St. Patrick's Day Weekend...

With St. Patty's Day on Monday this year, I'm sure everyone will have a fun filled green weekend:@) I know we have local parades on Saturday, and corned beef and cabbage will be served for Sunday dinner. Thought I'd gather a few things, and share some ideas to add to the fun...

Clover Deviled Eggs

Green and Gold Dyed Popcorn:

Actually, just the gold corn gifted in those little black leprechaun pots they sell at Dollar Tree would really be cute... Kind of like a pot of gold:@)

And a Philly treat...

Irish Potatoes

-Cream Cheese Coconut Candy

Too late for this year, but I'm sure they'll be going on clearance sale soon to tuck away for next year... QVC has some St. Patrick's Day Lock-N-Lock, there are green and gold lids to choose from.

And finally, from all of us at Pig In Mud...

May the sun be warm,

may your beer be cold.

Celebrate this weekend,

you're never too old!

🍀Slainte

And Have a Happy Day:@)

Dyed Popcorn Candy Corn Gift

Here's one more thing to add to my candy corn round-up post of the other day... I've made several colorful DIY dyed popcorn projects and have to say, this Candy Corn Popcorn is kinda cute. I suggest using white kernels as the colors are brighter. My orange layer started with yellow pop corn and red dye, but I think white might be better. I happened to have some disposable icing bags and decided to use the cone shape as a wink and nod to the traditional candy corn shape. The popcorn would be cute simply layered in a jar too, folks will get the idea. Now, in a perfect world I would have had orange and yellow ribbon... But this is my reality, so I used what I had:@)

They make nice little Halloween

 non-candy gift packs:

I've also made an 

Orange and Green Dyed Popcorn here.

📌My Popcorn for all Seasons Pinterest Board here.

Dyed Popcorn

1. Place kernels in sandwich baggie. Add drops of liquid food coloring and smoosh around until desired color is achieved. Paste dyes do not work as well as the drops.
2. Allow kernels to completely dry. You might want to pour onto cookie sheet in single layer to dry.
3. Package as desired.

Make something just for fun and

Have a Happy Day:@)

S'Mores Popcorn

I had some leftover graham crackers and ~always~ seem to have a sweet tooth, so I whipped up some S'Mores Popcorn. Good stuff folks:@) You can make this any way you'd like, what more chocolate? Add it. Love marshmallows? Load them up! Is it a holiday, birthday, or sports event? Toss in some color coordinated sprinkles. The key to this idea is working quickly so everything has a chance to stick to the melted chocolate. Then just let the chocolate firm back up and dry, and store in an air tight container. 

Tips for S'Mores Popcorn: 

1. Melt chocolate in a disposable icing bag in the microwave.
2. Add wax paper or parchment paper to the bottom of a cookie sheet for easy clean-up.
3. Use either air popped corn, microwave popcorn, or a store bought bag of already popped.
4. Make this in layers, add some popcorn to cookie sheet, (sprinkle with salt if using air popped corn).
5. Drizzle with melted chocolate, immediately sprinkle on broken bite size graham crackers and mini marshmallows.
6. Add another layer of popcorn and repeat.
7. Let chocolate set-up and store in airtight container.

Enjoy a Snack and Have a Happy Day:@)

Cheddar and Jalapeno Popcorn (serving suggestion) -Aldi Alert!

Calling all jalapeno lovers... Aldi has a new seasonal flavor out called Cheddar and Jalapeno Popcorn, and it's a spicy one! I love me some heat, and on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd put this at about a 6, maybe 7.  But I have a suggestion to tone it down just a tad if interested... The gold colored popcorn is Aldi's, the white popcorn is my homemade kettle corn. Yep, the addition of a little sweetness was just enough to mellow the 'peno and allow me to enjoy a bigger bowl. I'm all about the bigger bowl:@) Don't hesitate to grab a bag if you see it, good stuff folks.

The popcorn:

📌All of my Pinterest Boards here.

Lighter Homemade Kettle Corn-One/Two servings:
1/4 C popcorn 
1 Tblsp vegetable oil 
1 Tblsp sugar 
Salt to taste

1. Add oil, sugar, and 3 kernels to 2-3 quart pan with lid, heat over medium heat. **Be very careful, melting sugar is very hot**
2. Once the corn begins to pop add the rest, add lid, and give pan a good shake.
3. Shake vigorously until popping slows down. Be careful to remove popcorn from pan before it burns.
4. Pour into bowl, add salt.
5. Carefully mix the two types of popcorn and allow to cool for a couple minutes.
6. Once it has completely cooled down, leftovers can be added back to the bag, or a Lock-N-Lock, for storage.

Enjoy a snack and Have a Happy Day:@)

Candied Jello Popcorn -Team Colors or Holidays

Popping in a second time today with what I really wanted to share this Saturday. Some snowy weather has me a bit behind schedule...

This Team Colored Candied Jello Popcorn would be a fun idea for the playoffs or Super Bowl. Or works great as an after school Valentine's Day snack. And while we might think of this mostly as a treat for the kids, this is a fun TV munchie:@) At this point in football, I really don't have a favorite team in the running... So I used a red Jello. Good for several teams still playing, or ♥ day, or if I really want to stretch it... Looking forward the the Phillies and baseball season.

I chose red and gold, and red, white and blue... Hmmm... I think there's a prime time game showcasing those colors:@) Now, I used Cherry Jello, and yep, it packs a flavorful punch! My first inclination was strawberry, I'll use strawberry next time...

Oh and...

Maybe next year for the green😢

Jello Rainbow Popcorn-from Kraft
8 C popped popcorn
1 C salted peanuts or cashews-optional
1/4 C butter
3 Tblsp light corn syrup
1/2 C brown sugar or white sugar-I used white
1 small box Jello-any flavor or color, but it needs to be regular Jello with sugar

Sprinkles, Jimmies, Sixlets, Cake Decorations-optional

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees, line a sheet pan with foil or wax paper. Reynolds Release or silicone is best.
2. Toss popcorn and peanuts in large bowl, I just mix it all on the sheet pan.
3. Place butter and corn syrup in small pan, heat on low until butter is melted.
4. Add sugar and Jello, stir until Jello has dissolved.
5. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Pour immediately over popcorn, toss well to coat. This is why I mix it on the sheet pan, I can drizzle it over as much popcorn as possible.
7. Put popcorn on sheet pan and spread out using 2 forks. I find the best way to mix it is with silicone coated tongs.
8. Bake for 10 minutes-I suggest stirring it halfway.
9. Remove from oven, -immediately- shake on sprinkles or candies if desired, cool completely, break apart and store in an air tight container.

🏈Enjoy the remaining games...

And Have a Happy Day:@)

Dollar Tree Holidays: Spiced Peaches, Dyed Popcorn & Barbie Angel Tree Topper

These Quick Spiced Peaches from Canned Peaches make a very nice holiday side dish, and come together in no time. Although you will need to plan a few days for marinating in the fridge. This is a wink and nod to the canned peaches Grandmoms used to put-up back in the day:@)

If you've ever seen Dyed Popcorn Gifts in retail, you know they can be expensive, but honestly, they are easy to make. DT has popcorn, the little bottles of food coloring, ~and~ cute jars for gifting. The key to this craft is allowing plenty of drying time after adding the food coloring. Wa-la, a perfect seasonal treat:@)

And I'll leave you with... I'd been looking at the angel wing ornaments with this Barbie Angel Tree Topper in mind. I picked up the wings and (sometimes) they even have the long dresses, that made this project way too easy! I happened to use my Dollar Tree doll too, but any Barbie type doll would look great.

If your girl already has a wedding gown, that would be pretty. The only other craft item you need is one tinsel pipe cleaner. Half for the halo and half to be used as a choker necklace to hold the wings on.

1. I made a circle from the pipe cleaner and bent the end down to stick into her hairband for the halo.
2. The wings have a hole so they can be hung from the tree. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the doll's neck (like a choker necklace), and push both ends through the hole in the ornament. Twist the sides of the pipe cleaner together to hold the wings up.
3. That's it folks, you can just nestle the doll on top of the tree, or secure her by wrapping another pipe cleaner around her legs and the top of the tree.
4. Perfect for a girl's room, or I'm predicting there might just be one or two Barbie trees this year:@)

The items I started with:

You might be surprised by what you can find at the humble dollar store to help make the holidays more fun!

🦃🎅Happy Holiday Planning, and

Have a Great Weekend:@)

Jello Candied Popcorn & Oversized St Pat's Golf Hat & Mustache for Barbie-Free Pattern

St. Patrick's Day is coming up quickly and this green Bit O'Blarney Jello Candied Popcorn is a very tasty treat. And if you're serving a large crowd, why not mix up a second batch with some lemon Jello and make it green and gold. I do recommend this as an adult project though, we are melting sugar, and that gets super ~hot~. But somehow I think the kids will be happy just eating the popcorn:@)

This Over Sized Golf Hat for Barbie, Ken, or action figure dolls starts with a simple fabric yo-yo, add a felt brim, and the finishing touch, a pom-pom on top. Cute:@) This is a 30 minute craft, especially after the first one, so you can make a couple in different fabrics and designs... I used a standard printed cotton fabric, found at Walmart, Dollar Tree, and craft stores. The hats would be cute for any holiday or occasion. 

Perfect for some silly St. Patrick's Day fun...

✂What I did:

1. Start with a 5" circle of fabric. It doesn't need to be exact folks, we're just aiming for a floppy, oversized hat. I traced around a Corelle ice cream bowl.
2. Fold the right side over approximately 1/4" and loosely sew all the way around the circle with double thread. I have a good picture tutorial about how to make a yo-yo here.
3. Gently begin to snug up the thread to create a pouch, ~but~ unlike normal yo-yo's, keep the open center larger. This is what will fit over the doll's head. It's good to have a doll handy for fittings...
4. Once you decide how large you'd like the opening tie a knot in the string.
5. Shape the hat so the opening is in the center, smoosh the fabric creating a bit of a fold around the outer edge. (Picture below).
6. Cut brim from felt, or any stiffer material, color of choice.
7. Hot glue brim onto front of hat at opening of circle. (Same pic below.)
8. Tip: You can add some batting or cotton ball to inside of hat, push towards outer edge to add a little fullness if it seems too flat.
9. Glue pom-pom to top if desired-done!

Pic of underside:

Brim pattern:

From side to side approximately 1 1/4".

Want a bigger, floppier bill?

Simply cut it larger.

These stick-on orange and green mustaches would be fun for St. Pat's doll play. And of course, the kids would have a great time sticking them to their own faces for the parade too:@) Here I've added the orange one straight from the pack to Ken for an oversized mustache, and trimmed the green felt one to show how it might fit a tad better. I only removed a little of the paper from the center so it would stick on the dolls. You get three of each style in a pack.

The stickers I picked up:

Each one is a little over 3" long.

Great for 18" dolls too...

A while ago I showed how to make Barbie size

Photo Prop Mustaches from pipe cleaners here.

One of the St. Pat's end displays at Dollar Tree:

Those necklaces would make great suspenders.

1990's striped shirt thrift store rescue...

No Ken's will be pinched on my blog!!!😉

Now Ken is ready for the parade😎

Happy Saturday Everyone-have fun:@)

Tex Mex Popcorn Seasoning

I've mentioned it before folks, I eat a lot of popcorn... A lot:@) So I'm always looking for new ways to flavor it. This Tex Mex Popcorn Seasoning has a huge punch of flavor, is easy to make, and calls for spices most of us already have on-hand. And if you love it as much as I do, double, triple etc the recipe and make a shaker full so it's ready whenever you're looking for a munchie. And if you make air popped corn, it's a munchie that's really not too bad for you!

Like a little heat?

Go ahead and shake in some cayenne...

You know your crowd:@)

My Popcorn Pinterest Board Here.

Tex Mex Popcorn Seasoning

1 tsp table salt

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp Lawry's Original Seasoned Salt

1/8 tsp smoked paprika-optional but nice, can sub regular paprika

few shakes cayenne pepper optional

~Mix well, sprinkle as desired over popcorn, store in airtight jar.

Enjoy a healthier snack and have a happy day:@)

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ReView: Pumpkin Spice Popcorn & Barbie Mini-Me Doll Makeover

Wow, October 1st and I haven't posted one pumpkin recipe yet??? But they are coming soon:@) In the mean time, this Pumpkin Spice Popcorn is a very nice treat, and the brown sugar kind of melts and gives it an occasional little crisp bite. I also have a Wicked Version here, that calls for some cayenne and black pepper. Popcorn is a great snack folks, whether sitting around a campfire, watching football, or for any occasion.

I challenged myself to try to create a little Mini-Me doll, it's been fun:@) I started with a second-hand Rosie O'Donnell doll, gave her a hair cut and little gray color (still need to tone down the lips):

And of course, 

dressed her in an Eagles hoodie and jeans:@)

Have a great weekend:@)

St. Patrick's Day Recipes & Crafts Through the Years

Well folks it's official, Happier Than A Pig In Mud is 12 years old. Wow, I don't think I've ever held onto a hobby for that long before:@) I thought it might be fun to go back in time and see one thing I made from each year... So here you go! Links to the original post are below. I hope you find some inspiration and something to help make your St. Patrick's Day a little more fun this year! 

2010 yo-yo shamrocks ~ 2011 Bailey's Irish Cream Truffles ~ 

2012 Jello Jiggler Cupcakes ~ 2013 Irish Flag Pizzelles

2014 Barbie Dress Pattern ~ 2015 Hershey Kiss Shamrocks ~

2016 Clover Deviled Eggs ~ 2017 Tiered Tray Centerpiece

2018 Irish Potatoes Candy ~ 2019 Root Beer Rye Bread

2020 Barbie Braided Yarn Wig Hairband ~ 2021 (ReView) Green & Gold Dyed Popcorn

*All posts with the St. Patrick's Day label can be found here.

🍀Make something just for fun and have a happy day:@)

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A Morning Cup of Joe

Spicy Popcorn with Paprika, Cumin & Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

It's been a while since I've tried a new flavored popcorn and if you like a little heat, this Spicy Popcorn was pretty darn good! Extra nice while sitting outside this fall enjoying a campfire or chimenea (or football game) with a nice cold beverage:@) I did change things up just a bit for myself, but that's the beauty of making things at home, you can make it the way you like it!

While I'm sure the original amount of butter is amazing, I just had to cut it in half.

And I'm a big fan of parmesan cheese... But do question why it was added to the recipe?

So for myself next time...

I might bump up the butter a tad, omit the parm, and shake on some salt instead.

The heat can be decreased or increased by how much crushed pepper you choose to use.

Recipe is easily cut in half.

Spicy Popcorn-from Taste of Home

10 C popcorn

1/4 C butter-I cut back

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 to 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/3 C grated parmesan cheese-I think this can be omitted

salt to taste

• Place popcorn in large bowl. Mix spices with melted butter, drizzle over popcorn while giving the popcorn an occasional toss to mix well. Sprinkle with cheese if using, add salt to taste.

My Popcorn Pinterest Board can be found here.

Snack well and have a happy day:@)

Fresh Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding Dressing & Gourmet Gift Baskets for Father's Day

Let's face it folks, guys aren't always easy to buy for... But if there's one thing I'm sure of, they do like to eat! May I suggest considering a great gift tower or basket of goodies this Father's Day from Gourmet Gift Baskets.com, they make the perfect gift whether your dad is local or across the country. I love the variety to choose from, everything from a breakfast in bed (k-cups included), to peanut butter cup popcorn for the dad with a sweet tooth, to fresh fruit and nuts. And yes, their generosity was the inspiration for this Fresh Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding Dressing. The pudding adds a little vanilla flavor and makes a sweet sauce that has some creamy body to it. Oh, and it's only two ingredients-gotta love that:@)

This gift box is called Farmer's Market and it was at my door in two days.

Everything was packaged securely, fresh, and sealed well.

It's a very nice mix with a little bit of everything...

Under the snack bags is a log of summer sausage, brick of cheddar cheese and some crackers. 

And of course there are buckets of beer and munchies because, 

you know, snacking isn't just for football season:@)

No need to worry about the correct size or color. 

You don't need to know if he's still into last year's hobby...

Just pour a cuppa and scroll through Gourmet Gift Baskets for the perfect Father's Day gift.

I think you'll both be happy:@)

Fruit Salad with Vanilla Pudding Dressing

3.4 oz instant vanilla pudding

1 C lemon/lime soda, divided-reserve 2 Tblsp

2 oranges, peeled and cut into segments

1/2 lb grapes cut in half, any color

2 red apples, cut into bite size chunks

Optional-you'll have more than enough dressing to toss in a handful of berries if desired

1. Pour pudding mix into large bowl. 
2. Measure soda, pour 2 Tblsp into separate bowl. Add the rest of the 1 C to the pudding. Whisk until smooth.
3. Add oranges and grapes to pudding.
4. As you cut the apple, add the slices to the second bowl with soda. Mix to coat so the apples don't brown.
5. Scoop apples out into pudding mixture.
6. Gently stir to coat everything.
7. Push plastic wrap down into bowl on top of fruit. 
8. Place in refrigerator for 2 hours. Stir and serve within 4 hours ideally.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

I'd like to thank Gourmet Gift Baskets for their generous sample to review.

All opinions are my own.

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Saturday ReView: St. Patrick's Day Cookies, Candy, Popcorn and more...

I thought I'd pop in with a few last minute Treat Ideas for St. Patrick's Day, they all make a nice snack or fun little gift to share. I hope everyone has a festive week, and don't forget to wear your green! We'll be having our corned beef and cabbage this Sunday, a meal we all look forward to every year:@)

Irish Flag Pizzelles

Shamrock Kisses

Cute, tasty, and they come together in minutes.

Irish Potatoes Candy

Cream cheese and coconut candy rolled in cinnamon

Green and Gold Dyed Popcorn

Add a fun gift tag: "Popping in to wish you a Happy St. Patrick's Day".

And of course... Spritz Cookies

Any recipe or flavor that sounds good.

And don't forget Barbie likes St. Patrick's Day fun too!

How to make doll size shamrocks from pipe cleaners:

Simply wrap a pipe cleaner around a pencil (or pen, or knitting needle) three times.

Scrunch them together and twist the straight strands together creating the stem. 

Slide off of the pencil.

Turn the loops facing forward, creating circles.

Wa-la, shamrocks😎

🍀Have a great weekend and Happy St. Patrick's Day Planning:@)

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