October – Popcorn Poppin’ Month!!

This article was originally printed in The Creekline.

    Beep beep beep!  We interrupt the serious part of parenting to bring you this bulletin!  Consider this month’s article a “free pass” and plan a family fun day.  You won’t have to go far, just “POP!” into your kitchen!  Gather friends and children and celebrate National Popcorn Poppin’ Month!

Popcorn has quite a history!  I found references to popped corn as far back as the 1500s, when Europeans first met Aztecs in Mexico, though some allege that it was popped centuries before then.  Although it’s unclear which people first popped corn kernels into a fluffy snack, there’s no doubt that it’s an American classic…  Americans eat 16 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat each year.  Try popcorn one of three ways and discover it’s versatility.

Dad always made popcorn in a cast iron kettle when I was little.  The aroma would fill the house and I knew it was time for a treat!  He’d pour the popcorn out of the pot into a paper bag, add a dash of salt and shake the bag before we could try the first bite.  All these years later, though his cast iron pot has been replaced by stainless steel, he insists that stove-popped corn is still tastier than microwave popcorn.  The pot has changed but the taste remains superior to the more convenient way I pop corn for my family!

The truth is, I’m still a bit afraid of popping it on the stove.  It’s silly, I guess, for a 29 year old who cooks three meals a day on the stove to be afraid of corn kernels and a bit of hot oil… but I stick with a hot air popper.  The resulting popcorn isn’t as rich tasting as Dad’s version, but for this month’s activity, a hot air popper is just right!

For your Popcorn Poppin’ Celebration, you’ll need a large sheet, a hot-air popper, and some large spoons.  Everyone sits around the edge of the sheet (several feet back from the HOT kernels!  I hear they can pop 3′ in the air!) with a spoon in hand.  As the popcorn begins to pop, Pop, POP!, catch what you can with your spoon and dump into a bag or bowl.  When your popper is finished, declare a winner!  Perhaps your “Popcorn King” can wear a homemade crown or pick the movie for the evening.  Collect the extra popcorn from your clean sheet and use for another yummy recipe.

If you insist the microwave is the only way to go, try putting kernels in a paper bag!  Simply take a nice-sized paper lunch bag, add 1/4 cup popcorn kernels, fold the top over 3 or 4 times and microwave!  You can experiment with adding oil before popping, I haven’t tried that yet.  Now you don’t have to eat all the artificial flavors and additives in microwave popcorn but you can keep the convenience!

However you pop your corn, serve it up as a popcorn bar for this impromptu celebration.  I like to line up dishes of chocolate chips (or M&Ms),  dried fruit, nuts, savory spices (nutritional yeast flakes, dry ranch dip, thyme), sweet spices (cinnamon, brown sugar & nutmeg) and whatever else I can come up with to put some smiles on cute little faces!  Then, we give each child their own dish and let them create a masterpiece.  Serve apple slices and chunks of cheese on the side for a fun, light dinner.

You can find more about the history of popcorn and many recipes online at www.popcorn.org.  I will also post some recipes, including old-fashioned stove-top popcorn and my childhood favorite Popcorn Cake, on www.gracefullmom.com.  As you enjoy your popcorn, thank the Lord for the farmers who work hard to grow this tasty treat!  And while discussing your favorite flavor combination, you may chat about how the Lord can use you to “bring flavor” to those around you!  Happy Popcorn Poppin’ Month!!