By August. Two-a-days started Monday. The team is in the field at five-thirty in the morning and back at five in the afternoon. Diego is volunteering as a coaching assistant — the staff has welcomed him. He runs drills. He shows kids routes. He is the coach's son who has graduated and who has come back as a young coach. The kids treat him with a respect that I do not think he fully appreciates.
Marcus is the senior QB. He has been throwing well. The new receivers — Tyrese, Carlos Mendez, a sophomore named Drew — are starting to gel. The defense, without Daquan, is rebuilding around the new junior nose tackle Calvin and the senior linebacker Keenan. The line is thinner than last year but more cohesive. We are going to be good. We are going to be a different kind of good than last year.
I have not been able to think about losing Diego because the camp is consuming me. The camp consumes me every August. The kids in front of me consume me. The losing of Diego, which is supposed to be the emotional center of August, has been pushed to the back of my mind by the practical work of installing an offense and a defense. Lisa noticed Saturday. She said, "Carlos. You are running away from it." I said, "From what." She said, "From Diego leaving. You are working sixteen-hour days and you are going to wake up in two weeks and he is going to be at CSU and you are going to grieve it then." I said, "Lisa." She said, "I am not criticizing. I am noticing. Be ready." I said, "I am ready." She said, "We will see."
The road bends. Feed your people. The game is won at the table.
Lisa was right — I have been running, and I know it. But in the middle of all that running, there are still mouths to feed and people who need something warm handed to them before the day kicks off again. I started making this cinnamon roll caramel popcorn on the second morning of camp, something easy to set out before the early film session, and watching the kids grab handful after handful reminded me that feeding people is never just about food. Diego grabbed a bag on his way out the door Thursday. He didn’t say anything. He just took it, and that was enough.
Cinnamon Roll Caramel Popcorn
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped kernels)
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup light corn syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar (for drizzle)
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Prep the popcorn. Preheat oven to 250°F. Pop popcorn and spread it in an even layer across two large parchment-lined baking sheets. Remove any unpopped kernels.
- Make the caramel. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, salt, cinnamon, and cream of tartar. Stir constantly until butter melts and mixture comes to a gentle boil. Let boil without stirring for 4 minutes.
- Add baking soda and vanilla. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla extract — the mixture will foam up. Stir quickly until combined.
- Coat the popcorn. Immediately pour the caramel over the popcorn in a thin, even stream, folding gently with a silicone spatula to coat as evenly as possible.
- Bake. Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, stirring and rotating the pans halfway through, until the coating is set and glossy.
- Cool. Remove from oven and spread onto a fresh sheet of parchment. Let cool completely, about 15 minutes, breaking apart any large clumps as it cools.
- Add the cinnamon roll drizzle. Whisk together powdered sugar and milk until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled popcorn with a spoon or piping bag for the cinnamon roll finish.
- Serve or store. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container or zip bags at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 230 | Protein: 1g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 35g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 160mg