popstir tradition

i don't remember which year my dad gave me the "popstir" for christmas, but i know i've had the best-tasting popcorn ever since.  a little bit of oil, corn kernels, salt, and voila!--the best snack ever!

this year i decided to share the popstir goodness with our neighbors, and i think i've created the best neighbor gift tradition ever!  i've gotten the best reviews on this gift--and what's even better--it cost me a grand total of $7 for six gifts (i already had popcorn, oil, salt and sugar.  i bought more sugar crystals and bags to put the popcorn in).  i thought i'd let y'all in on the secret:

1. kettle corn recipe, courtesy rachael ray.  the proportions are perfect!  it's the perfect amount of oil and popcorn for my pot--all the kernels pop, and none of the sugar is left over burned or caramelized on the pot.  the popstir is perfect for kettle corn, because once you add sugar, you have to constantly shake the pot so the sugar doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.  if you use a regular pot and lid, you're just going to get a good workout, that's all!
2. red and green sugar crystals, to make the kettle corn that much more festive!  i added probably 2 tablespoons of crystals to the sugar the recipe called for.  i used up some crystals i had on hand, and when i got down to the last of it, i made one batch with half the amount of crystals, and the popcorn came out white with some crystals stuck to it, not the festive full red color you see below.  i also decided to try the jimmies sprinkles with a batch, as i was running low on crystals.  word to the wise:  spend the money and stick with the crystals--they're on sale at the grocery store right now, anyway!  the jimmies just melted and turned into a big greenish-brownish glob.  the popcorn looked "forest green", to be nice.  it would have been a more appropriate color for halloween...so we ate that batch instead of sharing it...
3. festive paper christmas bags--thank you joann's for having all your christmas supplies 60% off already!  i paid 60 cents per big bag (in the photo below), and 40 cents per small bag.  

i could make one green batch, and one red batch of popcorn, and then i'd have to stop and wash the pot out, just to make sure extra sugar or crystals weren't going to stick to it and burn.  after mixing the colored popcorn, i filled the bag 1/2 full, so one big batch of red/green popcorn filled two bags.  i made a total of 3 green and 3 red batches to fill all my bags, and don't forget--you're going to have to make an extra batch for yourself because this stuff is more addictive than potato chips!