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