Stovetop Popcorn

{not your average bowl of popcorn!}

Good morning dolls! I hope everyone had a great weekend--either relaxing or adventurous or somewhere in between (mine fell in that last category that was mostly tiring and mildly stressful and felt more like a Wednesday/Thursday than a Saturday/Sunday). My highlight was eating this pizza and having a few Reese's peanut butter eggs.

Did you get punk'ed with any April Fool's jokes? A Glamour headline got me a little at first by announcing Jessica Simpson had octuplets (what can I say, I'm a sucker for celebrity gossip and THAT would be quite the story). This morning I'm also second guessing a friend's engagement ring picture text---that I feel both excited about and slightly guilty for second guessing it...maybe April 1st is not the best day to share such news?

In the kitchen this isn't necessarily a groundbreaking operation. Turns out I was late to the game on this and in my quarter century I've been deprived of the experience of making your own, flavored popcorn. We had an air popper growing up and I always loved when we could splurge on the colored kernels. The little me (who had a love for potato chip flavoring---to the point of licking it off the chips and returning it to the bag because I'm classy like that) would simply coat the kernels in butter and salt and dig in--almost always with a side of orange juice. I'm not sure where that last part came from, but even now, I occasionally feel as if I need to wash down my snack with a sweet glass of juice. 

While I'd go through phases of microwavable popcorn being my go-to snack--it never really lived up to what I thought it should be. I decided to try my hand at stove-top popcorn and I am never, ever going back to bags of popcorn that I would have to check the expiration date before setting the cook time. In the month since my 'discovery' D and I have concocted a few variations to satisfy whatever flavors we're craving at the time. We mixed together a bbq seasoning, a cinnamon-sugar combination for dessert popcorn and our absolute favorite savory Parmesean Garlic. It's so easy to make, uses tools and ingredients you probably already have in the house and everyone will think you're something of a snack god. My girlfriends and I have even talked about having a movie night party complete with a popcorn bar for everyone to make their own to fit their taste (think taco seasoning, dry ranch packets, maple syrup and pecans..etc). 

Parmesean Garlic Popcorn:

• 1/4 vegetable oil
• 2 to 3 generous handfuls of popcorn kernels
• 3-4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 c finely grated parmesean cheese
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

In a covered large pot heat the oil over medium high with one popcorn kernel inside. When the kernel pops add the rest of the kernels and reposition the lid. Gently shake the pot back and forth on the burner as the kernels heat to prevent burning. The kernels should begin to pop in no time (I get WAY too excited when this happens). When there's about 2-3 seconds between pops and popping has slowed down remove the pot from the heat and put the popcorn into a large bowl. At this point you can flavor your popcorn however you want...but I'd recommend the following...

Add the butter, salt and garlic powder to the bowl and mix thoroughly. Mix in the parmesean cheese and try to pace yourself because you'll be sad when it's all gone.