Review & Recipe: Tastys M&M's Popcorn Balls

Happy Halloween!!

Facebook has taken the world by storm and so has those catchy little one-minute food videos that are on our newsfeed that we all get sucked into watching. We all probably have at least 50 of them saved because they just look "soooo good" and we're definitely going to make them, right? HAHA. We all know we probably won't make any of them. But hey, it's the thought that counts! Well a little while back, I did just that. I saved one. And low and behold, I actually made it today.

My husband, Jake, LOVES popcorn balls. Seriously. One year he made me go to like four different stores looking for them. I finally found them at Target. They were individually wrapped and rock hard and I was convinced that if you threw one, it would break a window. They were also disgusting looking. I've never understood what the big deal with them is and they certainly aren't my cup of tea (yuck), but he's all about them. Jake has to work out of town and he won't be home tonight for Halloween so I decided to be nice and make him a little something for when he gets home. Well, that Facebook video I was telling you about that I got sucked into watching.... and saving.... you got it. Popcorn balls.

Tasty's (the company that posted the video) version of Popcorn balls is the one that I tried. I did change a couple of things in the recipe, so I will post my edited recipe below. Here is a link for you to watch their recipe video: Tasty's M&M'S Popcorn Balls

My Review:

• I used peanut M&M's mainly because I like them better than regular M&M's but I quickly learned why they used the originals. I found that the peanut ones are a lot heavier and they sunk to the bottom of the bowl and didn't really mix well with the popcorn mixture. I ended up basically "stuffing" them by hand into the popcorn balls. So I would suggest sticking with the original M&M'S.
• This recipe only made 9 popcorn balls so if you are making this recipe to send to school with your kids for their halloween party or you decided to take them to work to pass around, you'll definitely need to double or triple the recipe.
• It was very hard to "form" the popcorn balls when the mixture was warm. I formed the the best that I could and then let them sit for about a half hour. When I came back, they were cooled and I could form them into better and compact them into tighter balls. After I did that, then I drizzled with the chocolate.
• They are VERY sweet. I, personally, think that the chocolate on top was a little much and definitely "the icing on the cake." They're definitely not a treat to give to a Diabetic and not one to give to the kids anytime in the evening or else they won't be going to bed for awhile. 
• They were very easy to make. I am no baker by any means (if it's sweet, I tend to mess it up) but I do believe anyone could make this recipe.
• Quick! They were super quick to make. I did it while the boys were napping. It only took about 5 minutes to melt the butter and marshmallows together and while that was happening, I popped the popcorn in the microwave. It only took another 5 minutes to fix everything and shape them. Then I waited the 30 minutes for them to really set before I reshaped them. Then another minute or two to melt the chocolate and put it on the balls. Then we topped ours with sprinkled. We waited another 5 minutes or so to let it harden and then we transferred them to cupcake wrappers onto a cookie sheet and viola - all done! 

• Overall: I would recommend them to people who like popcorn balls or for someone who has to bring a sweet treat to an event. Quick, easy, pretty cheap to make, and tasty!

Our version of Tasty's M&M'S Popcorn Balls!

Ingredients:

8 cups of popped popcorn (we used kettle corn)

4 cups of mini marshmallows

1 bag (11 oz) of M&M'S (we used the peanut ones)

1/2 cup (1 stick) of butter

melting chocolate or candy coating

sprinkles

cooking spray

Directions:

If you bought microwavable or stove top popcorn, then pop your popcorn. Spray a large bowl with the cooking spray. Put your 8 cups of popcorn in the large, sprayed bowl.

In a nonstick pan, melt the butter.

Once the butter is melted, pour in your marshmallows and stir them until they are completely incorporated with the butter and fully melted.

Pour the melted marshmallow mixture over the popcorn.

Add in the M&M'S and mix until everything is coated evenly.

Spray your hands with cooking spray. Form fist size balls of the mixture using your hands and set onto a sprayed cookie sheet (we used parchment paper on our cookie sheet then sprayed the parchment paper with cooking spray). Once all of your balls are formed (we made 9), let the balls sit for about a half hour so they can set. When they have set and the half hour is up, reshape the balls again and press firmly so they become tighter balls. Melt your chocolate or candy coating in the microwave using 20 second intervals into it is fully melted and smooth to stir.

Pour into a ziplock bag and cut off a small part of one of the corners.

Drizzle the melted chocolate or candy over the popcorn balls.

Top with sprinkles.

Let the chocolate or candy coating harden, about 5 minutes. Transfer the balls to cupcake wrappers and serve!

I hope everyone has a spooky Halloween and your bags get filled with tons of candy!

- Christine

Disclaimer: I was not obligated in any way to review or share this recipe or the ingredients I used with you and I am not being compensated to mention them. 

Ipsy October Glam Bag Review

Over the past year and a half I have become a little obsessed with make up. I mean, who doesn't envy the girl who has perfect make up every single day? I know I do. And I was sick of my same old, predictable, 5 minute make up routine. So I was determined to change that. But make up is so dang expensive! It's super hard justifying spending so much money on something when you don't even know if you like it; especially being on a stay-at-home-mom budget.

Facebook came through for me though. You know those "sponsored adds" that none of us asked for but Facebook gladly blessed us with them but putting them on our newsfeed? Well it paid of for Facebook. This little box called "Ipsy" popped up one day and everything changed. If you know what Ipsy is then you are probably just as in love with it as I am. If you haven't heard of it and you're a make up lover like I am, then you're in for a treat!

Ipsy is a make up company with a brilliant concept. Each month they send you a "glam bag". Inside your "glam bag" (which is a nice, reusable make up bag), you receive free samples of beauty products ranging anywhere from make up, hair products, skin products, nail products, and even perfume samples. They have this survey you complete when you sign up that asks you tons of personalized questions about yourself like the type of skin you have, your complexion, your hair type and how you style it, what are your favorite types of samples and tons more. They really customize your bag to fit you so you get the best samples that you can relate to the most! It's awesome!! The best part of it - the cost! For this cute glam bag filled with awesome samples mailed right to your house it will only cost you $10 a month!!! That's right - ONLY $10! How amazing is that!??? Another awesome thing - they have an app you can download and each month they ask you to review each product. You can let them know what you loved about the stuff inside your bag and the things you weren't too fond of. They take your feedback and be sure to take notes for the next upcoming month. And as a bonus: for every review that you do, and every person you refer, you get points. Once your points build, you can exchange them for products! Amazing! I swear I tell everyone about this. I've already made 4 of my friends and my sister jump on this band wagon. You can't go wrong!!

So many people are skeptical about buying things online or things they haven't tried out before. I am definitely one of those people. But this has been the perfect way for me to try out products that I've been wanting to try without spending all of the money on them without truly knowing if I was going to love it. For those of you who are like that, I have your answer! It's Ipsy!!

I decided to do a review of my October glam bag and to show you guys the products. I am in love with this month (no joke - I texted all of my friends asking what they got in theirs because I was dying to know)!

Here it is (I told you - amazing!):

Elizabeth Grant "Green Power C" Hydrating Cleanser

I am usually skeptical about trying new facial products because my skin is pretty sensitive and my daily face-washing routine works for me (but that's a whole different post). Since the seasons are changing and the weather is getting cold, I have noticed my skin is getting a little bit dry. So I decided to test out this sample sized hydrating cleanser to see if I noticed a difference. Once I opened the bottle, I was even more willing to try it because it has a very mild, soft scent (I'm not about those face washes that you can smell a mile away). After washing my face, it did feel a little more hydrated! It felt like I just got out of swimming in a pool all day and I was loving it! Hydration - check!!

Kokie Professional Nail Polish in the color "Heavenly"

The color is beautiful; somewhere in between a blue, purple, and grey. Perfect for winter! The bottle was pretty too. The consistency is nice and creamy - almost like a milky base. It was on smooth and only took two coats. I've had it on for three days now and it still looks great. Ignore my ugly cuticles but take a look for yourself. I say it's a win!

Ciaté Fierce Flicks Eye Liner in black

I will be the first to admit that I am an atomic "fail" when it comes to eye liner. I haven't master that perfect wing, let alone any type of wing. All you get from me is a line, and an even set of lines if you're lucky. But this was surprisingly easy to use. I like that it is thicker that your typical eyeliner pencil. When I tested it on my hand, I tried to rub it off but that stuff wasn't budging. This is perfect for all day wear!

TréStique Mini Matte Lip Crayon in "Belize Bordeaux"

Perfection! This is the prettiest lip color for fall. A deep, rich, red that's a perfect mixture of the shades burgundy and wine. It would look great on a fall date night or even a day time trip to the apple orchard. Matte is all the rave these days and it does a good job at staying put. I wore it for our family pictures this past weekend and it was still there after dinner that evening. I give this one an A+

Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation in shade: 127=Y335

I was SO excited what I opened up my glam bag and saw this sample. I have been dying to try this foundation because I've heard nothing but amazing things about it, but spending $43 when I didn't know if I would love it just wasn't going to happen. So you could only imagine how excited I was when I saw this. And just like I've heard - it was amazing! It went on super easy and blended well with my Beauty Blender. The coverage was great and it did not feel super thick or cakey on my face like some foundations do. It left my face with a very "airbrushed" look and I love it. Ipsy color matched me perfectly - like to a T! I love it so much that once this sample size runs out, I will definitely be buying the full size bottle to use as my daily foundation! Love, love, LOVE!

The glam bag itself is always so cute too. Obviously with it being October, Ipsy couldn't resist doing a Halloween themed bag. Super cute! These bags are perfect for so many things. Keep essentials in them and leave one in the car or your diaper bag. They're perfect to put cute little stocking stuffers in and give them to your friends. Use as a pencil bag or store your feminine products in them to keep them hidden on-the-go. So many great uses!!!

If you already have Ipsy, you probably got an awesome bag this month. Be sure to comment and share with me your great beauty steals you scored. If you haven't jumped on the train, head on over to Ipsy using this link to sign up! Trust me, you won't regret it!


Stay Beautified!
Christine


Disclaimer: All products mentioned in this post were sent to me from Ipsy that I had purchased with my own money. I was not obligated in any way to review or share them with you and I am not being compensated to mention them. 

Fall in Michigan!

Well I'm back, and I'm really sticking to it this time. I've prayed a lot about this and now is the time to do this - even with my crazy, hectic, chaotic life!

It's fall here in Michigan and that means it's the BEST time of the year! I may be biased but I think I live in the prettiest state. Yes, we have sucky winters but it's worth it for fall. The beautiful leaves changing and falling from the trees, the weather gets cooler and it's the perfect temperature for leggings and an oversized sweater. Throw on some boots and toss your hair into a messy bun and you are good to go (to head to Starbucks to get yourself a pumpkin spiced something). We also have some of the best apple orchards. My best friend lives over on the west side of the state in Ludington and they don't even have apple orchards. Like, whatttttt?? No warm donuts or fresh apple cider or picking your own apple off of a tree? That sounds like a horrible place to live! (It's not, it's actually very beautiful - but again - I love fall).

I force our family to do everything fall each year. By the time winter actually sets in, my husband is happy that I'm not dragging him out of the house every weekend and away from football games on the tv. I make sure we go to the orchards or cider mills at least once every other week, and I have no shame in the amount of fresh donuts I can eat in one sitting. We pick pumpkins and carve them while I let my oldest paint on his. We go on plenty of walks in our downtown and drink lots and lots of warm drinks from coffee shops. I find excuses to dress my boys in sweaters and I wear a scarf even if it's a little bit on the warm side. I just love fall and everything about it!

So I've come up with a list of the best things to do in Michigan during the fall season!

Head to an Apple Orchard or a Cider Mill for donuts, cider, apples and fun!

We live in a great area where we are surround by great orchards and mills, that are all in driving distance. Our favorite is Spicer's Orchards located in Fenton. They have tons and tons of apple trees, it's own mill, a corn maze, tractor rides, animals, a large play area for kids, it's own winery (with the best peach wine), and a huge store that sells donuts, cider, jellys and jams, salsas, home made fudge, pumpkins and so much more! Some other great ones are: Parshallville Cider Mill in Parshallville, Uncle Johns Cider Mill in St. Johns, and Plymouth Orchards in Plymouth. These are just some great locals near us but be sure to search the internet for some that are close to you!

Carve or paint a pumpkin!

There is no better way to celebrate Halloween then getting yourself a big ole' pumpkin and carving away! Here is a great pin I found on Pinterest of templates for carving: Pumpkin Carving Templates. My oldest is only two and a half so the only enjoyable part of carving for him is scooping out all of the pumpkin "guts" so this year I let him paint on his pumpkin. Kids can do there own thing but if you have any kind of artistic hair in your body, you should give painting a try. Here are some more painting ideas I saw on Pinterest that is sure to be a hit with anyone: Pumpkin Painting Ideas.

Try a new "fall inspired" drink from a local coffee shop!

When the wind is blowing and it's chilly outside, a yummy hot drink is the best way to warm up! Head to a local coffee shop and try one of their seasonal warm beverages. I am a sucker for a hot caramel apple cider but I recently tried a pumpkin spiced hot chocolate and it was so good I almost went back in and ordered another for later!

Go for a walk through your neighborhood, in a downtown area, or through the woods!

Nature is one of God's greatest and most beautiful gifts to us. If you are stressed, anxious, or just plain down in the dumps - head outside. When the leaves change colors and start to fall and the cold, crisp air fills your lungs, it's almost impossible not to feel a moment of relaxation. Look around and take in all of the beauty!

Have a movie night!

Throw on an old hoodie from high school (or your boyfriends/husbands) and stretch on some leggings with some thick, wool socks. Pop some popcorn and grab that hot chocolate. Surround yourself with fluffy pillows and a warm blanket on your favorite spot on your couch. Then turn on your favorite old school movie (I prefer a Molly Ringwald classic like The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, or 16 Candles) and enjoy a relaxing night in. 

Go to a local farmers market or street stand!

One of the best parts about fall is all of the yummy veggies that are in season. We have a couple good, local farmers markets that are held on the weekends and tons of little mom and pop veggie stands on the sides of the roads that are loaded with great, fresh foods. I like to pick up a ton and head on home to make a delicious home cooked meal. Stir fry, pastas, and hearty soups are great for fall nights and you can throw a ton of veggies in them.

Head to anything thats haunted!

Whether it's a haunted corn maze, barn, hay ride, or house - let those normal people dressed in creepy costumes scare the crap out of you! My husband isn't a huge fan of someone trying to scare him (it must be that manly impulse to hit ;) so we don't go to many. But you can always go to your local pop-up Halloween stores such as Halloween USA. They always have tons of decorations that can usually scare you just by walking by! I swear, some of them can give me a heart attack. And if you aren't fully down with the scare part, you can look at all of the crazy costumes they have. You can get a good laugh out of some of them!

Bake!

Cinnamon and vanilla and clove - oh my! Try your hand at baking (and make your house smell yummy too). Apple pie, pumpkin pie, breads, snacks. The options are endless. Last year we made "mummified" chicken tenders and a chocolate chip pumpkin bread. I haven't done a whole lot of baking this season yet but we got time. My husband is a huge sucker for popcorn balls so I will be on the hunt for a good recipe to try! (If you have one, be sure to let me know!)

Shop!

Go to Bath and Body Works and pick up one of there bajillion (seriously - there are SO many) fall scented candles or stop at Target and hit up there "Dollar Spot" section to get your hand on a cute fall pillow or some table top decorations. The best part about fall is that it isn't just one holiday. You can decorate for Halloween and Thanksgiving with leaves, pumpkins, gords, and so much more! Don't forget to snag yourself a new scarf. Everyone should get a new scarf each year. 

These are just a couple of my favorite things to do during this time of year. Be sure to check around your town for local events that may be happening, especially if you have kids. Now is the time to get outside and enjoy this beautiful weather before winter hits and we're all complaining about the cold!

Be spook-tacular!
Christine