Frugal Gourmet Popcorn Recipe

You can make a much better gift than those tins of flavored popcorn. You'll need a large container that's food safe, or a large food safe plastic bag to place inside a container. Think creatively. Some ideas are a laundry basket, a wooden barrel, a set of decorated coffee cans or a large bowl - you'll think of more. When you've settled on the container and know how you're going to present it, it's time to pop the corn.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1/2 Cup of unpopped popcorn
• 1 Cup seasoning: dehydrated cream of chicken soup, dry taco, spaghetti or stroganoff mix
• Oil for popping

PREPARATION:

Prepare everything before you start, because seasoning needs to be on the popped corn while it's still hot.

Make the popcorn as usual, then put it in a large container. Shake it quickly to let the "old maids" and corn that didn't pop well settle to the bottom.

Scoop (don't pour) the popcorn into the gift container, avoiding the heavier kernels at the bottom. Sprinkle seasoning over it, mix gently, and let it cool unsealed for a few minutes, then close tightly.

(Take (unseasoned) unpopped or still heavy pieces and grind or whirl in your blender to add to bird seed or grind and use it in a meatloaf!)