Christy's Caramel Corn

Christy made this at school and then came home and made it for us, it has become our family favorite! It is the best and easiest caramel popcorn ever!

Christy’s caramel corn (from school recipe)

½ cup brown sugar

2 T corn syrup

½ stick butter or margarine (1/4 cup)

¼ tsp. baking soda

¼ tsp. salt

¼ cup popcorn, pop in air popper and set aside

This said to use a double boiler and put brown sugar in, the corn syrup, and the butter, add baking soda  , add salt, stir ingredients and cook until mixture becomes thickened , it will be about 5 minutes after ingredients are blended, Pour over popped corn, stir and serve while fresh!

You can probably just pop two or three bags of microwave popcorn, be sure to get all the unpopped kernels out and then put this mixture over it all.  Seems like we always doubled the recipe.  good luck, this was the recipe you had written down and we all know it is yummy! 

OKAY:  so I just found this same recipe on Mel's Kitchen Café blog but she does double it, so here is the recipe to double it:

10 to 12 cups popcorn
1 cup packed brown sugar (light or dark)
1/2 cup butter (8 TBLSP)
1/4 cup corn syrup
Pinch of salt (She uses coarse, kosher salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1.  Place popcorn in large bowl (you'll want extra room in bowl for tossing the popcorn with caramel)
2.  In a medium saucepan, add the brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt.  Heat the ingredients over medium low until the butter is melted and the ingredients are combined.  Increase the heat to medium and bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring often.
3.  Cook for 3 to 4 min stirring often

4.Take off the heat , quickly whisk in the baking soda and vanilla (the mixture will foam and bubble) (see note about adding marshmallows below)
5.  Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn in a slow steady drizzle, tossing the popcorn to evenly coat in the caramel mixture.  The caramel will set up and harden a bit as it cools so mix as quickly as you can
6. Serve immediately
NOTE: for softer, gooier popcorn, use less popcorn.  Also if you want to amp up the gooey factor (for a marshmallow vibe) stir in 8 to 10 large marshmallows after the caramel mixture has simmered.

Yields 12 to 14 cups caramel popcorn!

For the nourishment of the soul:

Today before I headed off to work I said my morning prayers.  I asked for guardian angels to protect me and my family and I then asked for help with several items, including that  I wouldn't get in a car accident (nor my children/grandchildren/parents).  So when I found myself going through a construction site and I made a wrong turn and found myself going in the wrong lane and into the head on traffic, which a car was coming right at me head on, I panicked and tried to jump over the curb (median) and my car straddled the median at a diagonal, making it so cars on both sides could go around me but I was stuck.  I knew I must have popped a tire or scraped the under car causing damage, and I quickly called 911 and then waited by the side of the road . Within two minutes a big work truck with 3 big men hopped out and said they could help me, they stopped traffic, had me back out, they lifted my car up and off the median, and I drove off!  just like that.  rescued.
I can't stop Thanking Heavenly Father for sending me those 3 guardian angels to help me and for protecting me from hitting someone head one. 
Moral of story:  Pray every morning for Guardian Angels and for Protection!  Prayers are heard and answered.
So grateful.

 

Becky's Butternut Squash Fries

Becky's Butternut squash fries

Look for Butternut squash that have long necks, slice them into rounds and from the rounds slice into fries.
Spray a jelly roll pan with coconut spray, layer the whole pan full of the squash fries (stack them along side eachother)
spray the tops again with the coconut spray (like pam but made of coconut oil)

She sprinkles on top of them Mccormick grill mates montreal chicken and garlic powder

over the coconut oil

Put in the oven for 40 minutes, check at 30 or 35 so you dont burn them

She likes them a little crispy and then she makes a sauce out of
 1 oz parmesan cheese
Litehouse Ranch Dressing  (her favorite cuz it doesnt have sugar in the top 5 ingredients) h
2 Tblsp of ranch dressing

(her rule is in anything she eats the sugar has to be the fifth or lower ingredient)

She said bake at 500 degrees

Becky's healthy pumpkin pie squares

I follow Becky Sampson on facebook and she has lost 100 lbs.  She recently started sharing her favorite recipes and here is one she posted, I have not made it yet but need a place to write it down and then will come back to change it to exactly how I made it

Becky's Healthier Pumpkin pie squares

1 large can pumpkin
(follow the instructions on the back of the can, only substitute the sugar with Stevia granulated sugar using equal amount) she uses organic eggs or farm fresh eggs, and evaporated milk.

she adds more cinnamon than it calls for (but she did not say how much more) 
She bakes it in a 9 x 13 without crust. She said she adds 10 minutes to the baking time to make sure it is solid.

Then she cuts it into fourths to eat!

After I make this I will be back on to tell you my tips!

Cauliflower Quinoa with Spaghetti Sauce

I follow a lady on facebook, Becky Sampson, who has lost over 100 lbs and is awesome.  She recently started sharing a few of her recipes.  Tonight me and Lacey tried this for dinner and we both liked it alot, thus it is going on my post so we can remake it again and again!

Cauliflower Quinoa with Spaghetti Sauce/Ranch/parmesan

Take a whole head of cauliflower and cut into bite size pieces and steam or boil til just right texture you like.

Cook Quinoa or used cooked quinoa you have already prepared

In Medium bowl put in 2 to 3 Tblsp ranch dressing (she uses Lighthouse homestyle Ranch dressing)
, and 1 to 2 oz Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce and she used 4 oz of Quinoa (I put in more). Stir that all together and then put in the Cauliflower (that has been cut real fine)

It was really yummy and very filling.  Me and Lace are so stuffed we can hardly eat anything else!

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

I just found this recipe on facebook and made it last night and it is to die for!  Had to share: you can find her recipe here:

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats with Chia

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup plain nonfat greek yogurt (or use vanilla!)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup BetterOats Old-Fashioned Oats
• 2 teaspoons chia seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, mix together greek yogurt, almond milk, pumpkin puree, vanilla and maple syrup until well combined. Stir in oats, chia seeds and spices. Pour into a glass jar or container and place in fridge for 4 hours or overnight. Makes 1 serving of pumpkin overnight

This stuff is really good, I loved it!

Enjoy!

Jenna's Spinach Chicken Salad

Jenna brought this salad to several of our last get togethers and everyone loves it so she shared it with me

Jenna's Spinach Chicken Salad (from her mother in law)

Chicken, chopped into bite size

Bowtie Pasta, 1 pkg

Spinach

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

2-4 Tblsp Sesame seeds (roasted if you feel adventurous, she doesn't do it)

Dressing:

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp Sesame Seeds

3 Tblsp soy sauce

2 Tblsp Vinegar

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp fresh garlic

Put dressing on just before serving because the spinach wilts very fast.