Caramel Corn and Quilts

Every year around Christmas my family makes caramel corn to eat and give away to family and friends.  Starting last year my dad made some batches with me right next to him and then he told me I knew how to make it so I could make all the caramel corn from now on.  Well I have done just that this year.  Except for the few batches he made for Zan's DECA club (which the club requested for their bake sale) I have made seven batches and counting.

I continued caramel corn making even here at college.  I had originally made a couple batches to bring back with me from Thanksgiving break.  I ended up studying at Gillette's (largest girl's dorm) front desk with a container of caramel corn out and people kept trying it.  A couple of the RA's tried it and looked at each other saying that this would be something they could give their girls and could they have the recipe.  I said yes and even volunteered to help them make it.  I had a great time showing four ladies how to make caramel corn.  Overall we made 3 batches.

This Saturday I was particularly busy not only with making two more batches of caramel corn by having a caramel corn making party with my friends but also with making three quilted ornaments.  The idea first came because my floor was doing secret santa and I didn't know what to get my person.  The next logical idea was of course, well I will just have to make one of those quilted ornaments I did with my mom.  The beginning of  the week we were back from break realized if I made one I could just as easily make two because I thought my organic chemistry friend should get one too.  Then near the end of the week as I started being one of many secret santas for my RA I thought two is easily three, I can make another one for my RA.  So Saturday morning I spent creating the following ornaments and the afternoon I spent finishing them up as I made caramel corn.

This one I made for my organic chemistry friend who I have spent many hours doing all sorts of organic work with and have gotten to know really well.  I call this one Mountain Snow.  I usually sew around the edges with a sewing machine but as I did not have one I had to make do with hand sewing all along the edges.  For the stars I relearned how to do a French knot which I had done in my African quilt.

This is the one I made as my secret santa gift.  It is just simply Snowman.  Unfortunately I did not have many shades of white to work with so the snowman blends in a little to the snow drifts.

For above ornaments they were presented to the recipients in a different way then just plain wrapping them.  This is the image of one side of the paper container I created and then placed the ornaments in.  I then placed the Cracker Jacks prize wrapped inside a container of the caramel corn I had just made that day.  Of course I had to include a note to them to let them know that this caramel corn was similar to Cracker Jacks because there was a prize inside.  Needless to say the caramel corn doesn't usually last long and it wasn't long before I was informed that they loved their gifts.

This last one I made for my RA.  It is Christmas Tree.  Although she didn't officially have a secret santa, (because she matched us all up) she managed to have three or four within the course of the week.  For my part I waited until she left her room and then with the help of a someone on my floor plastered her door with about nine Calvin and Hobbes winter/Christmas comics (her room is right across from mine).  I then got asked by her whether I knew who had done it (my door is almost always open) and all I said was a friend and I had spent a while reading them.  The next day I sent her a typed note with another comic on the back.  At the gift giving party I wrapped this up for her.  She had given everyone two guesses for their secret santa so after she guessed twice I let her know that I had been behind the comics and this ornament.  It is currently hanging up with the comics on her door.

I have enjoyed sharing the knowledge of making caramel corn with people on campus as well as the actual caramel corn.  I have also enjoyed being crafty in more ways than one this week as I snuck around putting up things for my secret santa person and making the ornaments.  This week I have finals but I go home for Christmas Tuesday and take my last final from home.  Maybe I will get more crafty while home. TTFN.