Saturday, August 13, 2011

Practical tip...healthier, budget friendly popcorn on family movie night!

Last night was movie night in our house.  The kids love when I say we are doing that and they always want popcorn.  It is just so easy to keep a box of microwave popcorn on hand, but it is expensive and I have no idea how much salt, fat, and who knows what else is in it.  As a homeschool mom, I'm always on a budget, but I love things to be simple.  I have been doing this for years - and it really is easy on the budget (not to mention, I have a small kitchen - so keeping an air popping appliance was not convenient either).



Here is what I do... I keep a bag of regular popping corn on hand all the time (the kind you put in a skillet with oil, you know)! 

1.) Place a small pat of BUTTER (you can use MARGARINE or OIL) into a LUNCH SACK
2.) Add a small scoop of POPCORN (probably 1/4 - 1/3 of a cup)
3.) Toss in a sprinkle of SALT
4.) Fold down the top of the bag a couple of times
5.) Pop it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes (listen for popping to slow down to 1-2 seconds between pops)  That's it!!! 

Everyone can have their own personal size bag of popcorn...and I think you could personalize the flavors too!  My friend did something with caramel in hers when I told her about it...yum!  Maybe she'll jump on here and let you know what she did!  Hope you have fun with your next movie night.  This also makes an inexpensive afternoon snack for the kiddos.  If you try some fun flavors...be sure to let me know! 

5 comments:

  1. Hey, I just stumbled across your blog from the MFW blogroll and noticed you are in TX too... I'm guessing DFW area since your previous post was about the DMA! Cool. We're doing MFW 1st Grade, and we live in Grand Prairie. Count me as a new follower! Have a great weekend!

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  2. Hi Jade...that is great to know...I love to find other MFW mom's nearby; we aren't far apart at all. Thanks for stopping in on my blog - we started 1st a little (she begged) but we will get going daily when public school starts here because I watch a few kids during the summer. Hope you love your year with MFW 1st - we have loved it so far!

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  3. Hi Ashley!

    My husband started making our kids homemade popcorn for Friday Movie Night over the winter...and they prefer it over anything :)

    Just stopping by to let you know HHinMFW will start next Thursday. Hope you can join us!


    Kathi & Kattie
    http://6arrows.blogspot.com/p/homeschool-highlights-in-my-fathers.html

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  4. What a wonderful idea. And the bonus is no pot to wash afterwards! I just burn popcorn in the pot and we have to wait for hubby to get home to make it for us. He's a pro.
    Now, with this idea, I can try. Only, I'm not too sure what a lunch sack is, we don't get them here- would a brown paper bag do?

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    Replies
    1. Hi Homeschool SA Mom! Yes, a little brown paper bag (or sometimes I find white ones) will do. I usually find them in the aisle with the zipper sandwich bags, plastic wrap, etc. They are usually very inexpensive for 50-100 packs - and they are great for many other things!! I use them to make paper puppets, popcorn (as in this post), use them to decorate with stickers for goody bags at birthday parties (now it's a craft and a goodie bag), or to store Monopoly pieces in when we don't have time to finish the game.

      Here is how I do that - just in case you play Monopoly when you eat your popcorn!! We survey the board, write down which of our properties have houses / hotels and how many, write down what lot our game piece was on, and we write down what order each of us was playing in (who was 1st, 2nd, etc), then we slip in any cards we are holding (property, get out of jail cards, etc., slip in our game piece, and our money, and we throw the dice into the sack of the person whose turn is next. Now - we have a perfectly preserved 14 hour Monoploy game!! UGH - my kids LOVE Monopoly and I groan at how long the game can take!!! But the little paper sacks help out!

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