This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner is about a group of women and what happens after they have had their happily ever after. For these women are embarking on their journey into motherhood. We have Becky, a plump, sexy chef and her overworked husband. Kelly, an incredibly busy event planner and a not so busy husband and Ayinde, wife to a famous basketball star, but with infidelity threatening their marriage. And then there is Lia. She has recently gone through an incredibly distressing time. So she left her husband, Sam, and the life they shared together in California, and returned back to Northeast Philadelphia. Her home city and the place where her mother lives.
Lia is immediately consumed by memories. Memories made more tangible, more real when she recalls the food that went with them. Happy memories. Many of which don't actually involve her mother but her father. She recalls the times her father would take her into Philadelphia. Three times a year they'd go into town together and he'd buy her a treat: a hot chocolate or a strawberry ice-cream cone. Then he'd take her to the movies. Her mother wouldn't take her to the movies – they were trash or brain rot according to her. But Lia's father did take her and he would buy her buttered popcorn – making sure all evidence of its consumption was wiped from her face before returning home.
Now obviously, you can buy popcorn ready popped. But where is the fun in that? The popcorn in this recipe is not just buttery but sugary too giving it a nice caramel sauce. Make some and create your own happy memories. (Also, you can watch it as it pops. Exciting!) 
Recipe for buttery, sugary popcorn
Equipment
Microwave and a large, LIDDED, microwavable bowl, small saucepan.
Ingredients
100g popping corn
125g butter
125g soft brown sugar
generous pinch of (good quality) salt
Method
- In your microwavable bowl, measure out the popping corn.
- Place in microwave and cook for two minutes.
- Cook for another two minutes.
- You will have to judge this yourself as to how many more minutes to keep doing this – you want as much corn to pop without burning the already popped. I did it for two lots of two minutes, took out the popped corn, then another two minutes for the rest.
- In a small saucepan melt the butter with the sugar and add the salt.
- Pour over the popped corn.
- Serve in small bowls.