AppleBars, Popcorn Balls and Back to School

Yesterday was something of a beginning and an end. On the one hand, we began our homeschooling in earnest. In honor of the occasion, we surprised the charges by painting a four square court in the backyard, complete with an extra bouncy red rubber ball. (We painted a hop-scotch court as well, but so far it has been met with only casual interest.) In the evening, I attended my adjunct faculty meetings, gearing up for courses that begin next week. Enrollment is up some 23 percent over last year, so I've got full classrooms and lots of emails from desperate students hoping to add classes. There's an excitement in the air, and it looks like freshly sharpened pencils, Trapper Keeper notebooks, and juicy red apples.

But I mentioned that yesterday was a bit of an end. I wasn't only referring to the end of summer, but also an end of schooling. Yesterday morning, the Quiet Man presented his doctoral portfolio. Which means that henceforth, he shall no longer be known as Quiet Man, but instead Dr. Quiet Man. Of course, there is never really an end to learning, but maybe...this could signal the end of student loans. To Dr. Quiet Man, I issue not only my congratulations, but also my sincerest promise to bake him a cake, possibly as soon as tonight.
But today is Tuesday, which means that I am morally obligated to share my assigned treat from TWD baking club. So here it is. It's an apple bar that I didn't quite love, but I didn't dislike it terribly either. Meh. That isn't much of an endorsement, so I'll move on.

I also made popcornballs that our brightly red and bouncy, just like that four square ball I mentioned. The girls in my Sunday class delivered these and other goodies to neighborhood kids for their first day of school lunches. What a fun tradition, don't you think? These popcorn balls are perfect for sharing since they are fast, easy, super cheap (till you get the dental bill), and surprisingly yummy. Make some for your back to schoolers.

Here's what you'll need to do:

Pop about 10 cups of popcorn. (I did mine from scratch, but you could use a bag and a half of low fat microwave popcorn.)

In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup corn syrup, and a 3 ounce box of jello, any flavor. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly to dissolve sugars. Pour the hot syrup over the popcorn and toss to coat. When the mixture is cool enough to handle, butter your hands and shape it into balls. Wrap balls tightly in saran wrap and eat them up within 24 hours. It'll cost you about $2.00 for 24 popcorn balls. Up Next:

Crispy Fried Chicken Drumsticks