We do a lot of snacking in our home, especially when the kids have their friends over. Some weeks we seem to go through tons of mini-pizzas and sandwiches, chips and dip, juices, sodas, burgers, it’s endless. Then there are the gatherings for sports events or special movie nights. One of our favorite and easy snacks for movie night is homemade popcorn. We used to buy the boxes of packaged microwave popcorn, but that was before we received our Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper as a gift last Christmas.

We love this new popper and have ended up using it quite a lot already. The machine makes popcorn that is hot and delicious without a lot of unpopped kernels or any burning occurring like we ran into with the microwaveable popcorns. It’s pretty neat looking too, and you can just pour the popcorn into the cover and use it for a serving bowl. It’s easy for all of the kids to use too, and simple to clean up. Now it’s become one of our favorite cool kitchen gadgets.

It seems the colder it gets the more I think about food. Not the best way to start the New Year, being obsessed by foods when it’s probably time to start thinking about eating healthy. Before you know it Spring will be here and I’ll wish I had eaten less! But I guess the cold brings it out in me.  Right now I find myself particularly yearning for some warm, delicious soup, preferably homemade. Somehow it always makes me feel better, and not over-stuffed like some food does. Warm and soothing.

My favorite soup this month is a creamy tomato basil. I find it’s just right for my tastes with a touch of spice and sweetness. It’s even better when I make a fresh loaf of bread to dip into it.  When I serve it with a small balsamic salad on the side, I am all set for a warm and healthy (well, relatively healthy) lunch or light dinner. Perfect for these gray winter days.

In our home we do our best to make healthy choices when it comes to the food we eat. Whole grain breads, whole wheat pasta, fresh fruits and vegetable, high fiber cereals. Our philosophy is as long as we mostly eat the good stuff then it’s okay to have some of the more sinful foods and treats now and again. I’m very big on salads, preferring the pre-packed bags of mixed greens for convenience. But I was making a big mistake when it came to eating the greens by not washing them first! I took it for granted they were already cleaned but have since read that these packaged lettuces should all be washed prior eating, even if the bag states “triple washed”.  I find cleaning the lettuce a bit of a hassle, so that’s why I love the ECKO Salad Spinner.

 This salad spinner is a great size for our family and it even doubles as a fruit bowl on our counter sometimes. It certainly makes cleaning lettuce so much easier and it’s comforting to know we’re eating healthier because of it.  I highly recommend this kitchen gadget for anyone who enjoys salads in their home and wants to make a healthier choice for their family too.