Monday Morning in the Kitchen: Sister Mabel's Caramel Popcorn

My first year of college, my dorm mom, Sister Mabel, would invite the girls to her room for an evening of caramel popcorn and good conversation. She graciously shared her recipe with us, and it has become my favorite caramel popcorn recipe.

Sister Mabel's Caramel Popcorn

6 quarts popped popcorn
1/2 lb. butter
1/2 c. light corn syrup
2 c. brown sugar
1/4 t. cream of tartar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda

Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Place popcorn in large, 4-inch deep buttered baking pan. (A turkey roaster is perfect.) Keep warm in oven.

In a large saucepan, combine brown sugar, corn syrup, butter, cream of tartar, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda. (John always helps me with this step, measuring out the baking soda for me just before the five minutes are up. The conversation is the same every time. John: "How much baking soda do you need?" Me: "One teaspoon." John: "Heaping?" Then both of us laugh at the joke that never grows old. In fact, because it is a tradition, it grows funnier every year.)

Remove popcorn from oven, and pour caramel mixture over the popcorn. Stir gently until well-coated. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Thanks for Sister Mabel, and her wonderful caramel popcorn.

Ten Things of Thankful: 39 Years Edition

A political map of the world circa 1987. The Soviet Union takes up a sizable portion. A lot has happened in the last 39 years. The Berlin Wall came down. The Soviet Union collapsed. The Twin Towers fell. Technology has changed: landlines and phone booths are practically extinct, and random questions can be answered in seconds by asking Google, Siri, or Alexa. No longer do drivers keep the Thomas Guide in their cars; navigation systems will give turn-by-turn directions, and recalculate when the driver doesn't follow the directions. Some cars don't even need drivers. While many shoppers do their shopping in-person, some simply log into Amazon and have their item show up on their doorstep--sometimes within hours. I've seen pieces of the Berlin Wall. I've traveled to places that used to be behind the Iron Curtain. I've been to Ground Zero. I no longer have a house phone, and have looked up the answers to countless questions using my cell phone. I do not miss the stress...

Ten Things of Thankful: April Showers Edition

A red peony bud prepares to open fully After an incredibly dry winter, we had a bit of precipitation this past week, in the form of falling snow. We didn't have much, and it didn't really stick, but we'll take water however it wants to come. Fortunately, my peonies seem unaffected by the cold snap, and are ready to put on a show here soon. 1. I'm thankful for moisture. 2. I'm thankful the flowers are still going to bloom. I don't know how the colder temperatures will affect the fruit crops. The strawberries look like they are still planning to set fruit. We'll have to see what happens with the peach, apricot, pear, and apple. (The apricot only bears heavily every other year anyway, and I think this is an "off" year--though I could be wrong.) Strawberry plants in full bloom 3. I'm thankful for anticipated berries. We continue to clear out and otherwise prepare John's parents' house for sale. I've been going through old photos and...

Tuesday Time to Tackle: DIY Swamp Cooler Pump Replacement

Yesterday morning, despite having the swamp cooler on all night long, we woke up to 81 degree temperatures inside the house. John went outside to inspect and announced that the swamp cooler pump had stopped working. Fortunately, replacing the pump is a quick and simple do-it-yourself project.

Thankful Me

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