I had a craving for something sweet.  After looking through the cabinets, which are pretty bare right about now, I found some popcorn.  Suddenly, I was scouring the internet for sweet popcorn recipes.  The first thing I tried was "white chocolate" popcorn made from almond bark.  It is verrrry sweet and simple.  Just melt almond bark and tossed your popped popcorn in it.  It was good, but then I began to wonder what other sweet popcorn shenanigans I could get into.

That's where RecipeZaar comes in.  I love this website because you can search for a recipe and then narrow the results by the ingredients you do or don't want in it.   It's very handy.  Anyway, I found a great recipe for caramel popcorn there.  Here is the link - Caramel Popcorn.

Seriously, this recipe is sooo easy and sooooo good.  It's perfect.  Probably the best caramel corn I've ever eaten.  It isn't too sweet and it is melt in your mouth crunchy.  Man....  so good.

So here's how you do it.


Pop one bag of popcorn and pick out the unpopped kernels.  To make this easy, I just shook the kernels to the bottom of the bag and used my hands to scoop the popcorn out of the bag and put it in a separate bowl, thus leaving the kernels in the bottom of the bag.

I used Orville Redenbacher's Natural Simply Salted because it isn't too salty or buttery.

In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave 1/3 cup butter until melted.

Yep, that's what melted butter looks like.

Now add 1/3 cup brown sugar and 1/3 cup corn syrup.  The recipe actually calls for 2/3 cup brown sugar, but I accidently left out half of the sugar and it is amazing.  So I say, if you don't need the extra sugar then don't add it.  And let's be honest, nobody wants extra sugar.  Am I right, or am I right?

I'm right, huh?  Thought so.

Stir that together until mixed thoroughly.  Then microwave on high for 4 minutes.  When you take it out of the microwave it will be very bubbly and hot.  Be careful!

Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda.

At this point the mixture will lighten in color a little and start to resemble caramel.

Dump the popcorn in and begin to stir.  Well, it's more like folding.  It's gonna seem really difficult and like nothing is happening, but it will come together eventually.

It won't fully coat the popcorn at this point.  Mine looked like this.

Now, this is where I began to have issues with the recipe.  It says I should put the popcorn back into the microwave.

Really?  Put the popped popcorn back into the microwave and run the risk of burning it?  I hate burnt popcorn.  Hate it.  Hate it.

After coming to terms with the fact that I was about to burn my popcorn, I put the bowl back into the microwave.  I'm glad I did because this is the step that takes the caramel from gooey to melt-in-your-mouth crunchy!  I microwaved for 3 minutes total, stirring every 30 seconds.

It comes out looking like this.  And it isn't burnt.  I know, it's magic!

Transfer the caramel corn to a cookie sheet lined with parchment or wax paper so it can cool.

Assuming you have more self-control than I, store the leftovers in an air-tight container.

Now if you will excuse me, I'm gonna go work out.

Enjoy,
Black Betty

I was recently inspired by my friends' blogs, The Logan Family Diary and Nee Nee's Soap Shop.  Their blogs are full of information... and pretty too!

Dainelle at the Logan Family blog is my BFF and oftentimes partner in crime.  You should definitely check out her blog about her crazy family.  (Dainelle, you know I mean that in the best sense possible.)  She always has something entertaining happening so I'm sure her blog won't be a bore.

Renee at Nee Nee's Soap Shop has soap.  Who would have guessed, right?  It's not just any soap, people!  It is goat milk soap and it is oh so good.  But if soap doesn't excite you, she also has inspiring posts about recipes, home remedies, and all kinds of stuff.

Back to my blog.  Because this is my blog.  And it is all about me.  Me.  Me.  Me.

Excuse me.

Okay.  Because of those two gorgeous blogs, I decided to add some stuff.  If you look to your right you will see I have included some nice pictures of my little family.  Each one is linked to an about page if you are interested.  If you're not interested then I am just confused as to why you are reading my blog.

Just sayin',
Black Betty

This is my first how-to so please be patient with me.  I may really stink at teaching, but that won't stop me from trying!  So my first how-to endeavor is homemade pasta.  I had never had homemade pasta before, much less made my own!  But I am brave!  We are brave!  Let's do it!  Break it down!

Sorry, Yo Gabba Gabba moment.

Ok, I'm back.

This "recipe" is fairly simple and I found it on The Pioneer Woman's site.  I looove her!  Here is the link to the original post, Pastor Ryan's Homemade Pasta.

You only need 2 (that's two!) ingredients!
All-purpose flour
Eggs

Per Pastor Ryan, you need 2 eggs for every cup of flour.  Every egg will feed about 1 person, so 1 cup of flour and 2 eggs will feed 2.  Confused yet?  Yes?  Great!  Let's get started!

Figure out how much flour and eggs you need, then add the flour to a mixing bowl.

Make a well in the flour and add the eggs in the middle.  Stir until you pretty much can't any more.  At this point we will need to get our hands dirty!  Oh no!

Seriously, I hate this part.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and begin working it with your hands.

For a while it will look like this and be tacky or sticky to the touch.

Keep kneading until the dough becomes smooth and looks closer to this.

At this point, leave it to rest for a bit.  I'm going to get the salted water boiling (apparently, salt is important here!) and my sauce going.  Use whatever sauce you like!

I like to use can sauce (shhhh... don't tell anyone) and add baby spinach to it.

Ok, let's roll out the dough!  We need to roll it out very thin because the noodles will swell a little in the boiling water.  This is not as easy as it looks.  It takes a very long time.  Longer than I would like it to.

Ok, whew!  Now, wipe the sweat from your brow (we don't want that in there) and prepare to cut some noodles!

Cut the dough into thin strips.  I am using a pizza cutter.  You may have a different tool that would work better for this.  I do not, which is why I am using a pizza cutter.  It works.

Once you have all the dough cut, it's time to get cooking.  Not figuratively, but literally.

Add the noodles to the boiling salted water.  The Pioneer Woman says to let them cook for about 2 minutes.   Mine took closer to 5, but probably because they were on the thick side.  I say, just cook 'em 'til they're done.

Once they're done, drain, top with your favorite sauce and enjoy!

I added mine to a greased baking dish, then stirred in the spinachy sauce and topped it will shredded mozzarella cheese.  I let it get all melty in the oven while our garlic bread baked.  Yummy!

Print the original recipe, from Pioneer Woman.

Now go make some pasta!

With Love,
Black Betty

So it came to my realization the other day that I hadn't posted to this blog in a while. And then it came to my attention that the reason I don't post is because no one reads it. And then I further realized that the reason no one reads my blog is because it isn't interesting. I can make stuff. So what?

From now on, if I make a blog post (get it? "make" a blog post?), I promise to give some sort of instruction in it. So it will become not only about what I can make, but what you can learn to make. Perhaps this will interest more people and possibly help someone out.

So, in conclusion, I hereby swear to not keep my knowledge and talents a secret. I will share them with the world and, therefore, render myself unnecessary and dispensable, but my blog beneficial.

Thank you for giving me your time, your clothes and your motorcycle.
Black Betty