Salted Caramel Corn

Whew.... is it really only Tuesday??

It feels like it should be at least Thursday....

I feel like I'm recuperating from last week, when Archie and I had something going on EVERY single night of the week. How do we let our schedules get that way?

We keep saying we're going to slow down, and then we turn around and we have something booked for all week. This week we mandated ourselves to have nothing going on... but my body is only just beginning to catch up from the madness of a crazy busy week, and a fun, but busy weekend!

There is something really fun about having a lot going on, and having a full schedule, and seeing lots of people, enjoying and connecting with others. We love it, sometimes we thrive off of it... but there's also a need to just be still every once in a while, enjoy time together, and just sit on the couch and do nothing! Date nights are also crucial for us... and when we jam pack our schedule, we feel like our eyes are drooping when we're out having a date night.

Salted Caramel Corn over coffee bean ice cream.... yes, please!

My time alone with God suffers too... I find myself going to bed late, and then I wake up late as a result. I sleep in until the very last possible second with leaving myself just enough time to get ready for work, and in the midst of it - I nix my time to sit out on the back porch, journal, Bible, and coffee in hand, and embrace all that God has for me that day. Then I'm running out the door, hurried, rushed, and with a bad attitude - and it isn't even 9am.

So, this week, we're just relaxing! Going to bed early.... getting back into good habits... enjoying date night... having a little fun too, but overall we're readjusting!

Can anyone else relate?? Why is it that when we ask people how they are, everyone ALWAYS says, "Good.... but busy!".

Anywho, Here's some super yummy caramel corn - not just any caramel corn, but salted caramel corn! YUM. It has a pinch of saltiness with caramely, buttery sweetness, and mixed together makes a great snack or dessert. And if you feel so inclined, add a little chocolate drizzled on top, and it reminds me of Harry and David's Moose Munch... YUM!

Salted Caramel Corn in a cone... which reminds me of the fair in the fall... and we all know how much I love fall! :)

Salted Caramel Corn (Adapted from Food 52)

PRINT RECIPE

ingredients:

POPCORN

3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1/2 cup white corn kernals

CARAMEL

1 cup brown sugar

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

3 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 ounces milk or semisweet chocolate

1/2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Spray sheet pan with cooking spray and set it aside for later.

2. In a large stock pot or dutch oven, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat with 3 kernels of the popcorn. Place the lid on top and wait until you hear the popcorn pop. That's when you know the oil is hot enough to add the rest.

3. Once you hear them pop, add the rest of the popcorn with the lid almost all the way on, and continue popping until it slows, almost stopping. Check them at this point, because nobody likes burnt popcorn! :) Remove from heat, set in a bowl, and set aside.

4. In a separate small saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and salt. Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat to allow caramel mixture to simmer, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add in vanilla - allow to cool slightly.

6. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn in bowl and mix thoroughly, allowing popcorn to be fully coated. You might have to use your hands for this step.

7. Spread popcorn evenly and in one single layer over baking tray, and I sprinkled with a bit of extra brown sugar for luck. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. If popcorn is still mushy at 30 minutes, cook for another 10 minutes. Popcorn will not be "dry" at this point, but should be crunchy. Spread onto parchment paper to allow to cool.

8. Mix together 3 ounces chocolate and oil and heat until melted. Drizzle mixture over cooled popcorn and allow to harden (I threw mine in the freezer for a few minutes). Break apart with spoon into smaller pieces, and enjoy! Store in a tupperware or sealable container to keep from getting stale and mushy.

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Changes and Celebrations

It's amazing how one little moment in time can make such an infinite change in someone's life. One of my closest and dearest friends, Aimee, gave birth to twins on Friday!! Two beautiful boys that are absolutely amazing!

{Meeting Noah}

{Archie's going to make such a good dad!}

{So absolutely amazed by him!}

What a difference they have to look forward to. We are so excited for them. It was so fun getting to be there at the hospital with her for a bit. I've gotten to meet one of the boys, but the other is needing to be monitored for a while in the nursery, so I will get to meet him soon.

{Elijah right after birth... can't wait to meet him}

It's so crazy to me how they went in on Friday morning, and within 15 minutes she had 2 beautiful babies (I know I'm excluding the time in the womb, but you know what I mean). What a glorious change in a small family!

So, here's to celebrations. Celebrations of the new life of two precious little boys that are so incredibly blessed to have such amazing parents! And trying not to think of the idea of them moving away in 4 months!

{So blessed to have such amazing friends!}

On a completely unrelated note... how about some popcorn! :) This is such an easy snack, and somewhat on the healthy side (minus the butter, but there's really not much compared to the amount of popcorn)... it's a nice treat when you want something sweet, but don't want to blow the diet! I think I had the idea that homemade popcorn was hard - not true! You don't even have to have a popcorn maker - just a large pot!

** Post update - I have made this with real maple syrup and the results tasted just as good!

Honey Buttered Popcorn (Adapted from: Tasty Kitchens)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup white popcorn kernals (uncooked)

1/8 - 1/4 tsp. fleur de sel salt (you can certainly substitute regular salt)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons honey

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions:

In a small sauce pan place honey, vanilla, and butter together on low heat. Leave on low and allow to melt together.

2. In a large pot place the 2 tablespoons of oil. Place two kernels of popcorn in the pan with the oil and place on medium heat with the lid on.

Allow to heat until you hear the kernels pop open - that's how you know the oil is hot enough to place in the rest of the popcorn. Once open, pour in the kernels.

Place the lid on and shake frequently. Isn't my hubby a nice helper! :)

Remove lid when popping has stopped to 1-2 seconds between pops - otherwise it WILL burn! You should have glorious looking popcorn that looks like this!

Go ahead and give a good sprinkle of fleur de sel, and then drizzle with the honey butter mixture. Mix it all up, and enjoy your yummy creation! SO much better than movie theatre popcorn!

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