Frugal food: Microwave Popcorn

My husband and I often munch on popcorn when we watch a movie together at home.  In Denver, it's not easy to find reasonably priced microwave packets of popcorn that are pareve (don't contain any dairy ingredients).  I don't like the cheaper dairy microwave popcorns that are out there...I find them overbuttered, over-processed, and greasy.  I used to bring back pareve microwave popcorn from my family visits to New York, until I realized that I could make my own microwave packets:

1. Buy any reasonably priced plain, bulk popping corn.
   
2. Buy a package of brown lunch bags.  That's right, lunch bags...you know those brown sacks that Mom put your PB&J sandwiches in when you were in fourth grade?  You can usually pick a package of a hundred of these up at a nearby dollar store, for...a dollar.
   
3. Take one of the bags, and dump about a 1/4 cup of popping corn in it.  You can also add a little oil/margarine and a little salt at this point, if you prefer.  Don't overdo the oil or the bag will get super-oily.
4. Fold over the edge of the bag twice and seal it with a piece of tape.  If you don't tape it, you'll have a microwave full of popcorn (been there, done that).
   
5. Microwave the bag for about 2 3/4 minutes on high.
6. Melt a quarter stick of margarine, put the perfectly popped corn in a glass bowl, and drizzle the margarine over the top.  Joshua likes a dash of extra sea salt.
7. Cost per bowl is about 25 cents, if that.  Sure beats the price of a store-bought packet of pareve popcorn, and tastes great. 

Bon appetit!