A Tasty Treat That Won't Cost You Lots of $$$

It's become a tradition in our household to on weekends watch a movie as a family at night. We all pile into the family room and begin the torment of picking which movie we want to watch. With kids ranging from 11 to 17, the debate can last for the better part of an hour and, let's face it, isn't fun. What is fun? When we finally settle on something we can all tolerate, the lights go out and I go to the kitchen to make popcorn.

Popcorn is, by my way of thinking, the quintessential movie snack. I don't understand how people get nachos at the theatre. Give me a big bucket'o'corn and I'm a happy girl. Slap on some butter (or whatever that is at the theatres) and salt and it's heaven in my hands.

At home, microwave popcorn is the old standby for most folks, but when you're making popcorn for six people, you are popping at least 2 or 3 bags (they're growing kids, don't you know). And that, my friends, gets expensive.

So, here's a great way to get the same snack fix without spending a pretty penny on pre-packaged corn, salt and butter flavoring. Do it yourself. Yes, you can. It's easy, it's kinda fun and you can make your popcorn pretty much any flavor and level of unhealthiness that you'd like. Here's what you need:

popping corn (your favorite brand)

lunch-sized brown paper bag

any toppings you'd like, suggestions;

* butter

* salt

* parmesan cheese

* butter spray

* creole seasoning

Put a 1/4 Cup of popcorn kernels in a brown paper lunch bag. Fold the open end over about 1 inch, twice. Lay the bag on its side in a microwave and cook for 2 minutes. Pour popped corn into a bowl. Add toppings to taste. Delicous!

Now, make about 3 more of those bags, meet me at my house and sit back, relax and enjoy the movie and your inexpensive snack.