Orange-Scented Honey Butter Popcorn

You know one of the best benefits of working from home? You can wear your pajama pants all day if you choose. I don't often go this route because I'm trying to maintain some semblance of humanity. But y'know there are days where even leggings are too much.

And then there are days when plain buttered popcorn is simply not enough. You know I love to play around with my popcorn-- cinnamon toast, a trifecta of tropical flavors, and an herby mix have all made appearances. 

I grew up eating honey butter with my hushpuppies but never thought to put it on my popcorn. And let us not forget that in the midst of a dreary winter there is vibrancy to be found in citrus. It's the perfect lunch snack.

You'll need: butter, honey, an orange, popcorn kernels, salt, and vegetable oil (not pictured).

Toss the kernels with oil and a touch of salt in a medium saucepan. You need it to be big enough to accomodate the popped corn. 

When the first kernels begin popping, slap the lid over the pot and start moving it over the burner. Keep it moving until the sound slows to a few seconds between pops.

Okay real talk. I should've just melted the butter into the honey. It would've been easier.

Because they're kind of hard to stir together. You might lose butter and that's just not cool.

Toss the popcorn with the honey butter in a large bowl. Trust me on this. I've tried too-small bowls before and it just ends in frustration and poorly coated corn.

Grate a little orange peel in there with a zester and toss to coat evenly. Honestly, just a teaspoon will do.  Oh and add a little more salt.

The bright, fragrant scent of orange and floral honey are grounded by rich, salty butter. Don't let the small serving bowl fool you-- I ate the whole thing.

Orange-Scented Honey Butter Popcorn (makes about 5 cups)

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 c popcorn kernels

Salt to taste

2 tbs salted butter

2 tbs honey

1 tsp orange zest

• In a medium saucepan with a lid, toss the oil, kernels, and a pinch of salt together. Heat the pan over medium-high heat. When the first couple of kernels pop, cover the pan with the lid and slide the pan back and forth over the burner
• When popping slows to a 3-4 seconds between sounds, take the popcorn off the heat. Pour it into a large bowl.
• Melt the butter into the honey and pour over the popped corn. Toss with a little more salt and the orange zest. Serve right away.

Instagrammin': Fall Edition

It's been a while since I've done an Instagram post. This encompasses pretty much all of fall. As we move into the holiday season, I'll be sharing more about Christmas, Santa, and Grady (duh). You can follow me at sweetsaltysc. 

Wanna know what this is? This is my celebratory champagne and pizza from Noah's Antica Pizzeria. It happened because I am now gainfully employed with Hotelguides.com.

Have you ever seen a cuter pumpkin? I know this was like, two months ago, but I'm still not over it.

I think this was at the Georgia game. Oh, that was a glorious day.

Chad Michaels. As Cher. Flawless.

This was my first seasonal latte. Let's be real, I only drink these once every couple of weeks and in the cooler months at that. I look forward to it every year, just like Christmas music and pumpkin bread.

I like to put Grady in this onesie when Emily has to take a business trip. Plus he totally has Oompa Loompa hair here.

Have you ever seen a baby wearing only a diaper and socks? You may faint from the cuteness.

This is one of my favorite tricks! If you yell touchdown, Grady will do touchdown with you.

Have you ever been so tired that you had to lie down while drinking your bottle?

Y'all, doesn't that sound like just the thing? I've already had a request for it, and I fully intend on making good on that.

I know I showed you this picture already, but I'm still so proud of it! It's time to start training for more races...or y'know, so I can eat more holiday cookies.

On me, they're fuzzy socks. On Grady, they're baby Uggs.

I know this feeling. You settle down for a short nap and BAM! Crazy hair.

Sundays are meant to be had with hot chocolate. Even if you're watching zombies. But especially if you're watching Housewives.

The beginnings of pumpkin cheesecake. We ended up with two this year because my cousin and I think alike.

Y'all, the Pioneer Woman's Pecan Pie is on point. I made a few personal adjustments, but the integrity of the pie is intact.

Yes, my grandmother makes radish flowers. They. Are. Awesome.

Did I mention my cousin does event planning? She's pretty awesome.

And finally, our Thanksgiving spread. Both turkeys, ham, dressing, mac & cheese, squash, butterbeans, and just about everything else you can think of. Delicious and worth waiting a whole year to eat.

Cinnamon Toast Popcorn

This list makes me glad my mom never listened to me when I wanted to get a Glamour Shot made. I was a very...theatrical child, so it made perfect sense that I would want to play dress-up and get my picture taken. My mother is a wise woman.

White Chocolate, Coconut, & Candied Ginger Popcorn

This popcorn was inspired by the movie Rio.  It's true, I enjoy a good kid's movie.  In fact, Up is also in my Netflix queue.  Once I figured out how easy it is to make popcorn, I wanted to make a batch to reflect the tropical setting of the movie.   Check it: White chocolate, coconut, and candied ginger.  I'm not what you would call a huge white chocolate fan.  I have no desire to eat a hunk of it like I do with dark or even milk chocolate.  But I do think it's nice mixed into things.  And with candied ginger?  Whew.  The heat from the ginger plays off the vanilla-y sweetness of the white chocolate.  Love.

I Made Popcorn!

Oh, Punxsutawney Phil.  You saw your shadow, and now we're supposed to get 6 more weeks of winter.  If by winter you mean temps in the upper 60s and 70s with a few days of the 50s sprinkled in, then I believe you.  Because our winter this year has basically been our spring.  So yeah.

Anyway, let's get down to the nitty gritty here.  I love popcorn.  I've ruined many a dinner by eating vast quantities of buttery, salty popcorn.  Come to think of it, I've also made popcorn my dinner (or lunch) a few times.  So why have I never made it at home?  Oh well of course I've microwaved it.  But all the fake yellow coloring (um butter does not make popcorn yellow as we will soon see) and the chemicals/preservatives kinda freak me out.  And by the way, they totally don't bother me when I'm at a movie theater.  I'm a study in contradictions.  But as it stands, when I can make something myself, I usually like to do so.