At the end of another busy day, my family often enjoys sharing a big bowl of popcorn and curling up on the couch with a good movie (or cartoon, in my kids' case).

When we became suddenly gluten-free, I was intimidated by all the long words on the backs of the microwave popcorn bags. Also, as I began meticulously reading labels of snacks and processed foods in search of gluten, it was clear that I didn't really know what I was feeding myself or my kids. There was also the story of workers getting what was called "popcorn lung" from a chemical called diacetyl found in microwave popcorn circulating in the news at the time. So, I looked a little lower on the grocery store shelf and picked up a bag of plain popcorn kernels.

Lo and behold, it was incredibly easy to drop a few teaspoons of canola oil into a pot, throw in some kernels and pop. Within minutes, we had a heaping bowl of popcorn. I began stocking up on a rainbow of popcorn varieties: white, yellow, blue and red. And at such a small cost, I could afford to do so. A bag of plain popcorn kernels is just a few dollars, and makes mountains of popcorn.

I thought I was going to miss the convenience of the microwave variety, but I really don't. I know now that some brands are gluten-free: Jolly Time and Newman's Own are among them. But I just feel a little healthier popping it myself.

Everyone should try it.

Big Bowl of Popcorn
3 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup popcorn kernels (or enough to make one layer on bottom of the pan)
salt, to taste

In a medium-size saucepan, add oil and turn on medium heat. Add a few handfuls of popcorn kernels until they make one layer on the bottom of the pan. Cover. After a few minutes, popcorn should begin to pop. Lift pan off stove and shake so kernels are dispersed. Add back to heat source. Repeat every 30 seconds until popping slows. Turn off heat and remove pan from heat source. Sprinkle on salt, give it a little shake and pour into a big bowl.

Tip: Both of my kids like to play in mini "indoor sandboxes," which are just storage bins filled with dry popcorn kernels or beans. I even add little sand shovels, cups, bowls and trucks for a little indoor fun on a rainy day.