Cheap and Easy Microwave Popcorn

 As I delved into the mysterious (to me) world of meal planning, that included tips on saving money at the grocery store, I came across a simple way to make fresh popped popcorn in the microwave with out the artificial flavorings and other unknown chemicals in the store bought popcorn. It is also more convenient than dragging out the hot air popper. We eat popcorn very frequently at our house and I am always looking for a quicker  way to do so, without compromising the healthiness of my favorite snack!

It seems to pop best if I melt the butter in the microwave first. I then pour regular popcorn kernels into a regular, brown paper bag. I usually put just enough to cover the bottom of the bag. The top is then rolled down about 3 times to keep it closed. Through trial and error, I found laying the bag on its  side works the best. Once the bag, when standing upright, got hung up on the top of the microwave and started to smoke a wee bit. That is why I recommend standing near the microwave observing your bag while it pops. I use 1 minute 45 seconds. I listen for the popping to slow and take it out as soon as there aren't any popping. I drizzle the butter on as I shake the bag, then add the popcorn salt and shake again to distribute it evenly. That's it, so easy!

Some pictures: