Round up the cattle and pull up your boots straps because it’s time for a barnyard themed birthday party.
Birthdays are one of my most favorite things to celebrate! There are so many possibilities at what you can do. For my son’s 1st birthday I wanted to keep it simple with the 3 P’s, park, play, and popcorn! We have a local park that has these two barnyard structures that were the perfect setting for a barnyard bash, a playground for the kids to horse around on and a field for them to run wild and free!
Keeping with the simplicity of the party popcorn was the perfect snack. With so many different ways to flavor popcorn I knew there would be something for everyone. Birthday Cake, kettle corn, butter popcorn and caramel corn was our selection of choice. We also had animal crackers for the youngsters who couldn’t eat popcorn. I chose a yellow table clothe, red and white checkered table runner, and red and blue bandanas to give the table a barn yard vibe. I wish I would have gotten a few balloons and hay bails to set out. I guess we’ll jut have to have another party!
I had taken a cake decorating class a few years ago but haven’t make a cake in years. So I dusted off my frosting tips and made a cow smash cake for the birthday boy. I think it came out pretty cute! For everyone else they got a cherry lemon cupcake with a cherry sour on top.
Birthday Party Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 6 cups popcorn popped
- 3 cups marshmallows
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 cup white cake mix
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Take kernels out from popcorn and pour into a bowl.
- In a medium pot, melt marshmallows and butter on medium heat, stirring constantly.
- Once marshmallows are completely melted, remove from heat and add vanilla, milk and cake mix. Stir until well combined and pour over popcorn.
- Stir until the popcorn is evenly coated and top with sprinkles. Let set. ENJOY!
Butter Popcorn
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- ½ cup popcorn kernels
- ¼ cup butter melted
- ¼ tsp finely ground kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the coconut oil: Melt the coconut oil in a 7- to 9-quart stockpot over medium-high heat.
- Add tester kernels: Add 3 kernels of popcorn and wait for them to pop. These little guys will let you know when the oil is hot enough to add the remaining kernels.
- Add the popcorn and pop: When the tester kernels pop, add the remaining popcorn kernels. They should cover the bottom of the pot in a single layer. Swirl the pot to coat the kernels in the oil.
- Continue to pop and shake the pan: Cover, lower the heat to medium, and shake the pan gently while the kernels pop. After about 3 minutes, when the popping slows significantly (1 to 2 seconds between pops), remove from the heat. Continue to shake the pot for another 30 seconds or until the popping stops completely.
- Flavor with butter and salt: Pour 1/2 of the butter or ghee over the popcorn, cover, and shake the pot to coat. Pour the remaining butter or ghee over the popcorn and sprinkle with the salt. Cover again and shake. Serve immediately.
Kettle Corn Popcorn
Ingredients
- 1 cup yellow popcorn kernels (or just enough to cover bottom of pot)
- 3 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- In a large 4-5 quart pot over medium high heat, melt the coconut oil. Add one kernel of popcorn and cover pot until you hear the kernel pop.
- Remove the lid and add the remaining popcorn kernels, sugar and salt. Stir to coat and then quickly flatten kernels on the bottom of the pot, just so they cover the bottom.
- Cover the pot and shake gently. You will hear the kernels begin to pop.