An Intro to an Unseasoned Cook

 Hello to all the wonderful viewers of the Saltbox House Cooking Exchange. My name is Shalyce and I am so excited to be making my first post on this blog. To begin, I would like to say that I am no where near a wonderful cook. My food tastes good, is prepared with minimal mess, and makes it to the table 3 times a day. Being a stay at home mom, I have come to realize that I have a lot to do with how my family eats. It all rests in my hands. I never had a real interest in getting better at cooking until I moved to England nearly 8 months ago. That's when I thought... I am sooooo tired of eating what seems like the same thing all week long. So 3 times a day became 3 different chances to learn something new. Whether it be finding a new recipe or finding a way to change up a dish I already make. Thanks to my dear friend Madeline, I have used this blog on many occasions not just for inspiration but for easy meal ideas. I am hoping to become better at understanding the ingredients that go into each dish I make giving my family a nutritious and yummy meal. On the opposite hand of nutritious, I can always go for my favorite and very tasty date night treat. 

 Mark's Caramelled Popcorn (my brother-in-law)

Ingredients:
     2 cubes butter
     1/2 cup Karo Syrup
     1 1/4 cups brown sugar
     1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

In a saucepan, mix together butter, Karo syrup and brown sugar. Stirring continually, bring to a boil.  Taking a half a cup ice cold water, drip some of the caramel mix into the water forming a firm ball with your fingers. If a firm ball is achieved, add 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk to the entire caramel mixture. (If your anything like me, I skip the firm ball test and just keep on stirring the caramel until it looks nice and thick, then I add the sweetened condensed milk.)  Pour mixture over a large bowl  (approximately 3 bags) of freshly made butter less popcorn. Enjoy!