Popcorn from the Dollar Tree

I don't usually eat popcorn for breakfast, but I've just been to the dollar store (on Bethel). They had microwave popcorn 3 packs for $1.00, so I thought I'd try it. Not bad. I don't think I'd had it since I used to take my work break at the veterinary college lunch room at OSU. My microwave is fairly new so I did 1 min. 35 seconds instead of 1:45. One bag makes 9.5 cups popped which is quite a bit more than I would make from scratch. The company is Pop Weaver, manufactured in Van Buren, IN.

And so I checked and yes, the Weavers have been popping corn for four generations right next door in Indiana. Other products too, plus they'll do private label.  http://weaverpopcornmfg.com/ptest.php?id=4&order=1

I like the Dollar Tree. Prices really are one dollar. I bought 20 Hallmark cards, a 3 pack of Palmolive soap, which I really like and can't usually find, a night light, a scented candle, a bottle of Dial liquid soap, and the popcorn--- for $18.00. There are do-gooders who want to shut these bargain store down because. . . they don't serve nutritious fresh fruits and vegetables. Well, neither do gas stations and shoe stores. https://www.dollartree.com/locations/oh/bethel/7501/

Cranberry-Orange Caramel Corn

This sounds good—if you’re having a crowd in so you don’t eat too much.

Yield: 10 cups

Ingredients

• 10 cups popped popcorn
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup whole almonds
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1/2 packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, undiluted
• 1 teaspoon orange or vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Place popcorn, cranberries and almonds in a large bowl; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan heat butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and orange juice concentrate over medium heat until butter is melted. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in extract and baking soda (mixture will foam).
3. Pour syrup mixture over popcorn mixture in bowl; stir to coat well. Spread evenly in a large, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan, lined with foil and sprayed with nonstick spray. Bake 30 minutes, stirring twice during baking time. Stir caramel corn as it cools on baking sheet. Store in an airtight container.

The Popcorn Board | 330 North Wabash Avenue | Suite 2000 | Chicago, IL 60611

Do you suppose it's the butter?

What a good idea, I thought. Mini bags of microwave popcorn. Only 2 servings in a bag, 4 bags to a box. For some reason, I can't discipline myself to NOT eat the entire bag (4 servings) when I pop microwave popcorn. That I even buy the stuff is a bit of embarrassment, but I weakened when my neighbor came to the door last spring with her grandson "selling" it for his Boy Scout fund raiser. At the lake house I keep a small jar of unbrand popcorn and just pop about 1/4 C in a little oil when I get a snack attack. So I have a pack of 15 from the boy scout--or did have--only 3 are left. But the labels don't lie. The only "flavor" of the minis on the shelf at Meijer's this morning was "Movie theater butter," which we all remember from our movie watching youth (as a teen I saw at least one movie a week because my boyfriend ran the concession stand), isn't really butter but some sort of tinted oil. Corn, palm oil and salt. Yum. The Boy Scout fund raiser pop corn, Trail's End, has canola oil, corn oil and cottonseed oil, but has half the calories of the mini bag popcorn. What to do, what to do. Fortunately, today I'm not hungry after a sensible lunch of rice, asparagus, carrots and peas. And 2 cookies.

Besides, cottonseed oil isn't good for you. Next time I'll buy plain and add butter.