Start with air-popped or microwaved (not the kind you get at the market) popcorn. You want the lightest, fluffiest result without oil.

Then, to get the flavors to stick to your popcorn, try putting the popped kernels in a large bowl and spraying them two or three times with cooking spray, tossing after each spray. Add one of these spice mixtures or just salt, toss again, and your popcorn is ready to enjoy.

About unpopped kernels: It is the superheated water vapor in the kernels that blows them up, and too many unpopped kernels are a sign of dried-out popcorn. Store popcorn in an air-tight container at room temperature for no longer than six months. Don’t store it in the freezer or refrigerator since the chill can dry out the kernels.

If you’re getting too many unpopped kernels, next time drop the kernels in a jar, add a tablespoon of water, cover and shake vigorously for a minute or two. Drain off any excess moisture and pop. They should pop much better.

Southwestern Spiced Popcorn

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® value per 2-cup serving: 1 (note: a 1-cup serving has a POINTS value of 0)

Ingredients

• 8 cups air-popped popcorn

• Nonstick spray

• 2 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• 1 tsp paprika, preferably smoked paprika

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Place popcorn in a large bowl; spray with nonstick spray, tossing well.

2. In a small bowl, stir together the chili powder, cumin, paprika, salt and garlic powder. Sprinkle over the popcorn, tossing all the while, until well coated.

Cinnamon-Spice Popcorn

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® value per 2-cup serving: 1 (note: a 1-cup serving has a POINTS value of 1)

Ingredients

• 8 cups air-popped popcorn

• Nonstick spray

• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground or freshly grated nutmeg

• 1/4 tsp ground allspice

Instructions

1. Place the popcorn in a large bowl; spray with nonstick spray, tossing well.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. Sprinkle over the popcorn, tossing all the while until well coated.

Parmesan-Thyme Popcorn

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® value per 2-cup serving: 2 (note: a 1-cup serving has a POINTS value of 1)

Ingredients

• 8 cups air-popped popcorn

• Nonstick spray

• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

• 2 tsp dried thyme

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. Place the popcorn in a large bowl; spray with nonstick spray, tossing well.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the cheese, thyme, garlic powder and salt, then sprinkle over the popcorn, tossing all the while until well coated.

Greek-Spiced Popcorn

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® value per 2-cup serving: 1 (note: a 1-cup serving has a POINTS value of 0)

Ingredients

• 8 cups air-popped popcorn

• Nonstick spray

• 1 Tbsp dried dill

• 1 Tbsp dried ground lemon peel

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

Instructions

1. Place the popcorn in a large bowl; spray with nonstick spray, tossing well.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dill, dried ground lemon peel, salt and onion powder. Toss the spice mixture with the popcorn until well coated.

Ranch Popcorn

Makes 4 servings

POINTS® value per 2-cup serving: 1 (note: a 1-cup serving has a POINTS value of 1)

Ingredients

• 8 cups air-popped popcorn

• Nonstick spray

• 2 Tbsp dry buttermilk

• 3/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp onion powder

• 1/2 tsp dry mustard

• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper, preferably white pepper

Instructions

1. Place the popcorn in a large bowl; spray with nonstick spray, tossing well.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together the dry buttermilk, salt, onion powder, dry mustard, garlic powder and pepper. Sprinkle over the popcorn, tossing until well coated.

]]> http://www.5steps2.com/5-popcorn-recipes/feed/ 1 http://www.5steps2.com/5-reasons-to-buy-a-digital-camera/ http://www.5steps2.com/5-reasons-to-buy-a-digital-camera/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 17:45:08 +0000 MrSixties http://www.5steps2.com/?p=11 If you are in the market for a new camera, consider the following advantages of digital over traditional film photography:

1. Digital photography has become the preferred way to take pictures.

2. In the long run, digital is less expensive.  All photos are recorded on a memory device within the camera and then downloaded straight to your computer.  You skip the need to keep buying rolls of film and pay for developing. You can send unlimited copies of the same picture to friends and relatives without spending a penny extra.

3. You see your pictures more quickly.  Most digital cameras allow you to view your photos immediately.  There is no waiting and worrying about whether or not that “perfect shot” turned out.  You can take a picture of that new baby and immediately download it to your computer to share your good news with friends and relatives. There’s no need for anxious grandparents to wait days or even weeks for a picture.

4. Most digital cameras have built in editing features.   Cropping and re-centering the picture to make it look its best can be done easily.  You no longer have to worry about a stray hand distracting from the main subject of your photo.  Sharpening can be done immediately to bring out the details.  Within minutes you can have a print-perfect photo.

5. You avoid the frustration of running out of film and having to find a store that is open in the middle of an important event or on vacation.  Depending on the size of your memory card and file size and quality settings, which you often control, you can store a couple hundred pictures on one tiny card.  That is the equivalent of nine or ten rolls of film.

These are just a few advantages of digital photography.  Drop film, go digital!

Did you know that 50% of your memory ability is determined by your genetics?

Before you start feeling like you are doomed, remember that you have the power to affect the other 50% of your ability by practicing some smart memory techniques. Here are a few methods you can employ to remember names, lists, and more.

1. • Remembering People’s Names

   • Repetition: When you first learn a person’s name, say it 3 times in your mind. Repeat it back immediately out loud. “Nice to meet you, Hildegaard. What a nice name you have.” Make it a point to use their name several times while talking to them. And don’t worry about sounding funny doing this. The sweetest sound to any person’s ears is the sound of their own name.

   • Association: Next thing to do is make an association between the person’s looks and their name. Using our Hildegaard example, let’s imagine that she is a very slim person. So in your mind you might think “Hildegaard could use a guard to protect her” and imagine a strong guard with his arm around her. Whatever works. The only one who will know about it is you so have fun with it. The wilder the association, the better you will remember the name.

1. • Remembering Long Numbers: The Major System

     This could be used for remembering phone numbers or any time you need to remember a long number. If you don’t need to remember long numbers, then this might simply be a fun mental exercise. The Major System involves substituting consonant sounds for each of the numbers 0-9. These are the consonant substitutions:

     0 – s, z, soft-c
     1 – d, t, th
     2 – n
     3 – m
     4 – r
     5 – L
     6 – j, sh, soft-ch, dg, soft-g
     7 – k, hard-ch, hard-c, hard-g, ng
     8 – f, v – i
     9 - p, b

     First memorize these substitutions. Then, in order to remember a long number, you will create words out of the consonants by placing vowels between them. For longer numbers you will create multiple words strung together as a quick phrase or story. For example, the number 102 could be represented as “Too SooN.” For more information on how to memorize this chart above and how to use this technique check out these two resources:

   • MindTools

   • Darren Bridger’s tutorial on YouTube

1. • Remembering a List of Items

     For remembering a list of items you can use the Story Method. Simply take the words you need to remember and make them into a story by modifying the words as needed. Let’s say you need to remember a list of errands and a grocery list:

   • Post office- drop off mail, check PO Box

   • Health food store – buy ground flax seed

   • Blockbuster – return movies

   • Grocery Store – bananas, salad, chicken, kashi, croutons, cupcakes

Here’s how your story might go:
The Post man came to the house today to Drop off the Mail and he had a Box with him. He was the ultimate example of Health and his hair was like golden Flax. He tripped over the kids’ Blocks on the patio, Busting down their building. He Returned to his truck Moving his body in a very strange manner. He then grabbed a Grocery bag from his truck. He dumped it out onto our patio and this is what we saw. A yellow BANdana was at the bottom, there was a Chicken with a Crew cut sitting on a Kushion. He was wearing a necklace of Salad and eating Cake out of a Cup.

Of course, you could just write out a list, but sometimes you don’t have paper. Give it a try. At the very least this exercise will give your brain a great workout.

1. • Remembering Information for an Exam

   • Writing. Don’t just read the information you need to remember. Write it out. Re-write out all your class notes and any other information given to you by your teacher. Obviously you can’t write out your whole text book so use an outline method. You might want to write your notes out twice, or as many times as it takes to remember. By writing you will be actively imprinting it in your mind. You will likely be able to close your eyes during an exam and “see” the information you need by remembering the act of writing it out.

   • Cheat Sheets. For math or science type classes where official cheat sheets are not allowed, create one anyway with the intention of memorizing it. Write out the the cheat sheet several times. You may also want to draw pictures or create stories about the formulas that will help you remember them.

   • Mind Maps. This is another way to write out information in order to recall it at a later time. With mind maps you can use more creativity to make the information more sticky such as color coding, using pictures, and cross linking of information. To see more information on this method, visit MindTools.

   • Embellished Stories. For classes like history where you need to remember stories, you can try embellishing the story with current events from something that interests you like sports, celebrity gossip, or current politics. Do this by asking yourself, “what current day story is this similar to?” Or by placing a current day figure into the historic story.

1. • Short Term Memory Aids

     Say It Out Loud. Do you ever walk into a room and forget why you went in there? Have you ever lost your keys? Do you panic trying to remember if you turned off the curling iron before leaving work? All of these kinds of day to day memory lapses occur because the information was not properly logged into your brain. The solution is to get the information loaded in correctly. How do you do this? Say it out loud 2 or 3 times. “Placing keys on counter.” “Turning off the stove.” “Going to get my sewing kit in the bedroom.” Will you sound like a crazy person? Maybe, but at least you won’t feel like you’re losing your mind because you’ll finally remember stuff better!

What are your favorite memory tricks? Please share in the comments!

Written for Dumb Little Man by K. Stone, author of Life Learning Today, a blog about daily life improvements.

1.   Riders On The Storm

2.    The End

3.     L.A. Woman

4.     People Are Strange

5.     Spanish Caravan

There, if you have more or better nominations, comment away!

Deviled Eggs — 5 Ways by Brandie Valenzuela

Deviled Eggs are a delicious treat at time. Many cooks prepare them for get-togethers, picnics, and potlucks, but they are also wonderful addition to your family dinner, and a great to use up those extra Easter eggs the kids hunted for!

Below I have compiled five different deviled egg recipes, along with the directions for cooking the perfect hard boiled egg. You will find that deviled eggs are simple to make and extremely versatile.

How To Cook Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Place a desired amount of eggs in a saucepan.

Cover the eggs with enough cold water, so that the water level is approximately one inch above the eggs.

Keeping the saucepan uncovered, heat the eggs and water over high heat until the water boils rapidly.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and cover.

Allow the water and eggs to stand for 18 – 20 minutes.

Immediately pour the hot water from the saucepan, and run cool water over the eggs until the are cool enough to handle. Drain.

To Peel Your Hard Boiled Eggs

With a hard boiled egg that has been cooled, tap each end of the egg lightly on kitchen counter to crackle the shell. Roll the egg between your hands or on your kitchen counter to loosen the shell, then peel under gently running cold water. Use your peeled hard cooked eggs in any of the recipes below.

Simple Deviled Eggs

6 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

3 tablespoons mayonnaise, salad dressing

OR

3 tablespoons half-and-half

1/2 teaspoon ground mustard (dry)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Slip out yolks and mash with fork. Stir in mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Fill whites with

egg yolk mixture, heaping it lightly. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Crunchy Garden Vegetable Deviled Eggs

6 hard-cooked eggs — peeled

3 tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise or salad dressing

1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Slip out egg yolks; mash with fork. Stir in remaining ingredients. Fill egg whites with egg yolk mixture, heaping slightly.

Breakfast Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled

1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/3 cup cooked, crumbled bacon

1/4 cup parsley — chopped

Cut in eggs in half lengthwise. Mash yellow yolk and mix with yogurt, salt and pepper.

Pipe yellow mixture back into shells. Garnish with cooked, crumbled bacon and chopped parsley. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Spicy Deviled Eggs

12 hard-cooked eggs

2/3 cup mayonnaise

OR

2/3 cup salad dressing

1/3 cup finely shredded smoked Cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)

Pimiento strips

Shell eggs; cut in half. Remove yolks; set whites aside. Mash yolks well in medium bowl; beat in all remaining ingredients except pimiento strips until fluffy. Using a pastry bag, pipe yolk mixture back into whites. Cover and chill. Before serving, garnish eggs with two strips of pimiento criss-crossed atop.