Back to the Basics: HOMEMADE Popcorn...fast, easy, AWESOME!

Oh the quandary!  How to make HOMEMADE BUTTER POPCORN without getting it soggy?  Ok, I admit.  I don't mind my popcorn oozing with butter and salt.    My husband on the other hand, can't stand it.  

We've desperately been trying to adapt a healthier lifestyle around our home for the past year and a half or so.  My hub's LOVES microwave popcorn.  I, personally, haven't touched the stuff in years.  I can count on 1 hand how many times my daughter has had any (she is almost 4) and my boy hasn't had any until tonight.

Last summer while garage sale-ing I came across a "Black & Decker Handy Pop 'N Serve".  It was listed for $1 and I thought, why not?  Let's give this thing a try.  All i can say is:  GO BUY ONE NOW! 

(sorry it's blurry)

This is how it works:  Measure out 1/4 cup of popcorn kernals, dump it in, flip switch to "ON", wait 4 mintues, popcorn done.  Ummm...I think this actually popped FASTER than microwave popcorn!  I have absolutely no clue if Black & Decker still makes this, but I DID happen to peek on Ebay and saw them listed for around $12. 

But...how to make my popcorn NOT get SOGGY?  Easy.

Place popped corn in large bowl.  measure out 1/4 cup of Olive Oil.  Pour half of it on top, toss, then pour the rest, toss.  POPCORN DOES NOT SOAK UP THE OIL.  The oil COATS the popcorn.

We like good ol' fashioned butter popcorn, so I cranked out some sea salt and then sprinkled on Butter Buds, found by the popcorn in the grocery store.  Butter Buds has all-natural ingredients w/ the exception of 1: maltodextrin.  If you ever see "Annato" listed as an ingredient, it is an orange-red dye obtained from the pulp of a tropical fruit, used for coloring foods and fabric.  (like cheddar cheese) 

This popcorn, in my opinion, tasted WAY better than microwave and I can eat it knowing I'm not going to completely clog every artery in my body or my entire intestinal tract.  I think it would taste fabulous to experiement w/ some fresh herbs, but for now, we'll just enjoy our yummy homemade butter popcorn.  By the way, both my kids LOVED it!

So next time you're at Grandma's and she still has that old popcorn popper, maybe she'll let you take it home with you. :)  Of course, you don't have to have a popper at all, just a stove.  But it sure was nice to have it done in 4 minutes.

Enjoy!