Make Your Own Popcorn

I’ll confess that my snack menu is pretty much lacking in nutrition. By “pretty much” I mean “absolutely”. I’m a 400 pound man trapped in a less than 400 pound woman’s body. Chocolate, potato chips, gardettos (I will defend the fact that they are not chips with my LIFE), yogurt ice cream…and recently popcorn! Popcorn and I go way back. But like most good friends we sometimes drift apart for no reason at all and then reunite and catch up on what’s been going on in our lives since we last saw each other. Unfortunately popcorn is expensive. Popcorn doesn’t want to be my friend unless I am willing to hand over $6 for 5 dates (because Lord knows if I have popcorn over Seth has to have popcorn over). That gets uncomfortably expensive…especially considering popcorn is competing with other delicious snacks.

But I found an easier way! I make my own damn popcorn. Screw you, CP (corporate popcorn)! I made a new friend called PBP (paper bag popcorn) who knows what it’s like to have once survived on the dollar menu and ramen.

Paper Bag Popcorn

1 bag popcorn kernels (I bought the Great Value 32 oz bag)
1 package flat bottom brown paper sacks (just like you used to pack your lunch in)

- Put ¼ scoop of kernels in paper bag

- Fold top of bag over twice*
* There is an argument over whether or not stapling the bag would affect the microwave due to the staple’s small size. To be on the safe side I opted not to staple.

- Set your microwave for typical popcorn cooking time (for me it’s 1 minute 45 seconds). If unsure about the time follow this advice: when the popping sound begins slowing at a rate of 1 pop every 2-3 seconds it’s time to take it out. So if you set it for 3 minutes and it starts slowing down at 1 minute go ahead and take it out.

- Top with desired flavors and enjoy!

32 oz. bag Great Value popcorn kernels - $1.48
100 count Great Value flat bottom bags - $2.50

Total Cost: $3.98

Roughly 16 bags of popcorn per 32 oz bag = $0.25 per bag (Then roughly $0.09 a bag for 6 more batches until the paper bags run out).

I’ve been doing this for the past 3 nights now and I gotta say I’m impressed. The flavor is perfect and I noticed I don't spend an hour with my fist in my mouth digging for kernels stuck in my teeth. Also I discovered some interesting information as explained below.

Here’s the ingredient list from the Act II popcorn page on Amazon. Note: This information cannot be found on the company’s website.

Act II Popcorn Ingredients: Popcorn, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavors, Annatto Color. Contains: Fish, Milk

CP’s been lying to me. I had no idea it’d been hanging out with fish and dairy before rolling around in my mouth.

Now for toppings!

Popular toppings
Mexican: Add chili powder, hot sauce, and salt.

Kiss My Breath: Shake in onion powder and garlic powder.

Cheese Please: Mix in Parmesan cheese with a little salt.

Sweet Tooth: A dash of cinnamon, a sprinkle of sugar, and a topper of honey.

Classic: A shake of salt with a pat of butter.

To butter mine up I use spray butter (though I like it just as well plain). I also thought it was completely ingenious to sprinkle the dry ranch mix over the popcorn. DO NOT ATTEMPT. It didn’t stick to my popcorn so every other bite the powder just drifted down my throat and tried to choke me to death. So now I am also wary of anything topping that involves powder…

Hope you find this useful! It’s not quite snack time but maybe I’ll cook up a batch for Abigail and I =D

Original Source is from here!