Kettle Corn? Easy-peasy.

As I sit here and type, I am munching on some homemade wonderfulness: kettle corn! It's a Christmas miracle.

I thought I could only get it at the fair! Or in the microwave bags. (But since I read an article about microwave popcorn a few weeks ago, I've sworn off the stuff.)

I love kettle corn! Some might call it an unhealthy obsession for the salty-sweet crunch. I call it love.

Here's the simple recipe I followed (after scanning over so many that they ran together in my mind):

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a large covered pot. Drop in 3 kernels of corn and once they pop, it's ready!

Stir in 1/4 cup of white sugar and 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels.

(I heard that if you use brown sugar, it'll be caramel corn! Haven't tried that, yet, tho.)

Put the lid on, grab a couple potholders, and be ready to shake the pot for 3 seconds, then let it sit for 3 seconds. Over and over and over and over... (the shaking keeps it from burning! I didn't lose one kernel and this was my first kettle corn rodeo. Well, I've eaten kettle corn at a rodeo or two before, so that's confusing.)

And when the popping slows down to nothing, your arms are tired, but the popcorn's almost done!

Take it off the heat. Dump it in a big bowl, and sprinkle a little salt before the sugar hardens. Toss and eat! You might have to make more if you want to share. Ha!

This recipe makes roughly 12-14 cups of popped kettle corn.

A really great friend/neighbor/co-worker/teacher gift, too! There are myriads of ways to package it. A few that come to mind:

• a Christmas tin
• a cute Chinese take-out style box
• a cellophane bag tied with striped baker's twine
• a brown paper package...yes, tied up with string!

These are a few of my favorite things!