Next time you go to the grocery store, ask for your groceries in paper bags. You'll need one bag per batch.

Here's what you'll need:
3-4 quarts popped corn
1 stick of butter (no substitutes!)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup Karo Syrup
1 tsp. baking soda - add last

Pop the corn and discard the unpopped kernels. Put the popped corn in the paper sack.

While the corn is popping, put the butter, sugar, salt and syrup in a glass bowl and bring it to a boil in your microwave. Stir after one minute, and let it boil for an additional minute. Add 1 tsp. of baking soda and stir well, until thickened. It will turn light in color and look like taffy.

Pour this mixture over the popped corn in the paper bag and shake well. Put the paper bag back in the microwave and cook an additional 90 seconds. Remove and shake well again. Return to the microwave and cook another 90 seconds. Shake again. Open the bag and let it cool. You can tear the bag down the side to speed up the cooling process. Store in an airtight container. Print these directions.

Variations:

Here's what you'll need:
1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
10 cups popped popcorn

Melt the butter in a soup pot. Add corn syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla.

Stir the mixture and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir the popcorn into the mixture using a wooden spoon.

Put waxed paper on your countertop. When the popcorn is just cool enough to handle, form into balls with lightly buttered hands (or spray your hands with non-stick spray). Lay the balls on waxed paper to harden. Makes about a dozen balls, depending on size. Store in an airtight container. Print these directions.

Here's what you'll need:
12 cups popped corn
1.5 oz flavored gelatin (any color gelatin powder)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup

Put gelatin, sugar and syrup into a pot. Heat and stir the mixture to dissolve. Bring to a rolling boil.

Pour over the popcorn in a large bowl (you can lightly salt popcorn first if you like). Stir until all popcorn is coated.

When the popcorn is just cool enough to handle, form into balls with lightly buttered hands (or spray your hands with non-stick spray). Lay them on waxed paper to harden. Makes about a dozen popcorn balls, depending on size.

Use whatever color suits the occasion. For example, for Halloween use orange gelatin. You can put `faces' on your popcorn balls with candy. For Christmas, make a bowl full of red and green balls. In the spring, use pastel colors. Print these directions.