White Chocolate Cranberry Popcorn

As much as we like to complicate things, sometimes you need to keep things easy. That’s what White Chocolate Cranberry Popcorn is all about. An easy snack, for a busy season.

The recipe stems from one of our family’s favorite holiday cookies: The White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie. So simple, yet so addicting, the White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie would cause a civil war if it were absent during December.

The only downside is that you have to actually make cookies. Sure, baking cookies isn’t hard, but it is time consuming and there always a bunch of dishes you have to clean afterwards… Seriously, why would anyone bake cookies ever?

Ah, right. Because cookies are awesome.

Anyway, White Chocolate Cranberry Popcorn, on the other hand bridges the gap between a wanting a sweet, salty, tangy snack and actually having to spend the time to make it. It’s a win, win, win, win, win.

Perfect for Christmas Morning snacking, or for holiday light tours, this popcorn will make you forget about all those big brands that make a living selling over-priced popcorn in gift boxes.

Snack hard this holiday season.

White Chocolate Cranberry Popcorn

Ingredients

3 Cups of Popped Popcorn (One bag of microwave popcorn, if you want to keep things easy)
1/2 Cup of Dried Cranberries, minced
1 Tablespoon Powdered Sugar
One 4 oz bar of White Chocolate, roughly chopped
1/4 Cup Christmas Sprinkles
Pinch of Salt (more or less depending on how salty your popcorn already is)

Instructions:

Make the popcorn according to the instructions. Seriously, no judgement on using microwave popcorn.
Toss the minced cranberries in the powered sugar – This will help separate the cranberries and allow them to stick to the popcorn better.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, then spread out the popcorn on the sheet and top with the cranberries.
Put the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat on high for 45 seconds. Stir and heat for another 20 seconds and stir again – All of the chocolate should be melted.
Drizzle the melted chocolate over the popcorn and cranberries, then sprinkle the sprinkles on top and mix well.
Let the mixed popcorn sit in the refrigerator for about five minutes to set up.

Time Traveling in the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited | getinmymouf.com

Disclaimer: We have been given compensation for this post by FCA US. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited is the vehicle my younger self always wanted. Let’s travel back to the late 80’s…

When I was a kid, I always wished we had a big car. Like one of those cool vans, big SUVs, or heck–even an RV with beds and a full kitchen. When you’re child, bigger is better. I also always envisioned that road trips to the beach, long car rides back from relatives, and even boring errands would be more enjoyable in the back of a vehicle that facilitated more fun. And I doubt my younger self would believe that playing Nintendo in the back seat would even be a thing, let alone an eventuality.

The truth is that we didn’t really need a large vehicle – I was an only child for most of my life, until my brother was born and ruined everything (just kidding, love you bro). So, I ended up growing up in the back seat of compact sedans coveting SUVs and minivans with palatial back seats.

Cut To: The early 2000s. The Young adult me–partially influenced by The Fast & the Furious–was more focused on smaller vehicles with a stick shift. I would laugh at minivans, then try and race them in my non-suped up car. I would lose a lot, but I still thought I was cool.

Back to Present: Now an old-er adult, I didn’t know what to expect from the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. Tina and I don’t have any kids, yet. We have a dog, but Cooper tends to be terrified of any vehicles with doors that move by themselves (the Pacifica has three). How would I feel, as a 32-year old, driving a minivan? Would I tell my co-workers, or would I hide it in the back of the parking lot next to the dumpster?

Spoiler Alert: At the end of our week-long test drive, I didn’t want to give the keys back.

The whole week I couldn’t stop showing off the features of this minivan from the future. I’d open both sliding doors with the remote for no reason at all! I happily displayed how easy it was to fold down all the rear seats to anyone who would listen. I made multiple trips to the grocery store and Salvation Army just to have an excuse to haul stuff around.

Not to mention that the ride was comfortable, the steering wheel was warm to the touch on cold mornings, and the entertainment system was on a whole new level. There were so many hidden drawers for storage that Tina and I were finding new nooks and crannies almost every day.

Oh and there’s a built in vacuum. A vacuum. Built. Into. The vehicle.

So, yeah, it’s safe to say the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited will change your mind about minivans.

Chrysler Pacifica: Labradoodle Approved

For a dog, Cooper is a tough critic. Considering he loves car rides, he sure is picky on the types of cars he prefers to serve as his carriage. He tends to like smaller sedans with cozy back seats and won’t even entertain the idea of hopping into an SUV unless strongly persuaded with treats.

However, he had no hesitation hopping up into the Pacifica.

I’m sure he was a little surprised at just how much room he had back there. With what probably felt like a living room’s worth of space, it was quite different than his typical wheels. We opted to put down the middle-row seat for Labradoodle Cruising Mode.

Coop also enjoyed the fact that there was plenty of storage for tennis balls and dog treats.

Lunch break Nintendo

With dual-screens, an HDMI input, and an AC power outlet, lunch breaks are a whole lot more fun. Tina’s brother surprised us with a Nintendo Classic system, so of course I had to take it for a spin in the Pacifica.

As a 32-year old, sitting in the back of the Pacifica, on my lunch break, playing Super Mario Bros., I seriously did my younger self proud. It was a weird moment where I felt like I had time traveled to the past and the future simultaneously…and it was glorious.

Leave home for the holidays

Test driving the Pacifica during the holiday season was also perfect timing. Not only does it have all the extra room to haul around presents and donations–you know the normal stuff that you would see in a commercial for a minivan–but it really does enable you to do more with your family. You won’t want to hang around the house, because the Pacifica makes you want to get out and do stuff. Productive stuff, but also fun stuff. Everyone loves fun stuff, right?

No matter how old we get, we like drive around and look at lights, so taking out the family–no matter how big or small, or if it includes four-legged children–to look at lights was a nostalgic holiday activity suited for the Pacifica.

Since this is a food blog, you know we had to bring along some snacks for our festive light tour: White Chocolate Cranberry Popcorn (click here for the recipe). Inspired by highly requested (at least in our family) white chocolate cranberry cookies, this was a crunchy, salty, sweet, tangy snack that makes you want to use a ton of adjectives to describe it.

Oh and any loose kernels on the floor were easily taken care of with that built-in vacuum.

For lighting purposes, we took the pics at sunset. No, we did not look at Christmas lights during the day. That would be silly.

A long goodbye

As we had to hand the keys back, one might assume that we mentally traveled back in time and looked back upon all the fun times we had with the Pacifica. Fondly remembering the remote engine start, panoramic sunroof, powerful V6, or the helpful 360 surround view.

Instead, we lamented everything we didn’t have time to do. A road trip to the beach with my parents. Help someone move out of their apartment. Stretch out and take a nap in the country. Have a picnic at a Winery. Make pancakes for breakfast.

Wait, what?

Yup. Pancakes. Seriously, with an AC outlet and all that space, I could literally hook up a griddle and make pancakes in the Pacifica. Maybe in next year’s model…

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

Want more info about the Pacifica? Click here for the brochure and follow the conversation with Chrysler on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Just wanna see it for yourself? Go find a dealer near you!

Disclaimer: As mentioned above, we have been given compensation for this post by FCA US. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed are our own.

Reviews, Travel

Tacos & Pie in LA: Crystal was Right

Ever since our first trip to Los Angeles in 2010, there are two restaurants that our friend Crystal recommended that we try.

For whatever reason we just weren’t able to work these two food unicorns (foodicorns?) into our trip.

Finally, after about six years and five trips, we decide that we would not leave LA until we made it out to these two must-visits. With a 2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature (check out our car Q&A here) loaner courtesy of DriveShop and Mazda ready to transport us to food heaven, we were ready to ride in style and hunger. But mostly hunger.

2016 Mazda CX-9 Signature | getinmymouf.com

Ready for tacos.

We should have listened to Crystal sooner, because these two restaurants will go down as places that we will force other people to try and that we will write about in letters to our grandchildren…or in a blog to strangers.

ALRIGHT ALREADY! WHAT ARE THE RESTAURANTS?!

The first foodicorn: Guisados

For those who don’t speak Spanish, guisados translates to “stew” and oh, boy does Guisados stew! They stew all the stew.

They stew so hard.

Tender stewed meats and vegetables on fresh-made corn tortillas… What more can you possibly ask for? One thing I’d ask for is a mini taco sampler so I could try a bunch of tacos at once.

Guess what? They got that, too.

Pleasing to carnivores, vegetarians, and pescatarians alike this is one taco party everyone is invited to. Bring your kids, bring your friends, bring your dog–I don’t think they let dogs inside due to health code regs, but if you have any leftovers–wait, what am I saying? There shall not be any leftovers! In fact, you probably won’t order enough the first go around, which will force you to do the walk of under-ordering shame back up to the register.

Embrace the shame, because it dissipates with each bite.

The deep flavor and succulent fillings will have you waking up at night in cold sweats wondering why you can’t get tacos like this back home.

And not stopping by a Guisados is no longer a valid excuse because they have five locations around Los Angeles including The OG in Boyle Heights, Echo Park, Downtown LA (or DTLA if you’re cool), West Hollywood, and Burbank.

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The second foodicorn: The Pie Hole

It all started with a t-shirt.

In a not-so-subtle way of hinting that we should probably eat at The Pie Hole, Crystal sent me one of their t-shirts.

Not only was it a constant reminder of the pie that needed to eventually be consumed, but it was an amazingly soft and durable shirt. It’s a t-shirt MVP year after year. First ballot t-shirt hall of famer.

If the pie was half as awesome as the shirt, expectations would be met.

Instead expectations were destroyed.

The turkey pot pie was so comforting that it felt like a warm labradoodle sleeping next to you on a couch. Thanksgiving came early this year and in the best form: Pie.

That crust, though. So buttery, flaky, and the perfect thickness. I’d love to eat my way out of a sleeping bag made of that crust.

Tina’s breakfast veggie hand pie was also so delicious you’ll wish humans had bigger hands (to inflate the average size of hands, which would then in-turn increase the size of hand pies).

I should’ve channeled the dark side and ordered a slice of EVERYTHING, but I found some restraint in my back pocket and we shared a slice of Earl Grey Tea Pie. A unique pie for sure, with a subtle flavor of earl grey tea, crunchy pistachios, creamy filling and…oh…that….CRUST.

Much like Guisados, it took us so long to visit The Pie Hole that they now four locations around Los Angeles, one in Orange County, and one in freaking Tokyo! So, if you’re in DTLA, Pasadena, Hollywood, or Glendale grab a slice and open your pie hole.

Moral of the Story: When a friend demands that you eat at specific places in the city in which they live, listen to him or her. Think of all the tacos and pie slices we could have eaten if we had heeded Crystal‘s advice? Roughly forty tacos and ten slices of pie (based on ten tacos and two pie slices per trip).

***

Disclaimer: As noted above we were provided a vehicle courtesy of DriveShop and Mazda. Other than being allowed to test drive this vehicle, we were not provided any monetary compensation for this post. All opinions remain our own.

Car Reviews

Car Q&A: 2016 Mazda CX-9 AWD Signature

This post is made possible through a partnership with the awesome folks at DriveShop and Mazda, who provided us with a vehicle to test drive for a few days. You can follow the conversation on social media with the hashtag #DriveMazda.

Specs

MSRP (as tested): $44,915
MPG Estimate: 21 city – 27 highway
Engine: Skyactiv-G 2.5 Turbo Engine
Power: 250 hp @ 5,000 rpm | 310 lb-ft @ 2,000 rpm
Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic
Color: Sonic Silver Metallic (exterior) / Auburn (interior)
Options: Navigation System and Sirius XM Satellite Radio

For more info, click here to view the 2016 CX-9 Brochure.

Look, you don’t need me to convince you to check out the 2016 Mazda CX-9 AWD Signature. Plenty of experts have already written enough praise about this vehicle to make you want to trade in that ’98 Explorer for something far more fun. Oh, you want me to list the experts? Fine. Car and Driver gave it a perfect five star review. Consumer Reports called it the “Driver’s Choice”. Maybe an “A” grade from Edmunds is what you’re looking for.

Rather than listen to one more person rave about this piece of four-wheeled vehicular art, we thought it would be better to go straight to the CX-9 itself on what the spotlight is like. While spending some time eating tacos and pie in LA, we sat down in the CX-9 for a quick interview:

Get in my Mouf (GIMM): You’ve received quite a bit of accolades over the last year. From your design, to interior craftsmanship, to performance. What are you most proud of?

CX-9: Definitely the performance. Looking good is nice, having all the bells and whistles is great and all, but first and foremost, I’m a vehicle. My fleet’s motto is “Driving Matters” for a reason. It ain’t “Comfortable Seats Matters.” But, without sounding too boisterous, my seats are very comfortable.

GIMM: Yes, they are–And beautiful in that Auburn color. Seeing as how you pride yourself in performance, what are some of your favorite roads to travel on?

CX-9: Easy one. I’ve spent most of my time in California, so definitely the PCH.

GIMM: You and I actually spent a bit of time on the PCH in Malibu together.

CX-9: And that was nothing! Next time you’re out here, I’ll take you up further north into Santa Barbara and up to the holy grail of driving at Big Sur.

GIMM: You mention Big Sur–We’ve previously driven on that road with a Mazda CX-3 and I think most people think of sports cars or smaller vehicles to get the full experience of the road. Being an SUV, how would you like to change people’s minds about the “big and bulky” SUV stereotype?

CX-9: It’s more difficult than simply telling them. To break the stereotype, they really need to meet me. Sit behind the wheel and let the performance do all the talking. Look, I enjoying doing interviews like this, but what really brings me joy is getting out there to meet people and change minds. I encourage any of your readers who may be undecided about SUVs to just take an hour or so to visit their local dealer and give the CX-9 a shot.

GIMM: You mentioned the fact that you’re based in California, home to some of the most amazing food in the country. I know you don’t eat human food, but is there any genre or dish that you wish you could eat?

CX-9: Tacos.

GIMM: Nice choice – Any particular type?

CX-9: No. I spend a lot of time in Los Angeles, so I see a lot of taco stands and my drivers are always tossing bags of tacos in the back seat. They smell so amazing. One time someone spilled carnitas juice on my floorboard. That was as close as I’ve gotten to tasting a taco, but it made me wish I was a human for a second.

GIMM: Getting back to bells and whistles, you do have quite a few. The Bose stereo system is pretty sweet – What’s your favorite type of music to rock out to?

CX-9: I’m partial to television and movie soundtracks – Stranger Things is a recent favorite and of course Drive. It makes me feel like I’m one of those famous cars in the film industry. And with my performance, the driver can easily pretend they’re in an action movie.

GIMM: While obeying all traffic laws.

CX-9: Absolutely.

GIMM: I want to wrap things up by talking about dogs. What are you thoughts on having a dog in the car?

CX-9: I can tell you’re trying to push me into saying something bad about dogs and how I get frustrated with their loose hair clogging up my vents and getting stuck to my carpet.

GIMM: I wouldn’t dare.

CX-9: The truth is that when I see their heads hanging out the window, tongue flapping in the wind, and wagging tails, it’s all worth it. Dogs get it…the performance, the thrill of driving (or riding in this case). The fun and exhilaration of exploring the world, one road at a time. That’s why driving matters.

GIMM: Now that’s how you end an interview!

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Disclaimer: As noted above we were provided this vehicle courtesy of DriveShop and Mazda. Other than being allowed to test drive this vehicle, we were not provided any monetary compensation for this post. All opinions and fake interviews with inanimate objects remain our own.