When you don’t know what else to do…make popcorn

I’m just going to get it over with – just get into the flow of the blog like I have been doing it for years. There is no reason a second post has to be any more less or more important than the 200th, right?
I have been hearing some pretty gross things about the stuff that goes into microwave popcorn packages, so I have been asking around about popcorn makers. I was thinking about something like this whirley pop. The most popular response when I asked how a family popped their corn was overwhelmingly the ol’ pan on the stove method. We never did this in my house so I always thought it would be tedious and possibly resulting in a bunch of burnt popcorn with the smallest change of factors. I tried it tonight with wonderful results! I coated the bottom of the pot with oil and placed 3 kernels inside. Then I put on the lid, turned the stove up to medium and waited for those first kernels to pop. As soon as they popped, then I added a half of cup of kernels (put the lid back on)and shook them about every 30 seconds until they started to pop. Then I waited until the popping slowed and removed the pot. There were hardly any kernels that didn’t pop, none were burnt, and it filled a large popcorn bowl. I was very impressed!
As if that weren’t exciting enough, (yes, I get excited easily) we were watching a version of Alice in Wonderland that I have been hoping to find for ages. I watched this movie so much when I was a girl that I memorized it! It was originally a made for TV movie and so the copy of it I had was taped onto a blank VHS tape, with blips of commercials here and there and a little bit of “snow” added in as we didn’t have cable. I finally found it on DVD this week and eagerly anticipated the opportunity to watch it with the kids this weekend. It did not disappoint. It was not one of those things that you think is great when you are young and then you are thoroughly disappointed wth when revisiting it as an adult. It is peppered with lots of great stars such as Red Buttons, Sammy Davis Jr., and Carol Channing as well as some surprises like Ringo Starr. This Alice in Wonderland held it’s “wonder” for me.