My arch nemesis

I gained 8 pounds last year. This was on top of the 9 I had left over from having Olivia. It was the first time I ever gained weight unrelated to having a baby. I was just plain getting fat.

But I lost the 8 pounds by running, weight training, sort of counting WW points nad substituting whole grains for white pasta and bread, and stocked the fridge with fruits and veggies.

Then we moved.

For 7 weeks we ate out.

And life was so topsy turvy that exercising was sporadic at best.

As careful as I was when I went out I gained the 8 pounds back. I guess with a substandard kitchen in astrange city that is not known for its abundance of produce, I am lucky it is not more.

Well the last 3 weeks I have been a gym rat, gotten back on track with better eating habits and lo and behold, I lost 3 pounds! Hurray for me!

Enter Spring Break and a hubby out of town. It has lead for a rather relaxed atmosphere (read day two of jammies) and so for Saturday night entertainment I made caramel popcorn for the kids and I to watch Planet Earth with.

Now the recipe I use is Red headed sister CaMee's, who my kids always beg to cook more like because she is Queen of Tasty desserts (in all fairness to me CaMEe's kids wish she cooked like me because I am Queen of Tasty pasta). And this recipe makes a lot. But 2 bags of popcorn only take 4 cups (only 4 cups Nicole, you are delusional. Anything that takes a half a pound of butter to make means there is nothing ONLY about 4 cups of it. And the fact you and your 3 small fry polished off said 2 bags of popcorn and with ONLY 4 cups of caramel means there is definitely nothing ONLY about it).

So today that means there was a lot of left over caramel in the pot. And I have been passing it by all day. And I just happen to be casually scooping a spoonful like this all day too. I would put it on bread, but really, why bother!

As my gift to all of you I am including this decadent and sinfully easy recipe below. Because misery loves company.

1 / 2 pound butter

1 cup corn syrup

2 ½ cups brown sugar

Cook above to soft ball (about 240 on a thermometer)

Turn off heat and add one can sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp vanilla (I leave the vanilla out most of the time because I forget)