Caramel Popcorn

No lie: John's first reaction after being diagnosed with celiac was to ask the doctor if he could still eat popcorn. Of course, he prefers it all buttery and salty, but we all like this easy and wonderful caramel popcorn recipe. It's obviously gluten free, but it's the best, and easiest recipe I've ever done. My family got this recipe from our neighbors year ago and we've impressed people with it ever since. I remember when John's brother lived with us for a semester that he even tried to use this recipe to impress dates.
Here goes:

1 bag microwave popcorn (try to use something as plain as possible, or pop your own)

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp Karo Syrup (I have liked to use the brown sugar variety)

Heat the above ingredients in a saucepan on the stove at medium high heat, stirring, until butter and sugar melt, and it starts boiling rapidly. Make sure that this cooks long enough, although if you cook it too long, it gets hard. When it's nice and foamy and about the color of a brown paper bag, remove from heat and add
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

When you add the vanilla it will start to sizzle and you want to mix these in quickly as they cause a chemical reaction that makes the caramel harden and be chewy on your popcorn. When all mixed together, pour over your popped popcorn and mix to coat evenly.

This is just the recipe for a small batch, usually it's doubled, though you have to have friends over for that. and if you notice, the increments just keep being cut in half as you go down the list of ingredients, so it's hard to forget!