Disney on Ice: Jalapeno Bacon Popcorn

Winter sport season has begun! Thatkid is doing baseball again (I know it's a spring sport everyone else, but here in San Diego we start it in January - and then don't play for weeks because YES IT RAINS HERE PEOPLE.)  We thought Thatbaby would want to follow in his brother's footsteps now that he's old enough to play, but he chose a very different path.

Ice skating!  He has really taken to ice skating in a way I never would have imagined.  Thatkid was very timid on the ice at first, but Thatbaby has no fear and jumps (literally) right on. 

In an attempt to try and embrace his newfound love, I got us all tickets to see Disney on Ice - Dare to Dream.  It's the newest Disney on Ice performance, featuring Moana, which both my kids love.

In an attempt to stave off overpriced souvenirs, I ordered some cheaper versions from Amazon that I gave them the morning before the show so they were still shiny and interesting.

The best part of these kind of shows are the light up souvenirs, so I those were the kind I ordered.  These light up Maui hooks cost me $20 from Amazon and they were being sold for $40 at the show.

My second save-some-money move was to get our tickets from Goldstar.   I use Goldstar a lot for tickets because they're usually at least half off.  These seats, right at the front of the section, which gave us an unobstructed view, were $22 a piece, but after I contacted them about the fact that it didn't seem cheaper than regular price, they knocked them down to $17.  Their customer service is fantastic. 

The performance started off with a guest appearance by Miguel and his guitar.  He strummed us "Remember me" before breaking into his acclaimed hit "Poco Loco."  My kids love Coco, so this was a really fun way to start the show.

Of course, Mickey and Minnie and our other costumed friends showed up next.

Disney princesses are a big part of Disney on Ice, and this show is no different.  It began with a condensed retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

Next came Cinderella.

The part I was most looking forward to was Tangled.  Not that I love the movie, but because it promised an amazing aerial performance.  It did not disappoint.

While the boys liked the first act, they are, in general, less interested in the older Disney stories.  They didn't grow up with them and I'm not even positive they've seen Cinderella or Tangled.

Act II however, had them on the edge of their seats, with two of their beloved favorites.  First, Frozen.  Thatbaby since Let It Go on constant repeat.  To be more accurate, he sings the chorus of Let it Go on constant repeat.

And Olaf is one of his all time favorite Disney characters.  Enough that he even has an Olaf costume.

Then came Moana, which might be their current favorite Disney movie. 

They especially loved waving their glowing hooks at Maui.

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And Shiny was a discoball studded extravaganza.

The show ended with all the characters coming out and dancing together.

Since we saved money on souvenirs and seats, everyone got to pick a special snack for the show.  The fun thing about the snacks at Disney on Ice is that they come with their own souvenirs.  Thatbaby's cotton candy came with a Pua hat.

And Thatkid's snowcone came in a Mickey cup.

As for me, I got popcorn in a souvenir bag.  Because there's nothing like popcorn you get at events - movies, sporting events, Disney on Ice.  It's just so buttery and salty.  Really, there are very few popcorns I don't like.  It is my all time favorite food.  I love it so much that I even made it to eat during the Superbowl.  But rather than buttery saltiness, this one was bacony-jalapenoey.  Seems fitting for a sporting event right?  I actually removed all the seeds from this version, so I could share with the kids, and Thatkid was VERY thankful.  He called it the best popcorn he's ever had.

Honestly, cooking popcorn in bacon?  He's not so far off.

 Jalapeno Bacon Popcorn

5 strips applewood smoked bacon, diced

1 jalapeno sliced (with as many seeds removed as you'd like - remember, the more seeds, the spicier it'll be!)

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

grated parmesan cheese

salt

1. Cook bacon over medium heat in a large pot until crispy.
2. Add jalapeno slices and cook for 2 minutes until soft.  Remove jalapeno and bacon from the pot.
3. Add popcorn kernels and toss to coat.  Cover the pot.  When the popcorn starts popping, shake the pot back and forth until the popcorn is done popping.  Remove from heat.
4. Add the jalapeno and bacon back in to the popcorn.
5. Toss the popcorn with parmesan cheese and salt to taste.