January 27, 2012: Single girl supper --Popcorn! No peanuts. No prize. But there is a quiz!

When I was a kid, I watched A LOT of TV. And apparently, although marketing research was not as popular, they knew how to get to kids through advertising. There was no tivo, no skipping ads. There was just longing. And one of the things I longed for very often was JIFFY POP. Before Magic Kingdom, Magic Johnson and the Orlando Magic, there was "the magic treat--as much fun to make as it is to eat." And it was! Of course, only excellent behavior and extremely doe-eyed staring in the popcorn section would occasionally spark my dad to pick up a fry pan of Jiffy Pop. You could forget it with my mom. A bag of plain kernels of popcorn would conjure up a bushel of popped, salted treat and cost the same as the Jiffy Pop! "Waste not, want not," was the mantra. And the price of Jiffy Pop definitely bordered on sinfulness.
During the few times I did get to pop it though, it sure did seem like a supernatural event. But probably, it was just Freudian :)

Last night though, I was driving back from my aunt's house and I did not want to stop, because I haven't actually seen my new husband all that much since we got married. I really wanted to get home. So I reverted to the single woman's dinner friend--popcorn. But not just any popcorn. Newfangled popcorn. The new one out on the market is SKINNY POP. This stuff is great: tasty, filling and only 39 calories a cup. If you don't put anything on air popped corn, it is 25 per cup. So this is only 14 more calories and incredibly delicious. I recommend it.

So I was thinking it might be interesting to offer a POPCORN QUIZ. Get ready cause these are the five most obscure pieces of popcorn trivia out there :)

QUESTION 1

True or False. There is substantial evidence that popcorn was around in 4700 B.C. in Peru

QUESTION 2

Which of the following claims to be the Popcorn Capital of the World?
a. North Loup, Nebraska
b. Topeka, Kansas
c. Dubuque, Iowa
d. Kankakee, Illinois
e. Lake City, Minnesota

QUESTION 3
True or False. Popcorn kernels that do not pop at proper temperature are called old maids.

QUESTION 4
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
a. National Popcorn Day is in January.
b. National Popcorn Month is July.
c. National Caramel Corn Day is April 7th.
d. According to the Guiness Book of World Records, the largest popcorn ball was 12 feet in diameter.
e. Kentucky is in the top 10 popcorn producing states.

QUESTION 5
True or False. Typical popcorn expands to 40-45 times its original size.


Okay, now it is time for the answers to your POP QUIZ!

1.

It's true. They were eating popcorn, not lima beans in Peru long ago.

2.

Interestingly, North Loup is not the only city that claims to be the Popcorn Capital. So does Ridgway, Illinois, Valpraiso, Indiana, Van Buren, Indiana, Schaller, Iowa and Marion, Ohio!

3.

True. You can also call them "spinsters."

4.

B. National Popcorn Month is October. (Everyone knows that!)

5.

It's true....sort of like my BUTT.

Okay, neighbors and friends. Go out and get yourself a healthy serving of delicious popcorn. And if you are dieting, try the skinny pop.