Olympic Medal Popcorn Balls

Photo: A Beautiful Mess

If there was a gold medal for cookie consumption, call me an Olympic hopeful with these delights.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 bag (10 oz.) marshmallows

• 4 oz popped popcorn, approximately 8 (0.5 oz) bags of popcorn

• Wax paper

• Nonstick cooking spray

• Gold and silver edible color mist

• Flexible wire

• Patriotic ribbon

Instructions

1. Before you begin, wash and cut the wire into 10 to 12 inch pieces. One piece for each medal you plan to make. This is going to go inside our popcorn ball, so that’s why we want to ensure it’s clean before use. The wire can be purchased from the jewelry section of a craft store. Just look for something bendable.

2. For the popcorn balls: Cut the butter into 4 pieces and place in a large pot, the larger the better. Melt over low/medium heat. Once the butter is nearly melted, add the marshmallows and stir with a wooden spoon until the marshmallows are nearly all melted.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the popcorn. Take care to make sure the marshmallow mixture gets evenly distributed throughout. This is the glue that holds everything together, so make sure it gets on all of the popcorn pieces.

4. Pour all the popcorn onto a surface covered in wax paper.

5. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, remove about a cup of the mixture to a small piece of wax paper coated in nonstick cooking spray, add a piece of wire to the center and wrap the wax paper around the popcorn, pressing into a ball. (You can also butter your hands to form the ball).

6. Move to a cutting board covered in wax paper.

7. Now spray the popcorn balls with the gold or silver color mist. (Make sure to read the instructions).

8. Now wrap the wire around the back of the medal and loop it into place. Then, use the rest of the wire to create a small circle for your ribbon to go through. Cut your ribbons and assemble the medals. (Make sure to remove the wires before eating).

Kudos to A Beautiful Mess for this fun recipe idea. It’s great for the Olympics, but if you have festive ribbons, you can create them for any occasion.

Kool-Aid Grapes

Photo: Bake It With Love

A new classic perfect for a poolside treat.

Ingredients

• 2-3 lbs green grapes (one bag, seedless)

• 6 oz Kool-Aid mix (2-3 flavors of Kool-Aid with 1 3-ounce packet per pound of grapes)

Instructions

1. To get started, freeze your grapes for 1 hour. After an hour, remove the stems by giving them a quick twist (it's much easier when they are frozen).

2. After the stems have been removed, add your grapes to a colander and rinse them with cool water.

3. Transfer the grapes to ziploc bags (one for each color/flavor), then add the Kool-Aid, seal, and shake them up.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour the grapes onto it. Return to the freezer for 24 hours. After 24 hours, pull them out of the freezer and enjoy!

There are many variations of this recipe online, but we chose this one from Bake it with Love because the clear directions set you up for success. Check out the website for tips or more incredible recipes.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Photo: Unsplash

A classic that never fails.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Cooked Shredded Chicken (Rotisserie-Style works best)

• 8 Ounces Cream Cheese (Softened)

• 1 (1 Ounce Package) Dry Ranch Dressing Mix

• 2 Teaspoons Garlic Powder

• 1 1/2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

• 1/2 Cup Frank's Hot Sauce

Instructions

1. Combine ingredients in a slow cooker.

2. Stir well.

3. Cover the crockpot and cook on low for 1-2 hours until the dip becomes hot and bubbly.

4. Serve with chips, crackers or veggies

Alternatively, this dip can be cooked in the oven rather than in a crockpot. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the ingredients in a baking dish for 20-25 minutes.

Red, White And Blue Salad

Photo: Foodie Crush

Your friends will be grateful for a healthy dish to compliment the giant bowl of potato chips at the Independence Day party.

Ingredients

• 2 cups watermelon cubed

• 1 cup jicama peeled and cubed

• 1 cup blueberries

• 2 tablespoons lime juice

• 2 tablespoons honey

• pinch of chili powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped

• 1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Mix watermelon, jicama and blueberries in a large bowl.

2. Mix the lime juice, honey, chili powder and salt in a small bowl and pour over the watermelon mixture.

3. Add mint and more salt to taste and top with feta cheese crumbles. Chill for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Thank you Heidi at Foodie Crush for this recipe. Make sure you go check out the original recipe which includes tips and tricks as well as other fabulous dishes to try.

Watermelon Feta Salad

Photo: Unsplash

‘Tis the season for fresh summer favorites.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 8 cups cubed ripe seedless watermelon (5 pounds or 1/2 medium watermelon), chilled

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

• 4 basil or 6 mint leaves, minced

• Lemon zest (optional)

• 1 pinch kosher salt, for garnish

• Fresh ground black pepper (optional)

Instructions

1. Chop the watermelon and arrange it on a platter. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with feta crumbles, basil or mint, and kosher salt. Add lemon zest or black pepper if desired.

2. Serve immediately. If making ahead, refrigerate the cubed watermelon separately: it releases a large amount of water after it is cut. Then, assemble the salad right before serving. Leftovers store for up to 2 days.

Thank you to a Couple That Cooks for this dish.

Ahi Tuna Poke Stacks

Photo: Skinny Taste

We’ve never met a Skinny Taste recipe we didn’t like and Gina makes this restaurant favorite deceivingly easy. This is so fresh and so easy.

Ingredients

• For Tuna:

  • 12 ounces raw sushi-grade tuna, cubed small

  • 3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari, liquid aminos

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

  • 1 teaspoon sriracha

  • 1 scallion, sliced

• For Stacks:

  • 1 cup cooked short-grain brown rice, heated

  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

  • 1 cup peeled and diced cucumber, about 1 medium

  • 1/2 cup mashed avocado, about 1 medium

  • 4 teaspoons Furikake, such as Eden Shake or use sesame seeds

  • 4 teaspoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, or gluten-free

  • 4 teaspoons mayonnaise

  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and scallions.

2. Gently toss and set aside while you prepare the rest.

3. Place the heated rice in a bowl and add rice vinegar; stir.

4. In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise and sriracha sauce.

5. Lightly spray the inside of a 1 cup dry measuring cup with oil (use one with straight edges) then start by layering 1/4 cup cucumber, then 2 tablespoons of avocado and smooth, then 1/4 of the tuna and flatten with the back of a spoon, and finally 1/4 cup rice.

6. Carefully turn the cup upside down to turn the stack out onto a plate, lightly tapping the bottom of the cup if necessary.

7. Sprinkle with Furikake and drizzle with 1 teaspoon soy sauce and sriracha mayonnaise.

8. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Thank you Skinny Taste for this recipe. Make sure you go check out the original recipe which includes tips and tricks as well as so many stellar other dishes to try.

TikTok's Favorite Parmesan-Crusted Potatoes

These viral TikTok potatoes (thanks @lilyghodrati) are worth the hype.

Ingredients

• Olive oil

• Grated parmesan cheese

• 9 potatoes, ideally new potatoes, cut in half lengthwise

• Thyme

• Balsamic glaze (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Take a cookie sheet and layer it with parchment paper. Drizzle olive oil over the parchment paper and cover completely with grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle thyme across the Parmesan cheese.

2. Place your halved potatoes in a line directly over the Parmesan cheese, flat side facing down. Each potato’s open face should be completely covered by the Parmesan.

3. Place your cookie sheet of potatoes in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Drizzle with balsamic glaze for a finished touch, or eat as-is. Your potatoes should easily pull apart and have a gorgeous Parmesan-crusted bottom.

7-Layer Dip

An oldie but a goodie.

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cups salsa

• 16 ounces of refried beans, canned

• ½ cup sour cream

• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning (optional)

• 1 cup guacamole, prepared

• 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese

• ½ cup black olives and/or tomatoes

• 4 sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Place salsa in a sieve to drain any liquid (this keeps your dip from getting runny).

2. Spread a layer of refried beans in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

3. Then spread a layer of sour cream over the refried beans. (It’s quite delicious to mix taco seasoning in with the sour cream before spreading if you’re into that).

4. Spoon guacamole over the sour cream and gently spread. Repeat with drained salsa.

5. Top with cheese, olives/tomatoes and green onions.

6. Chill 1 hour before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.