just for fun . . . Today - January 19th - is Popcorn Day!

WooHoo!!! This is a day I am happy to celebrate for sure as I am a definite "fan" of popcorn! While there is debate and confusion as to who actually began this "holiday", I for one am one who is most willing to celebrate it!

I found the following ideas for ways to celebrate Popcorn Day on Popcorn.com . . .

1. Stringing popcorn (these could be hung outside for birds to eat) Need: sewing needles, string, popcorn
2. Guess the amount (fill container with kernels and have grandchildren guess Need: popcorn kernels, container
3. Popcorn air hockey—can you “volley” the kernel back and forth 20 times without letting it fall? Need: flat surface (table), straw (to blow), coffee stirrers (as paddles) or hands (as paddles)
4. Popcorn relay race Need: popcorn, spoons
5. Popcorn basketball: can you flick a piece of popcorn into the basket? Need: popcorn, baskets (i.e. muffin tins, small cups), backboards (wall, cardboard)
6. Popcorn word search (puzzle maker) Popcorn, pop, kernel, explode, heat, moisture, grain, snack, crunchy, butter, oil, salt, fiber, bag, hull
7. Write a popcorn Haiku (5, 7, 5 syllable pattern poem) Oil, kernels, heat, time /Many loud explosions heard/ Pop, crunch, snack time. Yum!
8. How many words can you make from this phrase? "Fresh hot popcorn”, “Popcorn tastes good”, “I like popcorn”, “Hot buttered popcorn”
9. Popcorn coloring pages (download from www.popcorn.org)
10. Read facts about popcorn at www.popcorn.org and write about the history of popcorn

I thought it would be fun to share a few popcorn facts with you on this "corny" day . . . 

• Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That’s 51 quarts per man, woman, and child.
• Most popcorn comes in two basic shapes when it's popped: snowflake and mushroom. Snowflake is used in movie theaters and ballparks because it looks and pops bigger. Mushroom is used for candy confections because it doesn't crumble.
• Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for microwave ovens. Most microwave ovens have a "popcorn" control button.
• The world’s largest popcorn ball was created by volunteers in Sac City, Iowa in February, 2009.  It weighed 5,000 lbs., stood over 8 ft. tall, and measured 28.8 ft. in circumference.
• If you made a trail of popcorn from New York City to Los Angeles, you would need more than 352,028,160 popped kernels!

And, of course, a recipe for making popcorn . . . 

• Take a glass bowl, melt 1 Tablespoon of coconut oil
• Add 3 teaspoons sugar and 1/4 cup popcorn - mix
• Cover
• Microwave 2 to 3 minutes - listen for when it stops popping - pay attention so it does not burn!
• Salt to taste and enjoy!

What is your favorite way to have popcorn?