I have a small confession to make.
The girl I kinda sorta Instagram-stalk just broke up with her boyfriend and I’m like, kind of upset about it.
…which is silly since I don’t even knoooow her. Or him. Or anything about their lives except their names, that they were once in love (a love documented by pictures taken with the romantic glow of Toaster), and that they had a dog which I am DYING to know what will happen with custody issues.
You see, I’ve always had somewhat of a voyeur problem in that I find interesting-looking/seeming people and like, create lives for them in my head. And I’ll follow them secretly on Facebook or Instagram, or back in the days I’d stalk pretty people on Myspace. In my weird little way, I get all invested in their problems and stuff, and start to get excited when they post new pictures or when they write a post about how much they love their significant other, my heart is touched. They’re like my own little made-up characters in the weird soap opera playing in my head where they call the shots and I fill in the blanks.
But anyways. This girl. I am oddly invested in her life and IG account and check it probably too frequently. Anyways, THEIR LOVE WAS REAL. And now they’re broken up. And now she has a picture with another guy, kissing him on the cheek. I MEAN WHAT THE HELL, MAN. Do I need to send her the pictures from their happier days? The one with the Valencia filter where they held hands on the beach? Or the time he brought her those flowers? DID YOU FORGET YOUR OWN ROMANCE?!
And deep down, I’m hoping I’ll click over to his account and see him posting pictures that visually represent the pain and heartbreak inside of his empty soul over their tragic breakup. But um, DUUUUUDE, what’s with the picture of all the love letters she wrote you with the caption “Lies, lies, lies” ? IT WAS TRUE LOVE. TRUE. When you love someone so much, you excessively post pictures filtered in Walden on your IG feed for your friends and stalkers to see. #truth
Aren’t you guys thinking about your dog child? How is it supposed to have equal screen-time on each of your IG accounts when there’s a custody dispute going on? STOP THE MADNESS.
Anywho, while I’m tracking their makeup process through Instragram (and trying to convince myself I’m not creepy), I made some for-your-viewing-pleasure popcorn based off the ever-so-popular Late Night Snack Ben & Jerry’s flavor. Once I heard the hype, I knew it’d be good and now it’s a family favorite in this house. This popcorn is the perfect accompaniment to a movie or a dramatic, teenage train-wreck breakup.
- About 8 cups popped caramel corn (homemade or packaged)
- ½ pkg white chocolate bark (I like Candiquik)
- 1 pkt Duncan Hines Frosting Creations in Caramel
- Chocolate-covered potato chips*
- Sea salt
- Line a flat, clean work space with wax paper. Meanwhile, microwave the white chocolate bark in a large bowl until smooth and melted. Remove about 3-4 Tablespoons of the white chocolate mixture to a smaller bowl.
- Add the caramel packet to the smaller bowl of white chocolate; stir to combine. Set aside. Then, add the popcorn to the remaining white chocolate in the larger bowl. Gently toss to combine. Spread the white chocolate-coated popcorn in an even layer onto the wax paper.
- Break up the chocolate covered potato chips into pieces and sprinkle evenly over the still-wet popcorn. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the top of the popcorn and immediately sprinkle with sea salt. Allow the popcorn to set, about 20 minutes, before breaking into clusters to serve. This will keep airtight about a week, if it lasts that long!
- *For Chocolate Covered Potato Chips, take about 2-3 cups crinkle-cooked potato chips (like Ruffles) and coat them in melted chocolate -- I used Candiquik. Allow the chocolate-covered chips to set before breaking into clusters. Since they're being broken up anyways, don't worry about making the coating look neat -- as long as the chips are mostly covered, you're fine. You could even dip just half or just one side if you're pressed for time.*
I think chocolate-covered potato chips are my newest favorite thing EVER. They’re SO good, and this mixture is the perfect blend of sweet and salty. I LOVE the crunch of the sea salt sprinkled on top of this irresistible popcorn, especially on those bites with the creamy, smooth caramel. You’ll flip for this mix!
See you tomorrow with another new Ben & Jerry’s recipe!
xo, Hayley
Dearest Hayley,
I was totally sleeping (dreaming about putting Cadillac seats in my VW), and I heard my email chiming. I opened it up and here you’ve posted the most incredibly delish creation. How am I supposed to go back to sleep now?
You are far too creative! You simply must write a book….all of your stories are very engaging and your readers LOVE all of your subplots. Always makes me smile and inspires me to be more creative:)
Ok, got my mind off of “it”. Goodnight….
I’m so sorry you lost sleep to my post–at least the title is fitting, no?
Thank you SO much for such a sweet comment–it seriously made my morning!! I have always wanted to publish cookbooks, but also other books based off of my crazy stories and posts on the blog. Thank you for validating that feeling!! You rock!!
PS go back to bed 🙂
Is it sad that i’m looking forward to these posts every morning at work? yep totally is. Another Ben and Jerrys flavour I can’t get in the UK! This looks amazing though!! I agree with the comment before..loving your stories.. i totally do the same!!
Miss Messy, you RULE!! Thanks for leaving me such a sweet comment to wake up to! Seriously awesome 🙂 and they better start shipping Late Night Snack to the UK or else I’m gonna have to open a can of whoooooparse on them!
Oh man Hayley, each day gets better! I especially love this as I am a popcorn fiend! I don’t do IG. But now I feel like I should, I’m missing out on so much! Please let me know what happens to the dog!
I love chocolate covered potato chips, so I pretty much lost it over this ice cream. Popcorn is even better beccause I can’t dribble melty bits on myself 🙂
I love that you incorporated stars into the first pic. I’m never sure where to put them but I always want to add them 🙂
this is totally off the charts!
Why have I not had this flavor of ice cream before?!
What’s your Instagram name? I’m kantich88 🙂
I’m the saaame way, hahaha!! Like, I really like Jenna Marbles (who’s youtube persony) and I’m so upset that her and her boyfriend (dubbed Max No Sleeves, who’s also on the youtube) broke up. Like…waht!? You guys were so perfect together!
What else goes perfectly together??! EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS FRIGGIN AMAZING POPCORN! AHHHHHHH
Totally awesome! Sometimes I like to imagine celebrities are my friends, in a non-creepy way. Like, what it would be like if we were friends, how we would get along. Mostly with Jennifer Lawrence 😉
I totally need to find and try this Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The first time I even ever heard about it was over here: http://cookiesandcups.com/late-night-snack-cookies/. Shelly made it into a yummy cookie and now you’ve down a snack mix-type of deal. Maybe I just need to skip the ice cream altogether and get down to the yummy snack versions. Thanks for sharing!
Erm this is just heaven in a bowl right there! Yum yum yum definitely need this in my life right now
LOL, I feel that way with my nephew and his ex-wife. I’m friends with them both on Instagram and I now get photos in my feed of them with their new people. The photos started like a hot minute after the divorce! 🙂 This popcorn rocks, and I want it for my late night snack!
My Instagram is NOT that interesting! Food + dog + cat + kids. I need to get a life, I think. Orrrr chocolate covered potato chips. Or both maybe.
Love popcorn, especially when it’s got lots of gooey, yummy sweet stuff mixed in!
Ok- the next time I go to the movies, this is being made. and brought; whether it can fit sneakily in my purse or not. YUM!
My mind is blown! This looks so amazing it’s almost like I never want to have regular popcorn again!!
And I totally second the cookbook idea!
Oh and the stalker.. I mean, admiring and people watching on IG… Holy, you had me laughing! Don’t worry, it’s not stalkerish at all! We all do it in one form or another, we just never admit it. So congrats on being so open with your… tendencies.