Sunday, September 7, 2014

Wine Charm Hoops and Popcorn Balls

Earring Hoops for Wine Glass Charms
I used to carry earring hoops that are just the right size for wine glass charms. But at some point the costs went up and I could not keep up with competition on them! 

I found a new supplier who makes these in stainless steel. They are a thicker gauge at 21 versus the ones typically on the market at 24 gauge. Sturdier is better! Another benefit to these is the metal will not change color like the silver and gold plated ones over time. 

These are also great for earring hoops since stainless steel can be worn by most people with metal sensitivities. 

The only drawback is that the end of the hoop comes bent which will require unbending, then re-bending to add smaller hole beads on. They are perfect for simply adding charms which would slide right on! These are available in the earring wires section of my Etsy findings shop in different package sizes.

Popcorn Balls
These are delicious and healthy! I've had some snack type things pinned on Pinterest waiting to try and this was one of them!

Ok, they did not exactly come out round like the recipe I pulled from the internet. Mine actually look quite different. Different is ok by me. The original recipe is here.
Luckily I had all but 1 ingredient (shredded coconut) in the cabinet to make these.
First the dry ingredients were mixed:
8 cups of popped popcorn
1/2 cup almonds, chopped 
1/2 cup peanuts (I chopped mine since they were "super large", said so on the package)
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups of rolled oatmeal
2 tablespoons of ground flax seed
2 tablespoons chai seeds
In a separate bowl I mixed:
1/2 cup agave syrup (the original recipe called for maple syrup or honey but this worked great as a substitute)
1 cup of peanut butter (I only had 1/2 of smooth in the cabinet so I added in a 1/2 chunky)
Then the dry and wet ingredients were thoroughly mixed after using some muscle!
The mixture gets formed into 2 inch balls before going into the refrigerator to firm up. I used 2 large cutting boards with parchment paper on them.
The balling part was tricky. Maybe the missing coconut was necessary for cohesion! 

The recipe didn't mention if the nuts should be salty or not. The ones I used were salted which may have made a difference in holding them together. On the other hand, the salty is great for satisfying the salty and sweet craving all in 1 bite!

Anyway, they are delicious and a quick easy snack for an energy boost. I also loved the bake free aspect of these since I made them on a super hot, humid day. 

They are being stored in a container in the fridge to keep fresh and together. I will definitely make these again in the future. I think they will freeze great too to keep them longer.

Thank you for stopping by! Have a great week ahead. ~Val





21 comments:

  1. oh yum those look good! and love making wine charms! I've given those as gifts many times through the years and people always seem thrilled to have a set.

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  2. Hooray for new craft supplies and making new products for your shop! I actually think your balls look better than the original ones, for some reason I think the colour is more appealing. Maybe the coconut makes them less sticky and easier to form the balls? I always like a bit of salt in sweet recipes, so I think picking the salty nuts is a very good idea.

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  3. Love this! Great idea with the earring hoop...really let's you customize each one yourself! And good for you for actually trying one of this amazing Pinterest recipes. The popcorn balls look amazing, with or without the shredddd coconut 😉

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  4. I've been looking for those hoop earrings. I was able to find them around here but now that I'm looking for them I can't find them. I wanted to make some wineglass charms for gifts. And you're right, the ones that I bought a while back, are very thin wire. I'd like to get some that are a little heavier. Thanks for posting the link.

    The popcorn balls do look delicious and seem so fitting for this time of year. They would be nice to take along on our many hikes. Nice and healthy snack food!

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  5. Those popcorn balls look yummy! I could eat a coupla dozen right now!

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  6. Those wine glass charms would be very helpful when you need to find your glass! I am sure you will perfect those popcorn balls...I mean the roundest of them, they do seem to taste good I am wondering if you can add caramel to them?

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  7. I wear that type of hoop a lot! I like that you can repurpose them as wine glass charms :) The popcorn balls looks so yummy! Next time I make popcorn I'll have to make these! have a terrific week :)

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  8. Yay...glad to see you found some new wine charms! I'll be by when I need more. And I love that they're already bent!
    And those popcorn balls look yummy...I like a mix of salty and sweet together too.

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  9. Those popcorn balls sound fantastic! I love the mix of sweet and salty together too. Thanks for sharing your recipe. I'm with you sturdier is better and I really like the idea of the hoops being a heavier gauge.
    Valerie
    Everyday Inspired

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  10. Very rich!!!!
    Have a good week!!!:)))

    Besos, desde España, Marcela♥

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  11. Your popcorn balls do look very delicious Val! And adding salted nuts to the sweet mixture keeps you bang on trend :D

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  12. I really love the idea of wine glass charms, Val, and these hoops look great for making them. I like the idea of the stainless steel (no color change).

    Oh my goodness, those popcorn balls look so yummy! No problem for me with them not holding together, as I would just put a couple (ok, several!) spoonfuls in a bowl, and go to it!! :-)

    You have a fantastic week!

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  13. Oh Val, your popcorn balls look amazing! Yum, yum, YUM! Have a wonderful week!

    Hugs to you!

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  14. The popcorn balls look amazing, haven't had those in years :))) xx

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  15. I love bake free recipes. These look yummy! Who cares if they are different - different is good :) I like your new profile pic by the way. You look great!

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  16. that looks so yummy and earring looks pretty
    kisses

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  17. I love those earrings! Definitely great for anyone with metal sensitivities. I love popcorn balls this time of year. These are much healthier!

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  18. tHANKs for recipe...
    now I need a nice movie for those popcorn balls.
    The wine charm hoops are lovely.
    It could be a nice gift too.

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  19. Can you ship me some popcorn balls please ;o) Look so good! Yummy!!
    Glad you found a new supplier for your hoops!
    Big Hugs ;o)

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Thank you for stopping by! I love reading visitor comments! ~Val