On Supporting the Little Guys and Poppin' Some Seriously Good Corn

There is a charming little True Value hardware store in downtown Joplin which we try to frequent as much as possible. It's much more convenient to buzz on over to the Home Depot, which we definitely do, but if we have the time and are up for some good old Midwestern hospitality, we head over to Pearl Brother's Hardware to support "the little guy" and meander through the crowded aisles. This place is such a gem. You truly feel like you have stepped back in time when you look up at the tin ceiling or have an extended, casual conversation with one of the sweet older gentlemen who run the place.

(Have no clue who this man is, but he's standing outside Pearl Brother's 

and that is enough to illustrate my story!)

It's the kind of place that sells everything from paint thinner to barbecues to kitschy lawn ornaments and candy. I'm pretty sure there are some products in here that have been on the shelves longer than we've been alive. The other day we went in with a list and came out with more than what was on said list. Namely, we are now the proud owners of an Orville Redenbacher Presto Popper!

Being that our kitchen is less than state of the art and our built-in microwave doesn't turn without winding and then when wound turns painfully slow, we decided to avoid the fire hazard that is microwave popcorn and go for a popper. We could have gone for a stovetop popper, you know the kind with the crank, but our electric stove is not so good at evenly distributing heat, so electric it was!

Sidenote- for all who are wondering, yes, at some point we will be remodeling the kitchen, but it's not our top priority, as of yet. We'll revisit the idea in a few years OR upon winning the lottery. ;)

I cannot begin to describe the goodness produced from our new popper. I've always known microwave popcorn is a feeble attempt at air popped goodness, and that it's chock full of unhealthy stuff, but now I am fully convinced I never ever want to go back to our old ways. Just a few small pats of butter and a sprinkle of salt is enough to season this fluffy goodness and you don't get that gross, oily build-up on the roof of your mouth, like you do with most of the microwavable variety.

(source)

So, today I am loving that for $2, we can buy a big bag of corn and have enough popcorn to eat every night for the next month, although I know that wouldn't be the wisest of choices, and I'm loving that we get to play a small part in keeping Pearl Brother's alive... Here's to old fashioned hardware stores and good old fashioned popcorn!