Caramel-almond Popcorn – We Love God!

Augustine rightly said, 'Fear is the response of the human heart when its one thing is threatened.' God has blessed all of our lives with many good things. We are to enjoy them and acknowledge God in gratitude, but we dare not make these good things our 'one thing', for in doing so, they become idols in our hearts. Like Augustine said, when we foolishly make these good things our one thing, fear will result when they are threatened. As a matter of fact, fear, worry, and anxiety are a good indication that we have created idols and feel in danger of losing them. Therefore, Christ's goal is to pull our heart away from these false gods and place our heart on the true God. Do you remember how Jesus praised Mary over Martha? Why? Because she chose God as her one thing. 'But the Lord answered and said to her, ';Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things [and they were good things!]; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her ';' (Lk. 10:41-42). So when God is our one thing, we never need to fear because our one thing is never threatened nor will He ever be removed from our presence.

Randy Smith

CATEGORY	CUISINE	TAG	YIELD
		Life1, Lifetime tv	1	Servings

INGREDIENTS

1/2	c	Popcorn kernels, freshly
		popped
2	c	Whole almonds
1 1/4	c	Brown sugar
1/4	c	Unsalted butter
1/4	c	Light corn syrup
2	t	Vanilla extract
1/2	t	Almond extract
1/2	t	Salt
1/4	t	Baking soda

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 250. Generously butter heavy large baking pan. Mix
warm popcorn and almonds in prepared pan. Place in oven while
preparing syrup. Combine brown sugar, butter and corn syrup in heavy
medium saucepan. Whisk over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves and
butter melts. Attach clip-on candy thermometer to side of pan.
Increase heat to high and boil with-out stirring until thermometer
registers 255, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet  pastry
brush, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla  extract,
almond extract, salt and baking soda (mixture will bubble).  Gradually
pour syrup over popcorn and almonds, gently st irring to  coat popcorn
and nuts completely. Bake until caramel feels dry,  stirring
frequently, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Remove from oven. Using  metal
spatula, scrape mixture from bottom of pan to loosen. Cool  completely
in pan.  Copyright credit: 1996 by Bon Appetit Â© 1996 Lifetime
Entertainment  Services. All rights reserved.  Formatted using MC
Buster by Barb at PK  Converted by MM_Buster v2.0l.

A Message from our Provider:

“A cheerful spirit is one of the most valuable gifts ever bestowed upon humanity by a kind Creator. It is the sweetest and most fragrant flower of the Spirit, that constantly sends out its beauty and fragrance, and blesses everything within its reach. It will sustain the soul in the darkest and most dreary places of this world. It will hold in check the demons of despair, and stifle the power of discouragement and hopelessness. It is the brightest star that ever cast its radiance over the darkened soul, and one that seldom sets in the gloom of morbid fancies and forboding imaginations.”

Nutrition (calculated from recipe ingredients) ---------------------------------------------- Calories: 3363 Calories From Fat: 1612 Total Fat: 189.9g Cholesterol: 122mg Sodium: 1622.5mg Potassium: 2358mg Carbohydrates: 394.8g Fiber: 30.1g Sugar: 347g Protein: 58.9g