Looking for a fun way to warm up a winter virtual school day? Me too! I love getting forwarded emails filled with suggestions. I'm almost always ready to try something at least once.
It was only natural that when I received an email about making homemade popcorn in a brown paper lunch bag, I was enticed by the promise of a wonderful, inexpensive, different, simple, nutritious snack being ready in a minute (be still my heart)! It also gives my daughter and I the opportunity to use all those great reasoning skills she's learning in her courses.
I did a search for "brown paper bag popcorn" and found many people that said making popcorn in a brown paper bag would work just fine, there are even some references to it on some well known cooking sites. Some of the directions given suggested stapling the bag shut so that the popcorn doesn't pop out while microwaving. I had some lunch bags and popcorn kernels and decided to give it a try.
Suddenly I started thinking about whether or not a staple in the microwave was a good idea. So, once again I headed back to my trusty search engine and rethought the questions that I was typing in. Instead of searching for "brown paper bag popcorn", I searched for "microwave food containers safety". This second search led me in a whole new direction!
It wasn't the popcorn or the microwave that could be a problem, it was the brown paper bag!
The Popcorn Board explains on their Web site:
"Plain and/or recycled papers are often made from unknown materials that could catch fire, interfere with microwave cooking technology and lessen the performance and longevity of a microwave oven. Most importantly, these unknown materials most likely are not approved as food grade papers, and should not come in direct contact with food products. "
Thank you Popcorn Board for saving me! The recipe was simple enough, but the food container that I was going to put into the microwave wasn't! This made me stop and ponder other emailed recipes that I've considered trying, such as making an omelet in a plastic bag, baking bread in a flower pot or yes, I'm sorry to say, this includes rethinking the kitty litter cake.
What food containers are safe to put in the microwave?
The best source I found for the final word on what's safe and what isn't, was the United States Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service. On their Web site you will find several fact sheets about safe food handling, including how to cook safely in the microwave oven. It's never too soon to help your children understand food safety. Check out their site for ideas to educate our kids about food safety.
Are you hungry for some really great popcorn recipes? Check out these yummy recipes! My favorite was the Crunchy Popcorn Salad.
By the way, the email I received suggesting that I try the paper bag popcorn definitely warmed up my day. Keep 'em coming!
Looking for some great food-safe recipes to liven up your lunch and breakfast? Check these out!
Please, share your favorite fun (and food-safe) recipes here!