Introducing Microwave Popcorn

We were given a couple of bags of microwave popcorn, so I told the little boys they could make some.

Dan opened the packet to read the instructions. "What's a popcorn button, Mom?" He asked. I explained that our microwave didn't have one, and then I read the instructions and told him what to do.

All four boys went into the kitchen and watched as Dan put the popcorn in the microwave and turned it on. I stayed in my rocking chair, nursing the baby.

30 Seconds went by. Then I heard Benji yell, "AAAHHHH!!!! Everybody run!" And Nathanael said, "It's going to explode!!" And Dan said, "I think I'd better turn it off....never mind, it went off."

"Did it stop popping?" I asked.

"No," Dan said.

"Turn it back on, quick," I said. He did. But the nervous sounds and shouting from Benji didn't stop.

So I stood up and went in there, where I found four boys standing far back from the microwave, their eyes wide.

"Mom," said Nathanael, "is that going to ruin the microwave?"

I looked into the microwave--everything looked normal--and then teased the meaning out of the clamor. The bag had expanded, and the boys had never seen that before. To them, it was a bomb. It was going to explode. Brown paper bags aren't supposed to expand all by themselves.....

They were pretty impressed when I poured popcorn out.

But then Nathanael came to me with a piece of popcorn in hand, still looking unduly nervous. "Mom, what's inside this popcorn? It's yellow...."

Butter, Nathanael. It's just butter flavor.

Then they relaxed and ate it.

I guess that's what I get for always making popcorn the old-fashioned way, and only seasoning it with salt!