Healthy Popcorn From Your Microwave

Yep. That's it. Just a quarter cup of your favorite popcorn, and a brown paper lunch sack.

Need instructions? Really? OK, are some instructions:

Pour the popcorn into the bag. Fold the top of the bag over three times.

Put the bag in the microwave, and push the popcorn button. If the popcorn stops popping before the timer rings, remove the bag from the microwave. Don't overcook, or you'll get the dreaded black popcorn---and if you really overcook it, the bag will start to burn, too.

Open the bag by pulling the sides apart. Don't stick your face over the bag, or you'll get a blast of steam in it.

Pour the popcorn in a bowl, and add your favorite toppings. Some yummy vegan choices:

• Hot, melted vegan margarine and a little popcorn salt. Trust me, get the popcorn salt rather than table salt---it makes all the difference in the world.
• Nutritional yeast flakes. Tastes really cheesy!
• A little chili powder, and a little cumin. Spicy!
• My favorite: vegan margarine, black pepper, garlic powder, and nutritional yeast. Just don't sit next to me for the next 24 hours, 'cause I'll reek of garlic!

Like many vegans, I grew up eating meat. Lots of meat. It was a running joke in my family that if there wasn't a slab of meat on the plate at dinnertime, my father would happily chow down the meat-free meal, smile at my mother and say, "That was great, honey. What's for dinner?"

I've been interested for a long time in the way food affects my body. I've tried low-fat, Atkins, and South Beach, and learned from each way of eating as I read through the books and tried the recipes. Along the way, I gave up eating sugar, stopped drinking soda, and reduced my consumption of wheat, because those things were causing me problems.

A few years back, I decided to start growing my own vegetables in my ridiculously large backyard, mostly because raised veggie beds would take up about a third of the yard, and reduce my mowing job. I really like growing things, and I also like to cook, so vegetable gardening seemed a good idea. Apparently, it was, because my garden exploded in vegetables---so many that I was giving away baskets of vegges, because I couldn't eat them fast enough.

So, that's how I became a vegetarian. I grew vegetables. When your fridge is filled with fresh veggies that have to be eaten, it's pretty easy to fall into the habit of not eating meat. Call me the accidental vegetarian.

After eating vegetarian for about a year, I decided to give vegan a try. I wasn't sure I could ever live without cheese, but within three days of ditching the dairy and eggs, I felt so much better that I just never looked back.

I blog about my garden, and occasionally about my vegan kitchen, at Lisa's Garden. Come by and see me!