Candied-Popcorn Gifties!

More About This Recipe

• Um, I'm not quite sure what happened yesterday, you guys.
  
  One minute I was tidying up the house, straightening magazines and making the bed. And the next, I was tangled in a web of gold curling ribbons and shiny snowflake stickers, popping mini chocolate baking chips into my mouth like I MIGHT JUST DIE and listening to Peggy Lee's Christmas record on repeat. AAAND I just pulled tinsel out of my teeth. Yep, my soul was abducted…by ELVES!
  
  The abduction did leave me with some darned cute DIY candied-popcorn gift bags that you simply cannot live without trying for yourself.
  
  You bag little samples of flavored baking chips, along with corn kernels and a cinnamon stick, package it all cutesy like with ribbons and stickers and VOILA - gift.
  
  You can melt one flavor at a time and toss it with the popcorn. Or if you're living on the edge this holiday season, melt all three! The elves will guide you.
  
  Here's how it goes:
  
  I chose chocolate chips, vanilla chips and butterscotch chips for these gift bags.
  
  And of course, the corn kernels. Der.
  
  Craft par-tay! (clear bags, brown paper bags, curling ribbon, stickers)
  
  Fill each clear bag with a 1/2 cup each of chips and kernels. Tape the top down with scotch tape.
  
  Line them up for their glamour shot.
  
  Arrange the chip bags side by side in the bottom of the brown paper bag and top with the popcorn bag and a cinnamon stick!
  
  See in there? See how I did that? See? Do you see it?
  
  When you decide on a flavor (or all three), pop your kernels with a little oil. Then simply melt the chips over low heat in a saucepan. I had to add a splash of milk with my chocolate to thin it out a tad. Then toss the melted chips with the popcorn in a big bowl, so it evenly coats the popcorn. It might be hot, so use some tongs. Then serve the popcorn with a nice dusting of freshly grated cinnamon. The elves don't want you to skip this part.
  
  You could even add crushed candy canes to the mix! Get crazy. Listen to the elf within your soul and make these.
  
  Happy popping!
  
  *Bev really advises using tongs when tossing the melted chips with the popcorn. Unless you prefer a lot of profanity in your household. For more musings, visit her blog at Bev Cooks and her Tablespoon profile.