Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Stop Playing Games with Me


You’re either a game person or you’re not.  It just so happens I’m not.  I’m not particularly competitive and so don’t often choose to spend my leisure time pitting myself against someone else.  My sister is a game person and would always ask me to play, knowing I’d say “no”.  In later years she’s ask, laugh, then just deal the cards and look at me.  Guess she got sick of “no”.

Stop Playing Games with Me | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



And then I had kids.  When my kids were little we used to play games all the time, although playing with kids was completely different;  no competitive pitting required.  I’d look for games that would build on their math or language skills.  Most important, though, was the time together.  For a few years we’d have a Wednesday routine.  We’d go to a local book store for their storytime, then to lunch, then we’d spend the afternoon playing games.  Of course that didn’t last and the boys eventually decided they’d rather watch TV or play one of their game systems.  In desperation I even taught them Cosmic Whimpout (any UMies out there?) even though you can barely read my dice now.  No go, they take after me.  Games actually became a tool of manipulation, although to be fair, for all of us.

Me: “You can have that brownie if you play a word game while you eat it.”

or:

Son:  “If you let me use the computer for another hour I’ll play a game with you.”


Caramel Corn | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe

  Caramel Corn, our favorite football watching snack



A few years ago my sister had surgery to her foot.  Afterwards she had to stay off of it for hours at a time and to take her mind off of the pain she asked me to play Scrabble with her on Facebook.  That started a years-long round of game after game of FB Scrabble.  My sister lives hundreds of miles away.  To this day I don’t know if she ever had surgery or just played the sympathy card ‘cause she knew it would work.  About a year ago she switched from Scrabble to Words With Friends and started a game with me.  I didn’t like it at all.  First of all, in Scrabble you can type a bunch of letters into a box and it’ll tell you if you’ve stumbled on a word or not.  Not so in Words With Friends.  I had to stop playing due to a medical condition; my brain hurt.  Second, that game cheats.  I don’t know how much she paid those people, but we played one game, I lost, and the next time I went in there it said I had lost 3 games.  Listen, I don’t need any help making me look bad.  I’m quite capable of doing it on my own.


To make things worse, my kids, now teens, have decided to play a whole new kind of game with me:

Me: “Where did you go last night?”
Son:  “Out.”
Me: “Oh, good, twenty questions.  Was it bigger than a breadbox?” 

NOWthey want to play games?


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Caramel Corn
                                     ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 bags of microwave popcorn, popped
1 stick butter
2 cups brown sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
1 tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla

Directions:
*WARNING:Throughout this recipe and until the caramel corn is completely finished and has cooled a bit, DO NOT touch the caramel. It’s burning hot.
*Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Grease 3 baking sheets. I use the disposable ones.
*Divide the popcorn amongst the 3 baking sheets. Remove unpopped kernels. Put into oven to keep the popcorn warm while making the caramel.
*In a heavy medium sized pan, at medium heat, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup and salt.
*Bring to a boil while stirring continuously (I use a heat resistant spatula).
*Once it’s boiling, let it boil for 4 minutes without stirring. Leave heat on medium.
*After 4 minutes, remove from heat and CAREFULLY stir in baking soda and vanilla.
*Take popcorn from oven and pour the caramel as evenly as you can over all the popcorn. Mix it up a little on each baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 15 minutes.
*With the spatula, fairly quickly, give the caramel corn a stir, mixing it around as much as possible.
*Return to oven, cook 15 minutes, stir, return to oven cook 15 minutes, stir etc. until you’ve done this 4 times and it’s been in the oven an hour total. Stir one last time.
*Cool a bit before eating.

32 comments:

  1. Whaaat? I love Words with Friends!!! My husband and I always have a game going and he loves caramel corn. I'm definitely trying this recipe. Thanks love!

    xo
    Bonnie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think I needed to transition out of Scrabble and into Words with Friends because it's so similar but the bonuses are in different placed - guess I'm easily confused, LOL! The caramel corn takes time but it's delish, especially if you eat it warm!

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    2. Yeah, definitely different. It takes some time to get familiar with it. I'm gonna upload a pic on Facebook and show you how mine and my husbands games usually go. He's a smarty pants! :)

      After seeing this recipe I decided to make some and put it in some cute little bags and pass out to family for Christmas. Thanks Karen! Their sure to love it!

      Delete
    3. I'll watch for your picture. I hope your family likes the caramel corn as much as we do!

      Delete
  2. My kids sort of like games. AS long as they can win. They cheat! Maybe I could make them this caramel corn and they'll be too distracted to cheat.

    Never tried Words With Friends. My sister is addicted, it's all she seems to talk about. I like Scrabble.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm with you on both distracting them with caramel corn AND the Scrabble thing. Great minds think alike?

      Delete
  3. My toddler loves to play games that I hate too...one in particular called, "Where'd you hide Mommy's cell phone now?!" ;-) I never win.

    Also, I once played Catch Phrase in a room full of high school teachers...sh*t got real! A nerdy and competitive group! I was glad I got outta there alive!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I have two options for you: Bribes for the cell phone thing and RUN for the playing games with teachers thing, LOL!

      Delete
  4. I love Words with Friends. It is odd what they do/do not consider as real words... I saw a commercial the other day on TV saying "Words with friends is now a board game"...Um, Scrabble, anyone?

    I also love the warning you gave on hot caramel. If you know I'm reading your blog, why not write that in 120 font? I'm a fool! A caramel loving fool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If you love caramel you MUST try this recipe. It is SO good warm that it's rarely given a chance to cool off around here!

      Delete
  5. I'm not a fan of Words with Friends, but I love Scrabble in any form...app, board game...you name it. I don't know why they mess with great games like Scrabble and try to reconstruct them and rebrand them. Did you know Zynga is coming out with a Words with Friends board game? Ugh. Oh, and I love anything trivia and poker (but I wouldn't really consider that a board game). I do have the competitive spirit, but I can sympathize with you :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think we should take a poll. Scrabble people vs Words with Friends people. It's nice to know where you stand with the people in your life.

      Delete
  6. Replies
    1. Never heard of it, I'm gonna have to get on that . . .

      Delete
  7. I love playing games, but I swear ... if another person sends me a Farmville request or a Cityville invite or some other FB crap game, I am going on a rant. (Much like this.) Real games ... great. A game that I have to log into and be responsible for daily ... who the crap has time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am SO with you. I've seriously considered unfriending people because of the daily messages to join this or that game. If I wanted to play it I would, I don't need you to ask me daily!

      Delete
  8. I love the old board games...I haven't warmed up to the internet games yet..except Plants vs. Zombies!!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Lol yes on FB I am constantly getting requests for Words with Friends and Scrabble and Farmville. I finally had to delete the people who constantly sent them to me to make a statement.

    http://presentedbyp.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How I envy you, I'm kind of afraid to delete them. I wish there was a way I could be sure they wouldn't find out, then I'd do it for sure.

      Delete
  10. I used to like playing board games a lot. Now I have a ton of games on my phone and I mostly find them relaxing to play. I often find myself being pulled into some sort of make-believe game courtesy of my little girl.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No make-believe games for me, but no little girls either. I do have to admit to a secret liking of Angry Birds if we're going to be really honest!

      Delete
  11. I played "airplanes" with my father. No dolls for me. No games at all until becoming a shut-in led me to "runescape." With loads of other Asperger-y type shut-ins. It's lovely! Must try caramel corn for "Lost."

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My kids went through a "runescape" phase. I remember those days well...nonstop fights over computer time...oh, the memories.

      Delete
  12. Well,I used to love games! From board games to electronic games (huge fan of the "Tomb Raider" series and "Resident Evil" among others) Then the kids came, the games were not so challenging anymore for me and I lost interest and actually got fed up. Nowadays, one has to force me to play a game!
    BTW, Love the caramel pop corn!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Funny how things go in cycles, you can't get enough of something, then you don't want to do it at all anymore. Wouldn't be surprised if you ended up playing those old favorites again some day.

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  13. I am SO not a game person at all, but i'm dying for that caramel corn. Oh my word!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. LOL! I hate Words with Friends, too. I am in agreement that the game cheats. And 20 questions? At least it's a game :) I'm going to have to make that caramel corn! I love the stuff...you got a recipe for butter toffee popcorn by chance?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't but that sounds like a challenge. The only other popcorn recipe I did was a Butterfingers Popcorn. Now that one is decadent.

      Delete

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