HELOISE Hints help make a great snack pop

Dear Readers: Who doesn't love popcorn? It's delicious, high in fiber and can be a low-calorie snack. So, we thought we would share some hints and a recipe for a great snack -- popcorn:
UPut popcorn into resealable plastic bags after it's cooled. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and give the whole thing a good shake so that unpopped kernels fall out of the hole.
UPopcorn should be cooked only in microwave-safe containers or prepackaged microwave bags. Kernels can scorch and catch fire if cooked in other containers, such as brown paper bags. And don't reheat popcorn in the microwave.
UPopcorn kernels should be stored in an airtight container on a pantry shelf, not in the refrigerator. Too much moisture could cause the popcorn not to pop.
UTry sprinkling with seasoned salts; salt-free herb blends; dry salad-dressing mixes; taco or chili seasoning mixes; grated hard cheeses like Parmesan or Romano; or the powdered cheese from macaroni-and-cheese dinners.
UServe popcorn to guests with several bowls of different toppings so they can make their own special blend.
UWhen you make a batch at night, save some for workday or school lunches. Put the cooled popcorn in a large, resealable plastic bag.
UDon't salt popcorn before popping -- it might actually toughen the kernels.
UFor edible party-munchies holders, shape popcorn-ball mix over the bottoms and sides of glasses that are well-greased with margarine. After the mixture hardens, remove the "cups" and fill with nuts or other treats. Heloise
Dear Readers: Let's test your Heloise popcorn hint IQ. What term is used for popcorn kernels that don't pop?
UOld maids or spinsters.
UToothbreakers.
UPop duds.
If you picked the first one, then you are right; however, they have been known to break a tooth. And did you know that Americans eat more than 16 billion quarts of popcorn every year? Heloise
Dear Heloise: After I removed some frozen fish sticks from their original box to cook for my grandson, I put the remaining fish sticks in a plastic freezer bag for future lunches.
Instead of throwing away the entire empty box, I cut out the cooking preparation panel from the box so that I can reference the cooking instructions when I cook more fish sticks.
I passed along this hint to my mother, who needs to keep up with nutritional and other product references. This hint can be applied to any freezer or boxed product. Levita, via e-mail
Dear Heloise: I have a suggestion I learned from my son. He has a date stamper and stamps the date of purchase by the bar code on grocery items. This way, you know where to look. June M. Braisted, Jamestown, N.D.
Dear Heloise: My family loves egg salad. I've always used a cheese grater to grate the boiled egg -- makes a really good salad. Cynthia in Texas
XSend a money-saving or timesaving hint to Heloise, P.O. Box 795000, San Antonio, TX 78279-5000, or you can fax it to (210) HELOISE or e-mail it to Heloise@Heloise.com.
King Features Syndicate