Monday 22 December 2014

Top Tips For Christmas 2014–#4

snoopy

faith popcornMy final tips this year are inspired by this lady. She calls herself a ‘trendcaster’ and ‘futurist’ – and by studying consumer behaviour and the way people act, she predicts how we will be living and what choices we will be making in the years ahead [and by knowing in advance, we can better prepare ourselves]

Personally I am not particularly convinced by many of her arguments, but what fascinates me about this grinning lady is her name – she is

Faith Popcorn

I mention her because at this time of year, popcorn is a fabulous, thrifty thing to have around, and has a variety of wonderful uses.

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You can eat it – obvious, I know, but popcorn is very cheap [especially if you buy the kernels and pop your own] There are dozens of recipes out there on the internet [I shall post a couple tomorrow]. I made batches of both sweet and savoury corn to serve up as snacks at our Open House. If you are careful [and do not overdo the butter and sugar coatings] it is much better for you than fat-laden crisps. 

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You can hang it – thread some popcorn onto cotton to make garlands- intersperse with dried cranberries if you want to be extra festive. Put it inside, round the tree, to delight your family, or outside round the trees, to delight the birds.

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You can pack it – it will cushion delicate gifts like the china ornament you are giving your auntie. Include a note with the gift suggesting that the corn be put outside to feed the birds once the gift is unwrapped!

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You can give it. Make a batch of fancy popcorn, put it in a lidded glass jar which you’ve decorated prettily, and that’s a good hostess gift. Or make a batch, put it in a sealed plastic bag inside a box, and tape a cinema token to the lid. That gift gives not just the chance to see a film, but also something to nibble whilst the recipient watches it. And it means there is something to unwrap, not just an envelope to open.

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Popcorn - You can use it in loads of ways, it is cheap and cheerful! And making it is such a fun thing to do! I actually checked out Faith Popcorn in a bit more detail, and was really disappointed to discover her original name was Faith Plotkin.

So my final tip this Christmas [which will not surprise you regular readers] is just don’t worry about popcorn, or anything much else - just have…

Faith!

6 comments:

  1. Having bought my sister-in-law a cinema token (which will give them a lovely chance to go out as a family, and not produce unnecessary clutter), I was thinking about just having an envelope to give them. Filling a jar with popcorn is a great idea! Thanks!

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  2. That was a lovely post about popcorn. I think I must be in the minority because I don't like popcorn. I love corn just not when it's popped. I will be making some for our buffet table next Saturday with some chocolate popcorn sprinkle/powder I found in our local supermarket recently.
    Have a great Christmas in Norfolk
    Carolx

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  3. You are brilliant at making links between things. Sharing brilliant ideas and teaching me something new. X

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  4. Poppin corn used to be one of our fabourite things to do when the boys were small. I love this reminder of hilarious evenings round the hob! Landscape magazine has a gorgeous shot of outdoor plates turned into a bird feeder, like a cake stand with upturned pots between. I'm going to try it decorated with popcorn garlands, although maybe just the popcorn in case the thread would be bad for the birdies....

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  5. As it happens I am eating popcorn this very moment! :)

    Good tips all. I make gallons of honey caramelcorn every year at Christmastime to give away, and it's always popular. Recipe here:
    http://mrsmicawber.blogspot.com/2011/12/making-more-winter-honey-caramelcorn.html

    A happy Christmas to you and yours, Angela!

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