Jiffy Pop and a Movie

I’ve heard that some people who look for cost effective methods of feeding, sheltering, clothing, educating, and amusing themselves can become almost addicted to doing everything cheap. Well, I’m not there, but, out of necessity, we do whittle down expenses.

We’re not eating out often and instead of going to the movies, we’re watching free netflix online and popping our own snacks.
(As is evidenced by this picture in which I’ve completely let myself go.)

Remember Jiffy Pop? That’s the way we made popcorn when I was little. I spotted it in the store and realized my children had never seen it. That just seems wrong.
So we gathered, seriously, around the foil pan, (myself, my teenager daughter, and my ten year old son) waiting in suspense for the hissing sound of steam so we could take turns shaking it over the burner.

Slowly as the popping sounds sped up and the foil dome ballooned outward, they got a little antsy. There was a bit of nervous debate about wether we were shaking the pan enough to keep the kernels from burning and who’d not gotten enough of a turn, etc.

The dispute was settled by a burnt smell, so we pulled it off the fire and my son had the honor of tearing the little bubble open to taste test it. It was fine and I think we all ate it more heartily during the movie than normal because, I don’t know, it’s like 70’s nostalgia voodoo. It was entertainment in itself.

I can’t imagine the kids liking it more if they were under ten.