Children of the Corn

Dad made a total of two dishes while we were growing up. One of those dishes was scrambled eggs & salami and the other was popcorn.

When we'd hear him shifting the pots and pans around in the bottom of the cabinet to find the heavy bottomed stock pot and lid, we knew we were in for a treat. Out came the oil and the kernels along with said pot and lid. The sound of bottom of the pot being vigorously shaken back and forth atop the burners of our electric stove top was deafening. He'd scoop the hot popcorn into brown paper lunch bags and write our names on them to ensure we ate out of only our own bag. The horror! We'd then jump into the family station wagon with blankets and sleeping bags in tow for our evening at the drive-in movie theater.  I can remember two things clearly. 1.  the feeling of the stained oil as it seeped through the bag after holding it for hours and 2. twisting the top of the bag to close it so I could take the rest home with me for the next day (invariably, it staled quickly and was thrown sooner rather than later).

Not my popper of the 80's, but an acceptable example

Flash forward to high school graduation. One of my most coveted gifts was my air popped popcorn maker. That one appliance was my best friend throughout college and after my move to Dallas. I used it religiously-repeatedly offending guests with my "that tastes like Styrofoam" popcorn. Just kernels (I like a mix of white and yellow corn) and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese. I loved it.  An evening wasn't complete until I had my bowl of popcorn along side my Diet Coke. It moved everywhere with me--and always had a secured space in my cabinet. Unwieldy at times due to the odd shape?  Yes, but it was worth every inch of space it took up on the shelf.

Not only does my love for popcorn come from the nostalgia that smelling it and eating it brings to me, but the health benefits are pretty amazing. We're talking 100% whole grain, fiber, low in calories, filling and it has large amounts of polyphenols, the compounds that have been found to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Lastly, its very affordable. People who complain that eating healthy costs too much need to take a look at popcorn before complaining again! 

Now, it's time to introduce the young son to popcorn. I have been hunting high and low for my beloved popper to no avail. I have scoured this house. Nothing. Sure, it would be easy to point fingers at others who live in the house who don't care for my air popped popcorn as to its whereabouts, but that's not how I roll. (or is it?) My fear is that I'll never see the popper again. It must have made its way to the recycling bin or the trash or was conveniently left in the last house before moving to this one. Regardless, it's time for a new air popped popcorn popper. I'll be searching online and in stores today. Until I find one, I'm going to pay homage to Dad and do a little popping on the stove top tonight.

Here's a great little recipe and video from the NovelEats.com blog for Stove Top Popcorn.

Photo source: www.thisnext.com

Once In Love With Amy

Yesterday was my first taste of the goodness that is Amy's Natural Foods. Hard to believe that I've never tasted it before-wait, I take that back. Amy's was at a food show I attended several years back. They were serving up their delicious pizza and creating long, annyoning lines of people waiting to wolf down their mini slice of the good stuff.

I digress. It was a cold and rainy day yesterday and I had 2 big deadlines I had to meet. Lunch rolled around and the Amy's Tamale Verde with Black Bean frozen meal was calling my name. Purchased the day before, I had my eye on it and knew that it would be consumed in short order...it's work related research, you know. Many a friend and colleague had waxed on about the deliciousness of the Amy's brand. Now I know why. These people know how to do frozen food.

My Tamale Verde was plump full of whole black beans and actually identifiable niblets of corn. The masa on the tamale was moist and substantial and the rice-which is something I usually do not eat-was tasty with the appropriate amount of spice and flavor. I was satisfied after I ate it (at 1:00pm) and stayed that way until about 4:30 when an orange called my name. This tells me that it had the right amount of calories, protein, carbs and fat for my body's needs.


The folks at Amy's have been doing this for years. Their products are all natural, organic, trans fat free and made with fresh ingredients. Over 50% of their ingredients are grown within a 200 mile radius of their "kitchen". They cater to those who are vegan, gluten-free, dairy free and lactose free as well as sodium restricted. Click here for more info on their comprehensive website. (www.amys.com)

The Enchiladas with Vegetables and Black Beans is still in freezer..but not for long.