Also Corny…Popped that is!

It’s National Popcorn Day! Whip up a batch of homemade popcorn and celebrate the day in seasoned style!

ONION POPCORN:

Empty 1 envelope (amount for 4 servings) dry onion soup mix into small bowl. Stir with fork to distribute ingredients evenly. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of the mix over buttered popcorn. Toss well.

CINNAMON POPCORN:

Sprinkle buttered popcorn with 2 tablespoons colored sugar crystals; toss well. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss well.

CHOCOLATE POPCORN:

1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup sifted cocoa
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Makes 2 cups.
Melt 1/4 cup butter or margarine. Stir in 1/4 cup chocolate mix. Drizzle over 6 cups popped corn. Toss to coat.

CHILI CHEESE POPCORN:

1-1/2 teaspoons chili powder
1/3 cup powdered cheese product
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Makes 1/3 cup

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter. Drizzle over 6 cups popped corn. Sprinkle with 1-1/2 Tablespoons mix and toss to coat.

MEXICAN POPCORN:

1 envelope taco seasoning mix (1-1/4 ounce)
1 teaspoon whole oregano, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried sweet basil
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Makes 1/3 cup.

Melt 3 Tablespoons butter. Drizzle over 6 cups popped corn. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon mix. Toss to coat.

Escape!

January 30th is Escape Day. So if you’ve been contemplating your very own escape, today’s the day! Below are a few famous escapes, just in case you need a little inspiration.

John Gerard, a sixteenth century Jesuit priest, was imprisoned in the Tower of London because of Elizabethan England’s unsympathetic attitude towards the Catholic church. He was tortured and sentenced to death, but soon plotted escape. Smuggled notes written in invisible ink prompted accomplices to row a small boat into the tower’s moat and toss the imprisoned priest a rope. Gerard fled England and lived out the rest of his days in Rome.

Salacious adventurer, Giacomo Casanova, might be better known as a ladies’ man, but he also managed to plan and execute a daring escape from Leads prison, where he was imprisoned for…you guessed it! Adultery and debauchery. Using a smuggled metal spike, Casanova and a fellow inmate tunneled through the ceiling and into another room. The pair used ropes and ladders to reach the ground floor, where they commandeered a gondola and escaped into the Venice canals.

In 1962, Alcatraz trio Frank Morris and Clarence and John Anglin, tunneled out of the infamous prison using a variety of tools, including a drill fashioned from a vacuum cleaner motor. They made it to the beach and escaped into San Francisco Bay on handmade rafts. As they were never heard from again, it was assumed they were lost at sea, but their bodies were never discovered.

In 1978 Gilligan and Friends finally managed to escape from their castaway island after many failed attempts. While trying to cook a snapper he caught, Gilligan, in typical bonehead fashion, managed to start a fire big enough to alert the U.S. Coast Guard. Unfortunately, after their extended three-hour tour, the gang had a few problems integrating with society. See for yourself.

A Bit Corny Perhaps…

It’s National Corn Chip Day. Um…go eat some corn chips.

With this great dip courtesy of my man Alton! You didn’t think I’d be lame did you?

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups diced onions
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions. Refrigerate and stir again before serving.

Blueberry Pancakes for Everyone!

It’s National Blueberry Pancake Day and I can really only think of one way to celebrate…

Vermont Style Blueberry Pancakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries (Or frozen. I mean come on! Who plans National Blueberry Pancake Day in January?! All the blueberries are on vacation! Bastards.)

1. Preheat griddle over medium heat. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar, set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the egg, yogurt, milk, and oil. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, then gently fold in the blueberries.
3. Pour batter onto hot greased griddle, two tablespoons at a time. Cook over medium heat until bubbles burst, then turn over and cook on the other side until golden.
4. Serve with butter and maple syrup.

Note: I call these Vermont Style because, well, that’s where I plan on making and eating them, but secondly and perhaps more importantly, Vermont is the largest maple syrup producer in the US. Huh…So maybe anything containing or covered in maple syrup should be called Vermont Style. Nothing against New Hampshire, it’s just something to consider.

Aw Crap!

Thomas Crapper, plumber extraordinaire, died on this day in 1910. Though he did not actually invent the flush toilet, he did hold nine patents for plumbing doodads like manhole covers and pipe fittings.  Whether or not the slang term “crap” came from Crapper’s name is debatable, but go ahead, say it a bunch today.

Australia Day!

January 26 is Australia Day!

Commemorating the arrival of the First Fleet of 11 convict ships, Australia Day is a chance for Australians to celebrate all things Australian!  For those of us not lucky enough to actually be Australian, we can content ourselves with an icy cold can of Foster’s and these awesomely cute Australian animal pictures. So what are you waiting for?! Go celebrate!

Today is NOT Opposite Day!

January 25 is most definitely not National Opposite Day. I don’t recommend you celebrate with friends and family by speaking in contradictory tangles. I also don’t recommend that you follow any of the suggestions below.

Other ways to NOT celebrate Opposite Day:

1. Sleep all day and stay up all night. Tell your boss/teachers/parents that this is your plan and there won’t be any negative repercussions.

2. Drive on the left side of the road, or the right side, if you live in England. (Maybe don’t really do this)

3. Pluck out your eyebrows. Just leave any stray unibrow hairs.

4. Inhale when you should be exhaling and exhale when you should be inhaling.

5. Wear your shoes on the wrong feet and your socks on your hands.

6. Tell your significant other/children that you love them and then scream “NOT!’ This is always funny.

7. If someone tells you to “Have a seat” rush to the nearest chair and stand on it facing the wall.Tell them you’re taking a stand for Opposite Day.

8. If riding in an elevator and someone asks, “Going down?”, shriek “YES!” and then promptly press a higher floor.

9. Have breakfast for dinner and dinner for breakfast. At lunch have a midnight snack.

10. Remember on Opposite Day, everything that’s legal is illegal and everything that’s illegal is legal. Contact your local police department or law office for guidance. (Refer to suggestion number 2’s parenthetical addendum)