Recipe: Caramel Popcorn

Probably one of the best gifts I ever received was this recipe for caramel popcorn from my friend, Elaine.

My family LOVES this!  In fact, my grandpa gets a re-stocking of it every time he comes to visit and my dad will eat a whole batch in one sitting.  Then there’s my kiddos and husband–I have hidden today’s batch in the laundry room and it still managed to be half eaten by the time I wrote this tonight!  It makes a great gift for all sorts of occasions, including Christmas.  I hope your family delights in this as much as mine.  And it is pretty simple.  Takes about 15 minutes to oven.

Elaine is the super creative, artsy, musician type.  I had to show you the original recipe card.  It makes me smile every time.

Ok, now for my recipe commentary (I always change recipes to make them my own) and photo gallery :o)

I had a few helpers today…

The popcorn:  (I use air popped to save on fat–never mind the 2 sticks of butter going in! :o)

At the point where you boil without stirring for 5 minutes is where I diverge.  I found that if you boil for 4 minutes, the end result is more of a toffee crunch coating rather than a smooth candy-like caramel coating.  That is my family’s preference.  The boiling process:

I have messed up this recipe a few times by forgetting to add the baking soda and vanilla when I take it off of the heat.  TIP ALERT:  In order to remember, I nestle those ingredients right in the popcorn (wish I had a pic of that). Here it is! (I made this recipe again today!)

And now for the magical pairing of caramel and popcorn!

Stir, then in the oven.

See that toffee crunch finish? Mmmm!

More recipes forthcoming….

Please leave your thoughts in the comments section below; I’d love to hear from you!  Then, subscribe to this blog! –Jen

Snapshot

Here’s a snapshot of my life–right this second.

My big girls (Macy and Ella) are cleaning their room.

We have been in limbo between summer clothes and winter clothes for over a week and clothes are everywhere.  They don’t know this but once they get the clothes cleaned up they are going to make the bed and vacuum.  I’ll handle the detail work later….it’s almost too much trouble to coach them through it all.  Pulling teeth comes to mind.

Laynee and the Bubbas (as we call Solomon and Samson who are twins) are playing outside.

I just got them all bundled up for a mild fall day.  Three pairs of socks and shoes, a whole round of coats and hats, a round of potty-ing , (and I just paused this posting to take them all potty again…)  They will be out there for awhile! :o)  Ha!

And me…I am expecting a friend to come over.  She actually just showed up so I’m out!

Wifey Stuff (read if you’re single)

I figured out how to get my husband to do what I want him to do. I know…you should be paying me a million bucks to read this post. But, because I like you, we’ll settle on $free-ninety-free.

To make translation from my house to yours easier, I’ll just write these as imperatives (it’s totally up to you whether you do them :o)

1.  Treat him as though he is the king of the earth.  Likely, he doesn’t deserve to be treated this way.  Do it anyway.  Likely you don’t deserve to be cherished and loved but you expect him to do it anyway.  See the connection?

2.  Look hot.

3.  Act Be interested in his day, his likes, his hobbies, his thoughts, his heart.

4.  Make time to hang out with him but don’t let it seem that you had to etch the time out.  This will make him feel that he is important to you.

5.  Pray for him.  And, at least tell him that you are doing so.  Otherwise, do it with him in your arms.  If you are doing #3 you’ll have better insight into what to pray for.

6. You start.  Yup.  Don’t sit around waiting for him to start the change and then be all mad when he doesn’t.  You start.

7. Take care of his children and his home WELL so he doesn’t feel bogged down by adding this to his plate (regardless of whether or not he then does either of those things, it still feels like burden to him and can clog him up).

8.  Initiate physical intimacy….that is:  Sex.  (Refer to #2 for advice.)

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Recommended Reading…just to get started:

Created to be His Help Meet by Debbie and Michael Pearl

The Holy Bible, Proverbs by God

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

*Now, if you’re single, you’ll notice that the above imperatives include a lot of selflessness.  You’ll want to develop that character trait well before marriage.  It is in error to think that you’ll ride the “magic love wave” all throughout marriage and your selfishness will magically disappear.  Take it from me.  I am an expert on that line of thinking.

I knew none of these things on this day…

So happy to be 5 sizes smaller today! Yay for dealing with heart issues!

Disclaimer:  I am not an expert on wifey-ness. Some assembly required. Member WWJD.

Let’s add a few more to the list!!  Comment away on your suggestions on marriage.  That will make this more fun for me :o)  –Jen

Monday Funday!

For pure entertainment:  Improv Everywhere Pure enjoyment for three minutes or for an hour!

For Christmas shopping:  Red Letter Words

For learning:   of course, something “fall-ish” to cook, and a blog to follow:  101 Cookbooks

For Photography:

(hers) StacyIdeusPhotography

(yours) Google’s Picasa

Besides that it’s totally free, my fav feature is that it can identify faces and group photos by who is in them.  So  cool.   While it’s still learning the faces of your family it lists those who look most like that person.  I loved this  because I never think I look like my kids–but Picasa did!  Yay!  Plus, you can make photo collages, it organizes beautifully, and dumbs down some common Photoshop features for people like me to use!  Check out these  screen grabs of my people albums:

For sharing my joy:

Ella (6) hosted a tea party for her little sister, Laynee (3) this morning.  It blessed my heart.

Guess what?  Subscribe to this blog! It’s easy.  Don’t miss out on upcoming stuff because you forgot to stop by.  And, comment…let me know you were here, it makes my day!

Just download a blog reader and enter http://www.momjuice.wordpress.com as a subscription.  Soon, I may even have those handy buttons to click (if I figure it out, that is…)

Make-your-own (homeschool) Adventure

We homeschool.  We choose it.  We love it.  We are grateful for our right to do so.

In the coming months, I’ll write more about how we homeschool and what our days look like.   For now, I thought I’d just give you a glimpse of the freedom in homeschooling.  I highly recommend it.  Our family is strong, our kiddos are explorers, and our focus is character development (before the wrong character develops).

This is Macy.  She learned how to roast a 22 lb. turkey last week.  She’s 8!  By the time this holiday season is over she should have bit of experience under her belt!  Why is this important?  Well, I don’t know, exactly, but it resulted in lots of quality time and influence in her young malleable life and I bet she learned a thing or two.  By the way, this was 11 am.  At the school up the street the other 3rd graders were grading each other’s papers and standing in line at the drinking fountain.

Ella is 6.  She just lost her front tooth.  And the bonus…it didn’t come home from school  in a envelope for me to hear all about.  This is a picture of her just before table time.  She gets one-on-one time with her mama teaching her how to read and write.  It’s not scary for me because I ultimately trust God to lead me in her education–there’s no pressure.  What’s important to me is that we are her main influence.  See how excited she is?  She begs to start table time while I’m still cleaning up from breakfast!

And here is lunch.  I’m the lunch lady (holding the camera)!  Who says my kids aren’t socialized???  They spend time with people of all ages all day long.  Now that is more of a practice for real life than learning how to engage with 20 other kids the same age, right?!  The toddlers go shirtless for pancake day.  Then, we work together as a group and clean up after ourselves.  No janitors here.  Although, that is one thing I may appreciate from time to time.  Btw, this photo has an extra kid in it!  I have five kiddos!

Lastly, this post is about me expressing my thankfulness to have the choice to teach my kids at home; and share with you our experience.  Please understand my intention is not to make you feel badly for your choice to utilize our public or private schools. I believe  homeschooling is a calling.  I know for a fact I’m not called to be a computer programmer or police officer, or daycare worker (that I know from working in the nursery at my church!)  I am called to raise my children and to train them in the way they should go. (Proverbs 22:6; my paraphrase) This is how my husband and I have decided to walk this out.  If you wonder if you are called to this…take it in prayer before the Lord.

PS…subscribe to my blog.  It’s easy.  I use Google Reader for my blog subscriptions.  There are numerous options out there, just ask around.  While you’re subscribing to my blog, here’s another blog you should check out (there’s a free giveaway on it today!)

Rainy night and brilliant lights.

Last night, while driving to meet my friend for dessert, it was drizzling rain as it had been all day.  So, while driving, I specifically asked God to give me a a prophetic word from Him for our time together.  (Isn’t that great?!  He wants to participate in our lives in this way, and he WILL.  Just ask!)

As I was just being in his presence on the drive to the restaurant I was struck by the brilliance and beauty of the red and green traffic lights reflecting on the street.  There were street lights, too, in various hues of yellow and white.  The lights looked so long and bright and brilliant in the puddly places on the street.  The colors were extraordinary.  The whole thing was in high def, it seemed!  Glistening and beautiful.  This photo is not my actual view, but this picture illustrates the essence what I saw.

Do you notice the places on the street (in the foreground) where the concrete is wet but not reflecting?  It is dull and rough looking.  If all of the street is wet, then why are these parts textured and rough?   More specifically, why does the street reflect at some places and not others?  I studied the street and realized that the light reflected so well where there was actually standing water, like a sheet of water over the concrete.  Then I got it.

We reflect the brilliant light of Jesus Christ when we are immersed in the Living Water. Just as the street was beautifully reflecting the colors from the traffic lights only where the street was immersed in water.  Immersed.

im·merse \i-ˈmərs\ to plunge into something that surrounds or covers; especially : to plunge or dip into a fluid

Wet isn’t doing the job.  One is immersed, one is just wet.  Whoa!  I know!  There it was. Exactly what I asked for and I didn’t even have to try (read: do something) for this to happen to little ‘ol me!

Is it a word for you today?

Homeschool Dance Night

So, in keeping with the rules and regulations of educating our children at home according to the state of Nebraska, coupled with the where-with-all we have to introduce “culture” to our kiddos, we have instituted Homeschool Dance Night at our house from time to time.  (It just sounds better when I say it this way!) The most recent installation included Daddy’s example of “Gettin’ Down!”  The video’s caption tells the rest of the details.  Following is the internet debut of EDB, the Great:

Video Caption:  It was family dance night and Daddy decided show up all of the kids! He was washing dishes when he surprised us all with qued music, shades, moves and all! You’ll notice the “dad” sweatpants do take some of the precision out of the movements.  It may be time to do away with those!  Enjoy!

PS–I like Vimeo way better than YouTube.

Please hang out at my blog for bit.  Subscribe, even!  Oh, and I’d love if you leave your commmmmmmments! :)

WalMart in 13 minutes!

Last night, our family went for a drive to get some fresh air–well, also to strap the kiddos into car seats with lap toys and music so we could have some talking time.  Going to WalMart was an afterthought we decided to act upon since I knew I probably wouldn’t put the kids to bed and then head back out.  I had to go.  I was running out of alternatives for milk and bread.  Any mom knows what I’m talkin’ about.

So, to sweeten the pot, I announced that I would be gone only 12 minutes.  The timing commenced as soon as they dropped me off at the entrance.  Having spent $900 a month at WalMart for over a year now, I pretty much know my restock-the-kitchen route.  This was the first time I did it as a race car driver, though.

When I got to the check out stand, I told the checker I was being timed by my family in the car, and that I had collected all of this in 13 minutes. Her face lit up!  Weirdest thing.  Actually, I was probably the weirdest thing, come to think of it!  Nonetheless, she started scanning groceries and loading plastic sacks faster than I’ve ever seen at WalMart!  We laughed together and hurried our normal checkout procedures including six price matches!  It was a ball! (If you’re wondering, there was no one behind me because I was the last customer of her shift.  We would have had to involve the whole line had that not been the case!)

Later on, I (flirtingly) mentioned to EDB, the Great that I must have looked super cute at WalMart because I garnered some attention from the other customers.  He swiftly reminded me that it may have been the fact that I was dressed in my mom get-up (complete with wacky hair do) racing through the aisles with a shopping cart.  Oh….that.

Eternity starts today.

This morning at 6:52 I rolled out of bed.   I left the quiet room and silently thanked God for another day of life.  Interestingly, at nearly that same moment in time  my grandma entered heaven.

This wasn’t entirely unexpected.  Earlier this year, we all thought she was dying but then she miraculously recovered.  But, it wasn’t without lots of trouble.  In short, she has carried around tackle box of prescription drugs for years that kept death at bay and helped to redeem any quality of life there was left for her.  Then, after the above-mentioned episode and consequent nursing home stay, she had broken both of her ankles and was wheelchair bound all while staying off the failure of numerous organs.

I had just been to see her (with the grandbabies in tow, of course!) a few weeks ago and brought some oatmeal raisin cookies for our picnic.  What brings the biggest smile to my face is how she kept reaching for another one saying, “Ooh, these are just so wonderful, Jennifer! I must have one more.  This is a special occasion, afterall!”  She probably had about four!  And, how when I left her the extra 1/2 dozen to share with her friends at lunch the next day, I think we both knew that fewer and fewer friends would share in the cookie love before the day was over. ;)

She was the kind of grandma who maintained her matriarchal position in every family gathering whether she was cooking the turkey and bossing us all around or laying in the hospital bed…well, still bossing us all around!  It didn’t really matter the circumstances of her life, she had a well within from which she drew life. Spitfire life.  Dramatic life.  Humble life.  Joyful life.  Abundant life. Eternal life.

Happy Eternity Day, Grandma!   And thanks for the reminder that eternity starts today for me, too.

I think I lost my memory.

I have been sad for a about a week.  Not sad like every second I’m sad; but sad like when you think about the sad thing, you get sad again…to the point of tears, even.

Somehow in this house of four toddlers, one of them managed to tug on the mouse of our computer which caused the whole thing to crash to the ground.  The computer is broken.  It won’t boot up.  My husband diagnosed the problem as the….(drum roll, please)…the HARD DRIVE.  Yes, the hard drive.  You know, the place where I’ve stored all my pictures and video for the last two years.

This is the reason I’m sad.  For some reason, I’m having trouble getting over the fact that all my memories are lost.  Apparently I put all my memories in the digital photography basket, ahem, hard drive.  That is what I’m really struggling with.  To the point of tears, as I already said (but saying it again somehow makes me feel like you GET that I’m really sad!).

Which brings me to where my thoughts have taken me…why do I feel like all my memories are in these pictures?  Maybe it’s because I don’t have any other record of our lives.  Maybe it’s because I’m afraid I won’t have anything tangible to show for the last two years of my children’s upbringing.  I won’t have any pictures to show them when they have children (especially the toddlers…most of their life in pictures is gone now).  What about when we’re old and our kids are gone?  There are two whole years GONE!  That was a lot of life to live!!  This is no small thing to me!!

But, then again, I was never before concerned about backing up all of these images and videos.  I wasn’t journalling (or even blogging) or scrapbooking.  I did have this great idea to save our calendars for reflection’s sake but the subsequent good idea was to photograph each month and then toss the paper.  Ug!

Not until all this was gone did I stop to think about that if I want something to show for these years I need be actively doing it.  And that begs the next question:  What would that even be?  Or even this question:  Is this even important?

I am actually wondering here if I have some kind of issue with hoarding in my life that points to a deeper emotional issue that needs to be dealt with.  (Let’s just say I haven’t ruled this out!) I do wonder if I have a mild case of the hoardings from time to time.  And is this even connected?    I don’t even know.

I just thought that if I wrote about this feeling, it may help me (or you) locate some revelation on the topic. Or, it may just be a reminder for me (maybe you, too)to back up the hard drive from time to time–I will when I get a new computer, that is.