Caramel Popcorn...Mmm

1 cup Butter

2 cups Brown sugar

1/2 cup Corn syrup

1 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking soda

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Popped Popcorn

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil without stirring 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla. Pour in a thin stream over popcorn, stirring to coat. I also learned that you're going to want to grease you pan before you pour the caramel over the popcorn. The first time I made it I greased a 9x13 pan, and stirred it in there, but the next time I poured the caramel over the popcorn straight in the bowl, but it stuck to the bottom. So grease it. It will help :)

When I made it, boiling for 4min was a little too long, so it didn't pour very evenly. So I'd just watch it, and not let it get too thick. I'll do some research and try to get the exact degree it's supposed to be at. Also in this recipe, they baked the popcorn with the caramel, but I really liked it when it wasn't baked. And it was so so good. Mmm...I want some more :)

Yummy Asparagus

I know, it sounds like a contradiction. But Marissa has a really good recipe for asparagus, and it's easy. I don't know the exact measurements, but you can figure it out pretty easily.

Butter
1 Chicken Bouillon cube (I didn't have the cubes, but I have chicken paste, and it worked just as well)
Fresh asparagus

Melt your butter in a sauce pan, over medium heat. Add the bouillon cube, and mix until it's dissolved. Cut the asparagus into desired size, and cook in fry pan until tender and bright green. (I put a lid on the pan...I couldn't remember if I was supposed to or not.)

They also added a little soy sauce at the end, but I didn't have any, and it still tasted good without it.

Fondant Practice

Baking isn't a very good hobby when you're trying to lose weight.

Almond Roca (kind of :) )

1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 c butter
1 c sugar
3 TBSP water
1 TBSP light colored corn syrup
3/4 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 c finely chopped pecans, toasted
(I didn't toast my nuts, and it turned out okay)

Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil. Sprinkle 1/2 c coarsely chopped nus in pan. Butter sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Melt butter. Add sugar, water and corn syrup. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until mixture boils. Clip candy thermometer to pan. Reduce heat to medium, and continue boiling at a steady, moderate rate. Stir frequently until temperature reaches 290 deg. Pour candy into prepared pan. Let stand 5 min until firm. Sprinkle with chocolate. When chocolate has softened, spread. Sprinkle with 1/2 c finely chopped nuts. Chill until firm. Lift out of pan with foil, and break into pieces.

Molasses Crinkle Cookies

These are some of my mom's cookies, that I love. Normally if a cookie doesn't have chocolate in it, I don't have a problem with eating too many, but there's just something about these cookies. Mmmm.

3/4c butter, softened
1c brown sugar
1 egg
1/4c molasses
2 1/4c sifted flour (I never sift it though :) )
2tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cloves
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger

Mix butter and sugar in blender until light in color. Add egg and molasses, blending well after each addition. Sift together flour, soda, salt, cloves, cinnamon, and ginger, and blend into butter mixture. Chill dough in the fridge. Roll into balls the size of large walnuts. Dip tops in sugar. (I like the big sugar crystals...they're made by Wilton. Sometimes I have to double check the label because it looks like glitter :) ) Place sugared side up on greased baking sheet. Bake for 10min at 350deg. Bake just until set, but not hard.

Almond Roca, chocolate dipped peanut butter balls, and molasses crinkle cookies coming soon....

(Here are some gingerbread cookies...they're really not that tasty, but are fun to make...if you want the recipe I can put it up, but they're not that special :) )