My best birthday brunch

I am a little behind, these are some pictures from the brunch I had a couple of weeks ago for my... ahem 41st birthday.

On our menu

•  Poached eggs by the Poach-master General( Aaron)
•  Smashed potato roasted with sea salt
•  Home-grown sauteed spinach with garlic, lemon, olive oil
•  Lentil salad with baby spinach, home made goats cheese, mint, and lemon. (I think about four of us from the street each had a hand in this one each of us tweaking it just a bit.) It was divine.
•  Stuffed tomato with parsley, breadcrumbs, garlic, and parmesan
•  Bacon (of course) and baked beans on toast for the little ones
• Home-made bread with fresh orange juice.
• Caramel mud cake with a white chocolate ganache, thanks to  my beautiful neighbour. This was the first time in ages that someone else made my birthday cake!

September ten-on-ten

Ten-on-ten is always a bit of a thrill. And a chore, too, but mostly a thrill. Thanks to a bit of sunshine for the idea and the ongoing link-thing. Please head on over to see other's day in pictures. Here's mine...

Caramel salted popcorn

I am a fan of popcorn, who isn't? I love the stuff, in fact one of the things I look forward to whenever I get to the United States is their popcorn, The cheese flavoured ones I could eat by the bag-full.

One pre-made treat I do sometimes buy is the slightly sweet salted organic popcorn, my children love it.  And husband.

Usually for a school snack I just microwave some popcorn, lightly salt it or leave it plain. Then I came up with this recipe and the little feet come pitter pattering out of bed at night to grab before it can even make it to the lunch box. 

Caramel salted popcorn

1 cup popcorn
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cups raw sugar
30 g butter
Sea salt

The popcorn

In a large pot heat the vegetable oil.
Add the popcorn, I like to have a good layer of popcorn in the base of the pot. 
Make sure the kernels of corn are all coated in the oil.
With the lid on, allow them to pop, I remove them from the heat when they slow right down. 
Leave the heat on though. 

The caramel

Now you need to remove the popcorn from the pot, put it into a large bowl.
Put the pot back on the stove, add the sugar and let it just come to melt without burning.
Add the butter and stir.

Add the popcorn back to the pot and toss it around in the caramel to coat it.
Add as much or as little sea salt as you like.

These are just beautifully lightly coated in caramel and are crisp, not sticky.
They will keep in an airtight container for several days.