Fall has arrived! Time for cozy blankets, fuzzy socks, oversized sweaters and warm drinks. What better way to celebrate the season changing than traveling to your own back yard for movie night. Pull out the lights, pop the popcorn and warm the hot cocoa. It's time for a Staycation!
I love fall. It is my favorite season. The smells, the colors, the cooler temperatures, warm drinks, the holidays; It is truly the greatest time of the year. One way to celebrate the changing of the season is by having your family and friends over for a staycation. You will need a movie projector and a laptop but everything else you will need, you already have lying around your house. The best part about this DIY movie night is that you can make it as basic or as fancy as you want! I bought this RCA movie projector from Walmart on Black Friday last year. It comes with a HDMI cable that you just connect to your laptop. For the movie screen, I put a black sheet for a base layer over my photography stand then a white sheet to bring out the picture. Hang up outdoor lights, grab a few cozy blankets and bean bags and you are ready!
Snacks are a necessity for any movie night. Once I found out how easy it was to make popcorn on my stovetop, I have not made it any other way. All you need is a sauce pan with a lid, oil and popcorn kernels! Put three tablespoons of oil in your saucepan on medium heat. After the oils begins to heat, throw two or three kernels in and once they pop, you know your oil is just the right temperature. Dump 1/3 cup of kernels into the pan and cover with the lid. The popcorn will begin to pop and your house will start to smell like a movie theater. Just like making popcorn in the microwave, once you hear the popping slowing down, turn the burner off. Your popcorn can easily burn. Take the lid off and dump the popcorn into a big bowl. Viola, you have homemade popcorn! 🍿
Next comes the hot chocolate! One of my favorite ways to make hot cocoa is in the crockpot. All you have to do is put the ingredients in and the crockpot does the rest for you. It's so easy. For this recipe you will need:
2 cups chocolate chips 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
7 cups of milk
1 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 tsp vanilla
Toppings!!
Put all of your ingredients (minus the toppings, of course) in the crockpot and cook on low for 3-4 hours, whisking every half hour and you are ready to serve! Don't forget the marshmallows and whipped cream!
Spending time with family and friends is part of what makes autumn great! So find a festive movie, put on your favorite sweater, and grab your snacks. It’s showtime!