Saturday Spotlight: Popcorn for the People

This past week at a vendor event I had an opportunity to meet some volunteers for this AWESOME non-profit.  I will say their popcorn is pretty yummy too!

The mission of this group (as stated on their website) is:

We believe in the empowerment of individuals and communities
We provide meaningful & lasting employment for adults with autism and other developmental disabilities.
We create employment through popcorn! Every tin you purchase provides at least an hour of meaningful employment.

When people are empowered they are more responsible, more creative, take bigger risks and embrace accountability. That’s why we choose to employ individuals who are intent on overcoming challenges to be at their very best. We also think they make better popcorn because of it.

Here is their story….  It all starts with Sam

Sam is a high functioning 24 year old with autism. He wants to travel, have fun and work like everyone else. “You may not want to work” he often says “but you have to work.” Armed knowing that the unemployment rate is 80-90% in the autistic population, we asked ourselves: where can a bright, energetic young man who views the world a little differently find work, fulfillment and happiness? Just when we were beginning to think the options were grim we spotted Sam gleefully tossing popcorn into his mouth while laughing at Monty Python. We decided to combine America’s favorite snack food with Sam’s passion and unique world view to create popcorn with a difference. We invited other workers with disabilities to join the popcorn revolution. Soon after, we opened our first location in New Jersey to an unexpected influx of media attention. We joined forces with Agnes, a star chef and mother of an autistic child. While Agnes experimented with new flavor profiles, Sam cooked the popcorn. With friends, family and co-workers as our tasters, the word spread and demand grew. Before we knew it, armfuls of tins were flying out the door. We invited other workers with disabilities to join the popcorn revolution and soon after we opened our first location in New Jersey. With such an overwhelmingly positive response we decided it was time to bring Popcorn for the People to the rest of America.

100% of the profits from Popcorn for the People goes to Let’s Work for Good.
Let’s Work for Good is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit social enterprise with a mission to provide meaningful and lasting employment for adults with autism and developmental disabilities.  

Check out some of these YUMMY flavors:

Cookies n Cream, Dark Chocolate Expresso, Chicago Baked Cheddar Cheese,        Buffalo Wing, X-treme Carmel, Joshua’s Kettle Corn, Apple Carmel, White Cheddar,        X-treme Carmel & Chocolate, Thin Mint, Salt & Vinegar

Support this AWESOME organization while enjoying yummy popcorn.

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!

Tasty Tuesday – Super Bowl Treats

SUPER BOWL PICTURE

Well, my main team – the J-E-T-S, may not be in the Super Bowl but I will be cheering on the Carolina Panthers.  If you are wondering why – my daughter lives in North Carolina so it is on my list of favorite teams even if I don’t claim to be their Number 1 cheerleader.

Here are some YUMMY Super Bowl snacks courtesy of the Food Network:

Hot Crab Dip Mix 3 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and hot sauce and chopped parsley to taste; fold in 1/2 pound crabmeat. Spread in a baking dish, top with breadcrumbs (preferably panko) and bake at 425 degrees F until golden, about 15 minutes.

Mustard-Beer Dip Simmer 12 ounces pale ale until reduced by half. Stir in 1/2 cup yellow mustard, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon each mustard powder and cider vinegar, and 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; cool.

Cauliflower Hummus Toss 4 cups cauliflower florets with olive oil and 1 teaspoon curry powder; roast at 425 degrees F, 20 minutes. Puree with 1 drained can chickpeas, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 tablespoons tahini, 1 garlic clove, and salt to taste. Blend in 2 tablespoons olive oil

Latin Chip Mix Combine 3 tablespoons melted butter with 1 teaspoon each ground cumin and chipotle chile powder. Toss with 3 cups black bean chips, 1 cup corn nuts, 1 thinly sliced jalapeno and 2 teaspoons lime zest. Bake at 400 degrees F, 10 minutes, stirring once.

Kettle Corn Put 3/4 cup popcorn kernels and 3 tablespoons each sugar and vegetable oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Partially cover and cook over high heat, shaking, until the popping stops. Season with salt.

Tex-Mex Shrimp Cocktail Mix 3/4 cup ketchup, two 4-ounce cans chopped green chiles, and 2 tablespoons each lime juice, horseradish and chopped cilantro. Serve with chilled cooked shrimp.

Breaded Pork Sliders Boil 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup each sake and Worcestershire sauce, 2 tablespoons each sugar and mirin, and 1 tablespoon each minced garlic and ginger, 5 minutes. Pound 1/2 pound pork cutlets until thin. Coat in flour, then beaten egg, then breadcrumbs (preferably panko); fry in hot oil. Slice and serve on 12 mini buns with the ketchup sauce.

Breaded Veggie Sliders Make Breaded Pork Sliders (No. 41), replacing the pork with cremini mushroom caps and/or sliced Japanese eggplant. Add shredded cabbage and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Shrimp Sliders Combine 2 tablespoons each mayonnaise and whole-grain mustard, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, and minced parsley and hot sauce to taste. Season 1 pound butterflied shrimp with salt and cayenne. Dip in buttermilk, coat in cornmeal and fry in hot oil. Serve on mini seeded buns with lettuce, pickles and the mustard sauce.

Mini Veggie Pockets Warm 12 mini pitas. Cut off the tops and fill with hummus, crumbled feta and chopped olives, cucumber, lettuce and tomato.

What will your Super Bowl snack table look like?  Share your favorite recipes with us..

Have a ThirtyOne-derful day!