Food Friday - Caramel Popcorn

This is the yummiest, softest caramel popcorn EVER! I'd been craving it but didn't have the recipe. My SIL who had it was in the middle of moving her family from MI to VA and having a baby! Needless to say, she couldn't find it. Finally the craving sent me to google and I found the very recipe!

• 6 quarts of popped corn (Beardens, this is where you have to stop)

• Combine in a medium saucepan:
• 1 1/4 C brown sugar
• 1/2 C light corn syrup
• 1/2 C margarine or butter
• dash of salt (what does a "dash" really mean anyway?)
• bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and add:
• 7 oz. sweetened condensed milk (half a can).
• cook, stirring constantly until it reaches a soft ball stage (240 degrees)*.
• Remove from heat and stir in
  
• 1/2 t vanilla.
• Pour slowly over popcorn, stirring until caramel is evenly distributed throughout.
• Store caramel popcorn in a covered container (it last really well).

*if you don't have a candy thermometer, you can take a small bowl, put cold water in it, then drop a small amount (about 1 t) of the mixture into the water. When it forms a soft ball, you are at soft ball stage.