Two of My Favorite Fall Traditions

Caramel Apples and Caramel Popcorn...okay, so I love caramel and I love to eat sweets. Some of my favorite childhood memories involve cooking with my mom. She's an excellent cook, and every fall, she would make caramel apples. This is the first fall Graham can really eat a caramel apple, so I thought we would start this tradition together this year. He loves to cook and eat sweet things just as much as me. Most days before "naptime", he says, "I have an idea. Let's make cookies after my nap."

Back to the caramel...I also love making caramel popcorn. I started this tradition shortly after Tim and I got married. I found a great recipe in the Baylor cookbook, and I still use it today. I've made this popcorn for lots of parties and friends, and it's the reason Heidi's husband likes me so much. Unfortunately, my little man, Graham, isn't too fond of the caramel popcorn. Oh, well...more for me. Below you will find the recipe if you'd like to add it to one of your favorite fall foods. I know some of you may not be fortunate enough to have inherited an air popper when you got married, so you might have to get create.

Do you have any fall food traditions you'd like to share? I love to try new recipes.

Caramel Corn for a Crowd

¾ cup unpopped popcorn kernels
2 cup pecans, roasted
2 cup cocktail peanuts, roasted
2 cups firmly-packed brown sugar
1 cup butter
½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda

Pop kernels using an air popper. Pour popped popcorn into 2 or 3 9X13-inch baking pans. Sprinkly pecans and peanuts evenly over popcorn.
Combine sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt in a large 3-quart saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent sticking. Remove from heat, add baking soda and stir well; it will be foamy. Pour over popcorn and nuts. Toss with spoons to coat well. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every 20 minutes. Pour out onto wax paper to cool. Store in tightly sealed containers.