Ever since we started creating this cookbook for children, I’ve been scouring recipe websites to gain inspiration and insight. I’m not taking recipes, that would be plagiarism, I’m trying to learn what I can because I’m normally not allowed in the kitchen.

When Carol wanted to do popcorn balls, I started researching what we were going to do. There were hundreds of recipes, all of them different. Some required ingredients I had never heard of. Some directions included boiling ingredients on a pot on the stove and taking the temperature with a candy thermometer – too hard for children – ours is MUCH easier. And there was one which had a trick that sounded so incredibly smart and insightful I just KNEW it had to be in the book… 

This recipe suggested using a plastic sandwich bag as a glove when pressing the gooey popcorn together into a ball. The whole idea was to keep the concoction from sticking to your fingers. Brilliant! NOT!!

I tried it.  I thought I was bringing something pure genius to Carol and she gave me the benefit of the doubt. As a mom she knew sometimes you needed to let your kids (even the adopted kids at heart) fail. I tried it and realized promptly that it definitely kept the popcorn from sticking to your hands and fingers… But it stuck to the bag big time! What a mess. I was so disappointed.

Then Carol said, butter your palms. Rub a small amount of butter on your hands and the ball won’t stick. Now THAT was genius and so incredibly fun and easy.

This is why she’s in charge of the recipes and I’m just a child tester.