The Buttons Arrive!

Happy Monday everyone! As of the last blog post, we were waiting for buttons to arrive. And, as luck would have it, they arrived that afternoon. So basically, Cheryl and I have been sorting and organizing buttons all weekend. And, today, we got our button shop up and running on Etsy. It's still in it's rough phase, but we will continue to work on it as we sort more and more buttons. Right now, we mostly have them sorted by color. There are lots of very cool buttons we have yet to sort and name....so that will also come with time. Other than that, we tapped into a new Iowa Popcorn. It's pretty cool. It's the white kind..so it is light, fluffy and soft. Judging form the looks of it as it pops up, I'm assuming it is the butterfly variety. If you happen to see it in your local store...give it a try.

So what types of Popcorns....?

As mentioned in a previous blog entry, We have been experimenting with the various Iowa popcorns. It is rather interresting, because I did a little research prior to our popcorn adventures and found out a few interresting facts. Basically there are two types of corn: Mushroom and butterfly. The mushroom pops up like a ball or mushroom shape and is rather leathery in texture. The Butterfly looks like( you guessed it) a butterfly with long fragile wings. They are rather delicate and melt in your mouth. The mushroom is good for the carmel flavoring because of the tough texture. Whereas the butterfly is good for the dry add on flavors, like salt, butter, cheese, etc. Now...which one is which? Well, I I believe that the yellow popcorn, also called the big and fluffy...is the mushroom kind. I know that there are differences in each one, but from what I have tested so far...that is my deduction. The white popcorn, also may be called ladyfinger or “gourmet” or “hull less” is the butterfly. It is tender and tasty. It pops open fairly complete so the hull is almost completely “shed” and all that is left is the white starch. I must admit that I'm new to this, but so far, the Iowa corn is the best we have tested. I personally like the white stuff...Cheryl likes the yellow. We trade on and off so we each get our favorite. We purchased some yellow from South Dakota and it is STRIKINGLY different from the Iowa stuff. To give you a hint...it tastes ( and smells) like bird seed. Not to say it is bad, it just has a strong flavor. There is also the black, or purple stuff, but in my opinion, it is more similar to the yellow than the white. Well, I may post later what various brands we have tested to give you a critique of them. Have a great day everyone...and Happy Popping!

Movie with Popcorn and Drinks!

What could be better than watching anime on your big screen TV with Movie style popcorn and beverages? NOTHING! hehe! Before Christmas, Cheryl had her heart set on a popcorn popper from Target that looks like a real movie style popper. I was reluctant, but with the scarcity of Jiffypop, And a all the Iowa types of popcorn out there to try, I decided I would tag along and see how it went. Well, the popper is pretty cool! Fresh popcorn with some butter salt is the BOMB! Not to mention that there are a number of gourmet popcorns out there with different flavors and textures. I'll have to blog about them later...as Cheryl is currently using the computer to update the shop. Sorry I have been slow to blog....that Cheryl loves to monopolize the computer for"important" stuff...instead of letting me blog...what could be more important than that?! My readers look forward to every post after all....lol. Well, Hope everyone has a great week. and I'll see if I can set up a new link to the new shop. See ya soon!

The Problem with Jiffy Pop!

It's tasty and fun to make....when things go well. I am batting about 500 on the attempts at making the perfect jiffy. You see the problem comes when I try to remove the cardboard top from the aluminum. It''s perforated so you should have an easy time removing the tab, but I think I have been removing a little too much because the aluminum top seems to come separated from the bottom, causing some really cool fireworks! Well after Cheryl hosed me down with the fire extinguisher, she made me go for a second attempt. ( Cheryl MUST have her popcorn for movie viewing!) With this one I had a little better luck with a swirling motion instead of the shaking motion. This is the way jiffy is suppose to look like! Light fluffy and delicious. so if you are feeling adventurous and looking for a change, Give jiffy a try and try your luck at getting every kernel to pop. ( Oh! It''s better than microwave popcorn...especially when you don't have a microwave in your kitchen. )