{From the Archives of Connie's Letters. May 2012.}
Dear Home Keepers,
On our response group Canaan suggested that we all make out menus for the week. . I think it is a good idea. . . I used to do this when the family was home. . Anyway hopefully we can all get some good ideas from each other for meals. .
This is how I used to do it . . . On one piece of paper I would write out my menus.. Then on the other paper I would write down the grocery items I would need to make the family meals. .
If Jim was working and got off work in the evening, then I would have the family meal around 5:00. . And if he was working a 2nd shift, I would have a family meal before he went to work in the afternoon. . .
Then we just had simple breakfasts, they varied. I made barrels of pancakes. . and fried eggs. . Sometimes we had oatmeal or just toast and a glass of milk . . The meals we had when Jim was at work were just leftovers or sandwiches. . . Or just popcorn with a vegetable salad.
I make the regular popcorn in a skillet on the stove. . Not microwave. To make real popcorn, just put about a fourth cup of oil in a skillet on the stove. . Then pour in about a half cup of popcorn. . Put a lid on it and shake it up a little bit to redistribute the popcorn so it won't burn. . Turn the heat on high ...then turn it down a bit when it starts to pop good . . . it only takes about 10 minutes to make fresh popcorn. And oh it is so good . .We liked to eat apples with our popcorn. . and Kool-Aid to drink. I would eat my popcorn with cheese and dill pickles. . Well it is fun to have popcorn for supper. . I usually drank ice tea with my popcorn.
The popcorn is done when it stops popping in the skillet . . Be sure to have a big bowl handy to put your popcorn in when it is done popping. . After it is all done just melt some butter and put it on the popcorn and stir it up with salt sprinkled on it. . Sometimes we would put Parmesan cheese on it.. plus the butter.
You can even buy bulk popcorn at the Dollar Store now. . And to some of you older ladies - Many younger ladies in this generation don't really even know about cooking popcorn on the stove. That's why I am explaining it. . I am not trying to insult anyone's intelligence.
Love Connie