Good Food for a Great Cause!

Many apologies for the lack of postings this week.  I have actually been busy baking and running around like a lunatic.  Hubby was away with work, meetings or baseball practice every night and I was on treat duty at work...Treat duty you ask?  Each week at work, someone is assigned to keep the place neat, run the dishwasher, and toe bring in treats for Friday.  As there is no school today, treat day was yesterday.  It is no lie that I like to bake but if I am going to bake for people at work, I will do it for a great cause.  I registered my treat day as a 'Cook for the cure' party.  Cook for the cure is a great program to raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  Basically you ask people to make donations to the CBCF while you provide the treats.

The array of goodies on cook for the cure treat day!

This is the second time I have used my treat day to raise funds and both times have been fairly well received.  CBCF are great supporters when you register online to host a party.  They will send you items to use as prizes, giveaways, donation cards with envelopes, and pink ribbons for people to pin on their shirts. 

What type of yummy treats did I make?  Well I am glad you asked.  I did make the pumpkin spice cupcakes from one of my earlier posts, brownies with pink icing, Star Wars cookies, and caramel popcorn.  I also put out some salty treats such as multi grain tortilla chips with salsa, pretzels, and a few veggies...just to sastify everyone!
One of the top things people enjoyed seemed to be the caramel corn.  This is such a tasty treat that I don't  make as often as I should.  It is suprisingly easy to make.  I will have to make some more so I can take pictures.

To make caramel popcorn:

• Pre heat oven to 300 degrees F. 
• Butter a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan.
• Measure out 10 cups of hot air popped corn into a large bowl.  (I like to measure the popcorn directly into my butered roasting pan.)

In a pot on medium heat mix:

• 1/2 cup butter (butter makes the flavour here, I do not reccomend using margarine)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1/4 tsp salt

• Bring this mixture to a boil (keep an eye on it! It will start to get foamy and will rise up in the pot.  If this happens, pull the pot off the heat and stir the bubbles down.) 

Boil for about 2 minutes.

Allow this mixture to cool for about 5 minutes, then pour over the popcorn.
While pouring the mixture, gently stir the popcorn.   Continue stirring the popcorn until it is thouroughly coated in yummy caramel goodness.

Place the roasting pan in the oven.  It will take about 40 minutes for the caramel to turn into a nice glossy finish.

***You will need to stir the popcorn every 10 to 15 minutes while it is cooking.  Simply set your timer and every time it beeps, take the pan out of the oven, give it a good stir and return to the oven....remember to re set the timer.

Let the corn cool before eating!