It’s easy to whip up a batch of scrumptious homemade potato chips in a mere five minutes. All you need are:

 
Include The Kids
This is a fun activity to do with kids, so they won’t grow up thinking that their favorite snacks only come in packages from the supermarket. It’s also a special treat for a weekend family dinner and for TV snacking (not to mention beer and cocktails).

While some children are not old enough to learn how to slice or fry the potatoes, anyone older than four years of age can learn how to clean potatoes, pat the slices dry before cooking and flip them as they drain on paper towels. When the kids know there will be warm potato chips at the end of the activity, cooking becomes an exciting adventure they want to participate in.

Seasoning The Chips
This video recipe uses a special seasoning of paprika, onion powder, salt and sugar. Personally, we’d omit the sugar (if you must, use only a pinch): There’s no need to add more refined sugar to anyone’s diet. We also prefer sea salt, which is unrefined or minimally refined salt. It contains trace minerals that have been removed from refined salts (see our Salt Glossary).

Feel free to add your own favorite seasonings to the mix—cayenne, chipotle, garlic or parsley—or season the chips simply with salt.

Serve your delicious homemade chips with a dipping bowl of top-quality ketchup. See our review of the best ketchup brands, which includes the history of ketchup! Another tip: warm the ketchup in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, or however long it takes to get to “very warm” in your microwave.
Consider Them A Reward
Homemade chips may become so popular in your household that you’ll be able to use them as a reward for tasks well done.

*If you purchase a mandoline, look for one with adjustable thicknesses and a nonskid base. The Progressive model also has underside grooves to keep it stable on top of a bowl.

Want more ideas?
See our recipe for homemade potato chips on TheNibble.com.

The Cupcake Tower holds cupcakes; this
reversible Cake Pops tower holds both.
Photo courtesy The Cupcake Tower.

Keep an eye out and you can find a few great presentation pieces that aren’t too expensive, or are on sale. (We do our best hunting on closeout tables in top department stores.)

The right presentation piece can make everyday foods look better, and special foods will look spectacular.

For example, for $65.00 you can buy a Cupcake Tower (the Cake Pop Tower in the photo is $89.00 and reversible—a solid side for cupcakes and a side with holes for cake pops).

If that’s not in your budget, consider co-buying it with a friend.

You can change the color scheme with dozens of elastic ribbon choices that cover the edges of each tier—orange and black for Halloween, for example.

And since it’s made of component parts, one or all of the tiers can be passed around, like trays. Plus, the bases that support the tiers come apart, so the unit doesn’t require a lot of storage space. Learn more at TheCupcakeTower.com.

The Cupcake Tower, too, can be used for more than just cupcakes.

 
How else would you use the Cupcake Tower?

Hungry for a piece of cake? Check out our Cake Glossary.

Called “the world’s first all-natural performance enhancing meat snack” by its producer, the 100% beef Perky Jerky is caffeinated.

More specifically, guarana, a natural energy booster with about twice the caffeine content of a coffee bean, is infused into the meat. You can have a protein snack and stay awake. No energy drink is required. (In fact, have a double dose of guarana at your own risk).

Just tear open a portion-controlled package of Perky Jerky and enjoy a flavorful snack full of nourishment and energy.

By the way, the jerky is tender and flavorful, as well as energizing!

And now there’s Turkey Perky Jerky.

You can buy Perky Jerky online, at Amazon.com or PerkyJerky.com.

Or head over to Corner Store, Home Depot, Mapco, Publix, Target, 7-Eleven or other retailers. There’s a store locator on the website.
 
Find more of our favorite snacks.
  

According to a national survey conducted by LivingSocial.com, we’re not the carnivores that we were a generation ago. In those days, before global cuisines and health foods (even yogurt) were widely available in the U.S., most people would have seen themselves as meat lovers.

Nowadays, when asked to choose (multiple categories could be selected), responders revealed themselves to be:

Our favorite from-the-bag cocktail snack has got to be Japanese rice crackers, specifically the chic little rolls wrapped in seaweed. They’re called nori maki arare in Japanese: seaweed roll cracker.

While we’ve never met a rice cracker we didn’t like—they are a delightful change of pace from bowls of nuts, pretzels and chips—these look and taste different.

The super crunchy crackers are high on texture and nuances of flavor. In addition to the ocean-brininess of the seaweed, the soy sauce, used instead of salt, adds sophisticated flavor. There is a tiny hint of heat and the faintest taste of sweetness.

Consider these Japanese rice crackers a gourmet crunchy snack.

And they’re not just for cocktails. A few crackers make a tasty snack with beer, green tea or straight black tea. (We drink our tea Asian-style, without milk or sugar. For sugared tea, a cookie is a better companion).

As with any seductive salty snack, it’s easy to polish off an entire bag while enjoying one’s wine or beer.

You can also find fancy rice crackers (as opposed to the round, flat crackers) flavored with wasabi or shrimp, among other varieties. If you love this type of rice snack nugget, keep trying different types in order to discover your favorites.

If your supermarket has a Japanese products section, look for them there; you can also find them at Asian products specialty markets or online.

Find more of our favorite salty, crunchy snacks in our Gourmet Snacks Section.