Popcorn party

I bring you popcorn.

And not just any popcorn....the star here is orange popcorn. You're probably thinking to yourself, "What?! Orange popcorn? That's disgusting." Just hold on. In high school, my best friend's mom used to make HUGE batches of these for our sleepovers of parties and everyone loved it. You're gonna love it. Unless you're not a sweet and salty popcorn kinda person. Or if you're like my husband and don't like popcorn because the kernels get stuck in your teeth. In that case, I'm so sorry for you.

I absolutely love popcorn and can eat endless amounts of stovetop popcorn. Like dessert, I have a second stomach completely reserved for popcorn. My friend and I will make several batches of popcorn when we get together. And we.eat.it.all. But hey, no shame, it counts as a whole grain (AND the serving size is 3 cups!!!). 

So the orange popcorn--think kettle corn with a refreshing hint of orange.

I know I should have given a savory recipe to go with my sweet one, but my heart is with sweets, so I'm giving you TWO salty/sweet combo recipes. Sawry. If you want to forgo the sweet (why??), then leave out the m&m's and instead replace it with the seasoning of your choice (you could do parmesan and garlic powder--apparently that's a thing). The wonderful thing about the m&m popcorn is that you add the m&m's right after popping, so it warms the chocolate. The shell is still intact, but the inside....oh my goodness, melty and wonderful. So next time you're gonna watch a movie, or need a snack, give this a try. Popcorn party anyone???

Note: Be careful when making the orange popcorn, the sugar can burn if you don't preheat the oil and then add the sugar once it's ready to pop the popcorn. I've learned from experience: burned pot, burnt popcorn, smoke filling the apartment, neighbors thinking I'm crazy with smoke pouring out the door, the whole thing. I just recently learned the technique described below and it REALLY helps. Hopefully you'll be able to successfully make stovetop popcorn too!