{Valentine's Day Favors} Pink Popcorn Recipe and FREE Printable Popcorn Tags

This is my daughter's first year in a classroom -- I decided to make things a little more fun by including a bag of PINK Popcorn along with her little cards!  I used to make this popcorn for my 3rd graders (oh, how I miss them!), but I know these PreK-ers will love this lollipop-alternative just as much!

I picked up some adorable cellophane Valentine's bags in the Dollar Bins at Target, so I'll fill them with the pink popcorn & will tie w/ a twisty and some ribbon.

To make it even MORE fun, I designed these little square tags that will be hole-punched to hang from the bags!  And, because I love all of you so much, I made you some too:

Valentines Popcorn Tags

Go HERE to download a free set of the Valentine Popcorn Bag Tags!

Now, to make some yummy (but not really healthy) PINK popcorn to go along with these tags:

PINK Popcorn

Around 15 Cups of popped popcorn (I highly recommend an air popper)
2 cups sugar
1/2 small box red Jell-O gelatin powder
1/2 cup water
1 Tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. baking soda

Put the popped popcorn in a large bowl, carefully picking out any unpopped kernels. (I do this by popping into one bowl, then lightly scooping out the popcorn with my hands into another, leaving the unpopped kernels in the bottom.) Preheat the oven to 250F. Line one or two rimmed baking sheets with foil.

In a medium saucepan (with room for the mixture to at least double in size), bring the sugar, Jell-O, water and butter to a boil. Once fully boiling cook for 4 minutes without stirring, swirling the bowl occasionally. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and soda. Pour over the popcorn and toss with tongs to coat completely. Spread out onto the baking sheets and bake, stirring once or twice, for an hour. Set aside to cool.

Scoop about 1/2 c. into cellophane baggies and tie with a twisty-tie and ribbon.  Hole Punch the Tag, thread on to the ribbon to finish off!!

ALTERNATIVE:  I have never tried this, but you can replace the sugar, water and vanilla with 1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows.  Melt Slightly, add 3T, butter, add 4T. gelatin and then pour over popped corn.  Let me know if you try that way... or maybe I will.