Palin's Popcorn

I was pretty excited to watch the vice-presidential debate on Thursday evening. I anticipated that it would be more entertaining than the Sex and the City movie that I had (finally) watched the night before and, in preparation, I made some popcorn.

I don't know why anyone thinks that special equipment is needed to make popcorn, or how boxed, plastic-wrapped, chemically-drowned microwave popcorn is the norm. (Oooo, and don't get me started about the cost of movie popcorn — the people should revolt!)

Anyway, it's just this easy (and incredibly inexpensive) to make popcorn:

• Choose a saucepan and lid
• Coat the bottom of pan with a layer of oil (vegetable, olive, whatever...)
• Pour popcorn kernels to just barely cover the bottom of the pan (it doesn't look like much, but it is!)
• Place the pan (with lid!) over medium-high heat, shaking occasionally until you hear popping
• Keep shaking over heat until popping stops, remove lid
• Toss popcorn in a large bowl with salt and melted butter (or olive oil, as we did — yum!)

It takes the same amount of time as the microwave popcorn, is so much cheaper and healthier, and...it's kind of fun, too.

I don't want to comment much on the debate, other than noticing that Palin came across as the Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee of candidates. The way she spoke to the American public (and to Senator Joe Biden) was disrespectful of our intelligence. Her choice to offer her responses using words usually reserved for the most informal of situations did not make her seem more accessible, it made her come across as inauthentic. (As an aside, if Barack Obama spoke in this fashion, he would most certainly not be a candidate for the presidency.)

In short, it was the worst job interview I have ever witnessed...but my popcorn was the real deal. (Really, it all relates...)