Make Your Own "Nearly Naked"

I'm not sure about your household, but as of late mine has been addicted to Popcornopolis's Nearly Naked popcorn! I can't say enough good things about it. It tastes amazing, you can't beat the nutritional information and there are only 3 ingredients (that's it!). My kids LOVE it and it's a great snack on the go!

 After going through a bag a week for more weeks than I care to admit, it occurred to me that #1 we have a serious addiction and #2 the 3 ingredients inside this beautiful red bag already existed in my pantry. Now for some folks that might have been a "well duh" moment, but for others it's an "A-ha!" moment. I'm not ashamed to admit that it was an "A-ha!" moment for me! Because I'm a stay at home Mom on a serious budget and the lovely folks at Popcornopolis aren't paying me for this glowing endorsement.... I couldn't keep up this $6-a-bag addiction. Also, I grew up in a time where the air popper was king, so popping my own corn in a basic kettle never occurred to me (don't judge!). 

So here you have it... the DIY Nearly Naked popcorn or as I like to think of it... the Get Naked Without Leaving the House Popcorn!

* 3 tbs coconut oil

* 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels

* Whatever toppings/mix-ins you like (we like sea salt)

Pick your largest and deepest kettle (your favorite pasta pot is perfect). Throw in your oil and kernels, put your burner on medium to high, cover with a lid (slightly askew so the steam can escape) and watch the magic happen. Once your kernels slow down to 3 seconds between each pop it's time to pull your kettle. Dump your delicious pillows of corny goodness into a big bowl and get your fixin's on! Be boring like me and do a few cranks of sea salt or get fancy and try out one of those sinful caramel popcorn recipes on pinterest! 

It's as simple as that! Enjoy and never buy pre-popped popcorn again!

Go forth and get naked...

Lemon Blueberry Power Muffins

Lemon Blueberry Power Muffins

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 2 eggs
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 1 cup of plain greek yogurt
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup almond milk (or any milk you like)
• 1 cup cooked quinoa 
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup oat flour*
• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
• 1/4 cup chia seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• a pinch of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of blueberries (fresh or frozen)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Start by cooking 1 cup of quinoa per the package instructions. Let cool. Whisk together oil, eggs, lemon juice and zest, honey, vanilla, greek yogurt and almond milk. Add the cooled quinoa and the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir together until well combined. If your mixture feels a little too dry add a little more milk. Too wet? Add a little extra flour. Fold in the blueberries and place into muffin tins. I used muffin liners for mine, you can too or oil and flour your pans. Slide into the oven for 25-30 minutes. My batch made 27 standard sized muffins. 

* a note about oat flour. You can buy yours (Bob's Red Mill makes it) or you can just make your own. I used my stick/immersion blender to whiz up some steel cut oats into a fine powder. I don't use it often so it's easier to just make a little as I need it.  

Nutrition Info for one muffin:

Calories 113 ~ Carbohydrates 11g ~ Fiber 3g ~ Protein 4g ~ Sugar 3g

Have fun with this recipe and make it your own! Add what you like and take out what you don't. These would make some really yummy banana chocolate chip muffins too! Or pumpkin chocolate chip... or orange cranberry.... or cinnamon raisin. The possibilities are endless!