar 
Salt to taste



I've gotten powdered maple sugar at a variety of different natural/health stores. You can substitute white sugar but I would recommend using less (start with 1T and then see if you like it sweeter), as maple sugar is less sweet because of the other nutrients it contains.

In a saucepan with a lid (or a stovetop popcorn popper) heat the coconut oil with three popcorn kernels in the oil. When all three kernels have popped you know the oil is ready (hot enough). This trick seemed to be common throughout many of the recipes I looked over and it's worked for me every time. 

When the oil is hot add the kernels and the maple sugar. Shake/jostle the pan with lid in place on the burner(or stir if you've got a stovetop popper) constantly until the majority of kernels have popped.


Remove from heat and sprinkle with salt.


For extra crispness (or if you think you might have any leftover - ha ha ha!) place on a baking sheet in a warm oven for a few minutes.

Enjoy!

While both coconut and maple have distinct flavors, this blend melds pretty well so that neither is particularly strong or identifiable. It just tastes like a rich sweet crunch and a delicious treat.
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