(NAPSA)—It’s that time of the year when Americans join together to celebrate their favorite magical, munching maize—pop- corn! Don’t let October pass without celebrating National Popcorn Poppin’ Month. Popcorn lovers have long celebrated the harvest of this naturally delightful snack. As farmers head to the fields to gather the crops, families and friends gather to gobble up some of the 17 billion quarts that are consumed annually. That’s roughly 59 quarts per man, womanandchild of this naturally delicious treat. What makes popcorn so popular? It’s a wholesome, tasty treat that’s versatile and fun to make. It can be topped with your favorite sweet or savory topping or eaten hot out of the popper. If you haven’t recently popped popcorn im a pan or popper, or if you know someone who has never experienced this popping method, take a few minutes for the simple pleasure of preparing the “old-fashioned” way. As the oil sizzles, you wait in anticipation of the first “pop”; then, visual mayhem erupts as these hard-cased seeds explode into soft fluffy kernels. It is simply delightful watching this bit of magic and the smell is almost guaranteed to make your mouth water! Be sure to celebrate National Popcorn Poppin’ Month this October by serving up some of your favorite popcorn treats. Happy Halloween Mini Popcorn Balls 10 cups popped popcorn 1 (1-Ib.) bag miniature marshmallows \% cup (4 stick) butter or margarine 1 cup diced dried fruit (papaya, mango or peaches) 1 cup butterscotch chips Orange food coloring a Pe, Place popcorn, fruit and butterscotch chips in large bowl];set aside. Heat marshmallowsand butter in a large saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in several drops of food coloring. Pour over popcorn, fruit and candy, tossing to coat evenly. Cool 5 minutes. Grease hands and form mixture into 3-inch balls. Yield: About 16 Balls Nutrition Information: (Based on 1 serving) Total calories 250; Fat 8g; Carbohydrate 43g; Sugars 31g; Fiber 1g; Protein 2g; Sodium 60mg; Cholesterol 10mg Haunted Popcorn Hands What You Need: e Clear Polyethylene food service gloves e Candy corn e Popcorn Ribbon or yarn Place 1-3 pieces of candy corn at the end of each finger (depending on size of glove), pointy side first, to make fingernails. Fill the glove with popcorn andtie it off with ribbon or yarn. For more great popcorn recipes, visit www.popcorn.org.
