Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans and White Chocolate

I have been one the lookout for a good caramel corn recipe that won't pull out my fillings, but is still chewy, and this is it! Plus, it is freaking amazing tasting!! Although it is not healthy, it sure is delicious! Here it is!!

Cinnamon Caramel Corn with Pecans & White Chocolate

AKA Cinnamon Bun Popcorn

(Original Recipe by Our Best Bites)

12 C popped popcorn (about 1/2 C kernels)*

1 C roughly chopped pecans

1 C brown sugar

3/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C Karo syrup (or honey makes a good substitution)

1 stick real butter (1/2 C)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla

3 squares almond bark

*You can use air popped or microwave popcorn. If using microwave, anything works, but I prefer a “natural” flavor that’s low in butter and salt.

Preheat oven to 250 degrees

Place popcorn and chopped pecans in a very large bowl and set aside.

Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a big, microwave-safe bowl. Like a 2-quart bowl or Pyrex measuring bowl. Use a bowl larger than you think you need.

Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup (or honey) over the top of everything.Microwave on high for 30 seconds (just to soften the butter a bit) and then stir to combine.Return to microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 2 minutes more.

Remove from the microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda.  When combined, pour over popcorn and stir until it’s coated.  Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined jelly roll pan.  Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.

After 30 minutes, take a piece out and let it cool. “Sample.” If it’s not crunchy enough, bake for another 5 minutes.  When it’s done, give it a final stir and let it cool off for a bit while you melt your almond bark (just nuke it in the microwave according to the package directions) If you want, you can spread out your caramel corn on a clean piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil. I always do this because sometimes it sticks to the hot foil if I leave it on the original pan. Use a fork and drizzle the melted almond bark over the popcorn mixture.

When it’s hardened (pop it in the fridge to speed that process along) break into chunks and enjoy!

I hope you try out this recipe and enjoy it as much as I did!!

Xoxo, 

Madds

Naked 3 Palette Review

So I recently picked up Urban Decay's new Naked 3 palette! It retails at $52 and includes 12 creamy, rose-toned eyeshadows, a double ended flat shader/blending brush, and 4 generous samples of their 4 eyeshadow primer potions! 

Individual Shadows:

Strange: This is a pale neutral pink matte-satin.

Dust: This is a pale metallic pink shimmer with iridescent micro glitter.

Burnout: This is a light pinky-peach satin.

Limit: This is a light dusty rose matte. 

Buzz: This is a metalic rose with silver micro glitter.

Trick: This is a light metallic pinky-copper shimmer with tonal micro sparkle.

Nooner: This is a medium pinky-brown matte. 

Liar: This is a medium metallic mauve shimmer. 

Factory: This is a pinky-brown satin.

Mugshot: This is a metallic taupe shimmer with slight pink shift. 

Darkside: This is a deep taupe-mauve satin. 

Blackheart: This is a smoky black matte with rosy red micro sparkle.

Favorites: 

-Burnout: a perfect lid color for an everyday look!

-Nooner: an amazing crease color, the perfect shade, and it's also matte!

-Mugshot: a fantastic shade to blend into the outer-V to deepen any look

Disappointments:

-Dust: the shimmer and excessive amount of micro glitter cause for fallout. It is a gorgeous color, and is still rich in pigmentation, but the fallout can be annoying. 

Overall, this palette has great neutral shadows that can still create versatile looks. The rose tones add the perfect touch of femininity. The brush is very useable and has high-quality bristles. The primer potions do keep the shadows on for a longer period of time. The packaging is light and easily accessible. The mirror is very clear. This palatte is perfect for travel because it can be used so many different ways! The shadows are all very creamy and slide on like butter. They are extremely rich in pigmentation! I recommend this palatte to anyone! The price is totally worth splurging and is way cheaper than if you'd bought each shadow individually ($18 each).

I hope this review helped!

Xoxo, Madds

Style Steal- Bethany Mota

@Macbarbie07 aka Bethany Noel Mota is a gorgeous youtuber with an amazing style! She came out with her own clothing line at Aeropostale in 2013 and has recently updated it! I've been watching her videos for over 2 years and have been truely impressed with how far she's gotten! 

Bethany has such a unique style which I adore! She tends to dress very casual, with a bohemian vibe as well. Being a Californian, she wear a lot of shorts and mini skirts, which suit her perfectly! 

Clothing:

One common theme with a lot of these outfits are her skater skirts! They suit her perfectly and give off a cute, yet edgy vibe. 

Another style she tends to wear are floral patterned pieces. They show the cute, feminine side of Bethany! 

Bethany also tends to wear a lot of denim! Denim can be very versitile and can be dressed up or dressed down. 

Bethany's clothing line includes many adorable pieces! The floral and tribal patterns really represent her! I love how she added the hats and the belt to compliment the simple pieces, making them more dressy!

Hair:

Bethany's hair is naturally wavy, with more volume at the top. But, she tends to straighten it. She has tons of videos that also show her styling her hair in braids and buns, which are very popular!

Makeup:

Bethany's makeup seems to be pretty neutral. She mostly focuses on her skin, and covering any blemishes for a flawless finish. Her lips are pretty basic, and don't usually have too much of a pop. Bethany loves to fill in her eyebrows, and will always say yes to a bold brow! And when Beth isn't going for a neutral eye, she'll add a pop of color (like in her Nikki Minaj and Lady Gaga looks)!

Accessories:

As for accessories, Bethany will go all out! She loves necklaces and bracelets, and especially loves to go for anything with owls or foxes on it! Bethany also loves to layer tons of bangles! She does have a tutorial for DIY bracelets which are more bohemian, rather than the simple, elegant pieces in her clothing line! 

That is all for my Style Steal on Bethany Mota! Please follow my blog and check back daily for reviews, tutorials, and fashion! 

Xoxo, Madds

Redoing my room!

So this week, I've been taking the wallpaper off of my walls and am about to completely redo it! I've been looking around online for a solid color and pattern scheme to follow, and I think I've found the one! I came across a few that struck my eye, but this one really stood out, for obvious reasons! 

I really love the statement pieces that this room incorporates- the bed, the chair, and the gorgeous gold mirror! My favorite parts are the walls and the rug, and will probably be my staple inspiration pieces. My room is obviously not as big as this room, and will not have the fireplace, but the size IS similar. I'm going to incorporate the wallpaper onto some canvases, just because putting up and taking down actual wallpaper is such a hassle. My carpet happens to be the perfect beige/brown in these photos, which will works amazingly against the pink and gold tones! 

Currently, the room has blue/white walls, and I just finished taking down the fairy wallpaper. This room used to be my sisters, but I'm taking it and redoing it because my current room doesn't have as much lighting, nor as big a closet. 

I'm excited to keep you guys posted and will be showing a before/after once I'm completely done! Talk to you guys later!!

Xoxo, Madds