Week 1 Done! Quick Local Caramel Popcorn Recipe.

I've officially been doing this for one week.  7 days down, 93 to go... Well, it doesn't look as accomplished when you look at it that way... 

I got back to my spin class today for the first time in a while, and I got to tell my fellow cyclists all about my adventure.  One of the girls in the class said she would eat more local food if someone would just tell her the benefit to spending so much more money on local food. 

Here are a few of my own personal reasons:
-Carbon footprint.  I hate the idea of someone picking some lettuce and wrapping it in packaging I'm just going to toss.  Those packages go in one big box and it's put on a truck with some other big boxes and sent across the country.  That's a lot of packaging and gas!
-It's fresher.  Can you imagine how long it takes to haul that lettuce to me?  All the while I could be eating it! I've bought a lot bags of lettuce in my life, and they almost all last about 2 days MAX.  I got some spring mix in my CSA on the 12th, and I used the last of it on the 20th in a salad.  It wasn't quite as crisp as the new stuff I got this week, but it wasn't brown and slimy. 
-It tastes better. In order to get fresh produce to us, they pick the fruit when it's green and let it ripen during the transportation phase.  Green tomatoes, green strawberries, green bananas... (you know that's true, you always see green bananas) When left to ripen on the stem, they just taste better. They're juicer, brighter and all around yummy in my tummy-er.

Those are just a few reasons I love local.  Why do you eat local? I'd especially love to hear why you eat local meat, dairy and grains (if you do).

Today's breakfast was the rest of that spinach/strawberry/yogurt smoothie.  Still fresh, still delicious. 

Lunch was a more brat-appropriate bun paired with another local brat.  I feel like it's summertime when I eat those guys. 

Dinner is a kitchen sink salad/garbage salad/desperation salad... Whatever you choose to call a salad with EVERYTHING from the fridge. 

I made some caramel popcorn as a snack for work.  I've been craving something sweet lately and something to just munch on.  This recipe definitely fits that craving. 

6 cups of popped popcorn. (I popped my corn on the stove, but you could use plain microwave popcorn, or put some popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag with a spray of Pam and roll the opening just enough to keep the kernels from flying all over the place, and then just put it in the microwave till they stop popping! Voila! Microwave popcorn! And you're 100% aware of what's in it.
Pop that corn up.  While it's popping, put 1 tablespoon of butter with 1/4 cup Sourghum and let it simmer and melt together in a pan (or the microwave... I don't have a microwave, so it had to be on the stove).
When the popcorn is all done, drizzle the good stuff over top and toss.  mmmmmmmm.

I love caramel popcorn.  This stuff is the kind that's sticky and gooey all over your hands and face.  Perfection.