January Fun

Starting off the new year right! I made Justin a tool roll for his wrenches. It has a camouflage exterior.
  
We have the best little park about a block from our house. Wyatt has a girlfriend—she wouldn’t stop kissing him and he HATED it! We also got to catch up with some friends from school who were home for the holidays. They live up near Atlanta so it’s difficult to catch up sometimes. It’s all about quality, not quantity!
 
Mama and Daddy brought home some caramel Puff Corn from family in North Carolina. I quickly made a double batch. This stuff is dangerous! It is VERY addicting!
Caramel Puff Corn
Prep Time:  10 minutes
Cook Time:  45 minutes
Chill Time:  30 minutes
Yield:  5 quarts

• 1 bag (8 to 9 ounces) puff corn (also known as hulless popcorn)
• 1 cup butter (no substitutes)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (I used about 4!)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1. Spray glass baking dish with cooking spray. Pour puff corn in.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and mix well. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook for additional 2 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda and vanilla extract; the mixture will foam and expand. Carefully pour syrup over puff corn and toss to mix.
4. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Pour onto waxed paper or foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Let Caramel Puff Corn cool at least 30 minutes. Break into bite size pieces and store in closed container.
5. Note: Puff corn is found in the snack/chip aisle of the grocery store.

     
We have a lefty on our hands!
    
I went to the Southeast Fruit and Vegetable Growers Annual Conference in Savannah this past weekend for work. Justin and Wyatt came along with me. Justin is SUPERdad—he found a children’s train museum that Wyatt loved: http://railga.com/oddend/roundhouse.html
    
He loved riding the river ferry and looking at all of the big boats from our room. Mama and Sami kept Wyatt Friday night for Justin and I to have a date night. We had a blast eating on River Street and taking a horse-drawn carriage ghost tour.
  
After the conference on Saturday, we went to Forsyth park. It was 75 degrees and kids were playing in the fountains, people were laying out in the sun, and it was fabulous!