Fall Popcorn: White Chocolate and Caramel Corn

If you know us Salty Blondes well, then you KNOW all three of us love a good bowl of popcorn.  You can bet the very first thing each of us registered for when we got engaged was a popcorn popper.  

Our go-to is obviously freshly popped corn with a half a stick of butter and salt (obviously).  Sometimes we like to switch it up and, if we're feeling super UNhealthy, we go for the white chocolate or caramel corn.

WHITE CHOCOLATE POPCORN

This one is super easy.  

1. Pop your corn 

2. Pour about 2 tablespoons of melted butter over

3. Sprinkler with salt and mix

4. Melt about 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips

5. Drizzle melted white chocolate over top and mix

6. Add more salt if desired

Let the bowl sit out until the chocolate hardens or throw the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Tip: the white chocolate chips melt best in a double boiler.  We don't have one, so we make our own by boiling a little bit of water in a pan, then setting a glass bowl with the chocolate chips on top, making sure the water isn't touching the bowl.  Stir continuously until melted.  See picture below :)

EASY CARAMEL CORN

1. Pop your corn

2. Melt 2 sticks of butter + 1/2 Cup of brown sugar + 8 large marshmallows or 1 Cup mini marshmallows in pan

3. Stir ingredients continuously until melted and bring to a boil. Boil for about a minute. Keep stirring.

4.  Pour over popcorn and mix

Note: our original recipe calls for one stick of butter, but Paige uses two, which makes it a little less sticky, but obviously more fattening.  At this point though, does that really matter? 

These are both so yummy and perfect to bag up and give out at a Halloween party or even to trick-or-treaters! Let us know what you think in the comments if you try either of these!

Fresh & Easy Summer Chicken Wraps

Regan here bringing you another one of my favorite quick, fresh, and easy go-to recipes!

When Cal was in the hospital one of my friends and neighbors (thanks Meg!) brought us these and they were so yummy! They tasted so fresh and healthy and were the perfect pick-me-up after a long day of sitting in the hospital. I asked her for the recipe and have been making them often ever since, but found a way to make them even a little bit healthier!

Here's the original recipe (this blog has a lot of other yummy-looking wrap recipes that I plan on trying!).  Really the only thing that wasn't super healthy was the chipotle dressing, so I subbed a couple of things and can't tell a bit of a difference! Find my version of the recipe below.

I like to make these at the beginning of the week (sometimes I'll even double the recipe), then throw together these wraps for easy, healthy lunches.

Fresh & Easy Summer Chicken Wraps

You'll need:

Tortillas (my friend brought us a package of those uncooked tortillas and I've used those every time I've made them)

Shredded Chicken (I buy a rotisserie chicken from Costco)

Island Lime Rice (recipe below)

Chipotle Ranch Dressing (recipe below)

Black Bean & Corn Salsa (recipe below)

ISLAND LIME RICE

1 C. Jasmine long-grain rice

1 C. cold water

½ C. chicken stock

1 T. butter

½ t. salt

¼ C. cilantro- chopped

2 T. lime juice

1. In a large sauce pan bring the water and chicken stock to a boil.

2. Add the rice, butter and salt.

3. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 20 minutes.

4. When the rice is cooked, fluff then stir in the cilantro and lime juice. Mix well.

BLACK BEAN SALSA

1 Can black beans; drained and rinsed

1 C. frozen corn; thawed and drained

1 small or ½ large red pepper; diced

Zest of 1 lime

2 T. lime juice

3 T. cilantro; chopped

1 jalapeno; diced

1 t. salt

½ t. pepper

1. Mix all ingredients together to form the salsa.

CHIPOTLE RANCH DRESSING

1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix

1 C. plain Greek yogurt (I use low fat)

1 C. milk

1 Chipotle Pepper (or two if you like extra spicy like us) with 2 T. Adobo sauce (from 1 can of Chipotle Peppers packed in Adobo sauce. You can find these in the Mexican section at most supermarkets.)*

1. In a blender pour the milk and the ranch dressing powder. Mix on high until well blended.

2. Add the Greek yogurt. Blend on high again for a few seconds.

3. Add 1 chipotle pepper and 2 T. of Adobo sauce from the can. Blend again until the dressing comes together.

4. Allow to set up in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

We kind of stuff ours and the tortillas we use aren't huge, so these look more like tacos than wraps but just go with it ;)

If you make these, let me know how you liked them in the comments below!

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Refreshing Summer Smoothie

Is there anything better than a cold, refreshing smoothie on a hot summer day? This orange vanilla smoothie has been mine and my husband's recent obsession! Whether I make it for us early for breakfast, or blend it up late at night when we're craving a treat, it always satisfies.  

At this point my snapchat friends are most definitely sick of hearing about this smoothie, but after many requests for the (very simple) recipe, I thought it was time to share!

Easiest recipe ever:

- 3-5 frozen clementines/cuties/tangerines

- 1/2 to a whole frozen banana

- 1 serving of vanilla greek yogurt

- Orange juice

- Splash of vanilla extract

We buy a bag of clementines usually from Costco and peel them all, then freeze them in a ziplock bag.  Same with the bananas :)

If you're feelin' healthy (AKA if you're like me and realize you haven't eaten a single vegetable and it's 10pm at night), add a giant handful of spinach to the recipe.  You can't taste it and it makes you feel....just really healthy and refreshed!

Now...give me one of these while laying out in the California sun on the beach and we're golden.