Are you doing anything big for this coming long weekend? I wish we were, but at the moment our plans are rather minimal. Regardless of what we end up doing, I will, however, take the opportunity to spend a bit of time in the kitchen and make some kind of treat for the family.
My MIL found this easy recipe for salty/sweet caramel corn online. We made it last weekend and I tell ya, it’s a keeper. I think I might have to make it again!
This combination of salt and sweet is The Best Thing Ever.*
Important question: would you add peanuts to this? I would, but I don’t think my kids would like it very much. (It’s worth mentioning that if you added peanuts to this recipe it would taste exactly like Cracker Jacks.)
I’d never made caramel corn before this, and frankly, I don’t understand why. I suppose, in my mind, it’s always seemed like a difficult thing to do. This batch banished that idea forevermore. It’s easy to make and the recipe doesn’t require a special trip to the grocery store. It is a surprisingly simple process, and I do love that magical transformation that happens when you put butter and sugar together. It’s alchemy! I should point out that even people who have a fear of scalding hot sugars (er, people like me) should rest reassured that this process is (a) totally manageable and (b) will result in your kids undying respect and admiration. (Ok, at least temporarily.)
* I realize I have a thing for this kind of flavour combo. Are you the same? If so, you might want to have a peek at these recipes:
- “Skor” bars (They’re made out of CRACKERS. It’s downright crazy.)
- The butter tart squares don’t require the usual pastry work and are very good.
- This maple taffy is amazing, and it only requires one ingredient: maple syrup. It’s the perfect edible kitchen project for your family day weekend!
I’ve written about my fitness goals here before and many of you already know that I made a promise to myself to do at least 20 minutes of walking on the treadmill every day.
I have an appointment with myself every morning, and amazingly, I am able to keep it. This appointment includes:
- A GREAT cup of coffee.
- 30-minutes with my Litebook.
- A healthy breakfast (it’s the same thing every morning so it’s a total no-brainer).
- Treadmill time.
Well, everything was going fine up this morning until the last thing on my list. For some reason it was a real struggle to get on that treadmill and do those 20 minutes. As I slogged along I thought about why it was so hard – today of all days. After all, I’ve been doing this for over a year. I’m not sick. I had a decent night’s sleep. I ate breakfast. So what the hell is my problem?
It was my mood. I wasn’t in the mood to do this very simple task, and my mood became a huge barrier to getting it done. When I really think about it, the idea of “mood” as an obstacle is not something new. I’m frequently not “in the mood” to cook dinner or go grocery shopping, but I’m able to do those things because other people rely on me to do them. And if I don’t do them my family might starve. Or at the very least, I’d have to put up with their complaints, and I don’t want that.
Here’s the thing, moods aren’t real. Not really. It’s not like I’m a marathon runner who is suddenly faced with an impossibly high wall across her path. Mood is not a wall, it is a curtain. A sheer curtain at that. It may appear to be in my way, and it might even be blocking my view of the path, but it’s not impassable. I have the power to push it aside and move forward.
So there I was, stewing about all of this while watching the time tick slowly by on the treadmill when this article by Leo Babauta appeared in my feed: What You Can Say Instead of “I Don’t Feel Like It.” It was exactly what I needed and it solidified a lot of ideas that have been floating in my head of late. Maybe it will help you today too?
For some reason I booked a checkup at the orthodontist’s for the eldest child at 7:40 this morning. Why did I do that to myself? I think someone should invent a calendar app that asks you “are you sure you want to do that” when you find yourself doing something stupid like making early dental appointments.
At least Piper has the right idea today:
Oh Piper. I wish I could be you today but it’s going to be a busy week. Pass the coffee!
