Cinnamon Popcorn

 I grew up making homemade popcorn with my family for our weekend movie nights.  

My brothers and I had a very precise, two-man (kid) technique to pouring the melted butter over the freshly popped kernels (a dangerous mission if you ask me).

Man #1= the butter pourer

Man #2= the bowl spinner

..and Man #3 (a.k.a. my mom)...the rescuer, who always came to sprinkle the right amount of salt on and mix it all up perfectly and make the chaotic, popcorn-butter mess right again.

It was always such a treat to lay out the green picnic blanket in the family room, 

where we chomped on popcorn out of the designated orange "popcorn bowl," 

sipped homemade milkshakes--my dad's specialty--

and watched some quality Disney.

Always done in jammies, of course, and on Saturday nights, with sponge curlers in my hair for church the next day.

What more could a little girl ask for?  It was perfect.

Needless to say, homemade popcorn holds a place in my heart.

So when our neighbors gave us a Whirley-Pop Popcorn Maker for a wedding gift,

it was love at first sight.

Between me and the Whirley-Pop, I mean.

(you already know of the undying love between me and the boy next door :)

(This is now our designated popcorn bowl :)

Anyway, this recipe put our Whirley-Pop to good use...I think I am finally in the acceptance stage of the grieving process in my farewell to summer,

so I am now welcoming--even embracing--all things warm and cinnamon-y.

"Bring it on.

Boooooo-yaaaahahaha....wooo!"
(Name that Disney movie...here's a little hint.)

Cinnamon Popcorn
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen
6 servings
10 cups popped popcorn (about 6 tablespoons unpopped kernels)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 pinches salt, to taste

Pour popped popcorn into a large bowl and set aside.  Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, and cinnamon and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.
Slowly pour mixture over popcorn and stir, using above two-man technique.  :)  Sprinkle on a couple pinches of salt, to taste.  Transfer popcorn to a large baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until crispy.
Cool before serving.