In days past, I was an intrepid Cub Scout. Each fall, I walked around my home town, ringing doorbells and interrupting people’s dinners, all in the hope of selling them little tin cans of incredibly overpriced popcorn. For three hours every night, I donned that little blue uniform, and became a purveyor of every conceivable combination of popcorn, sugar, and nuts. White-chocolate-coated popcorn with almonds? I got it. Caramel- and fudge-flavored corn with cashews? I’ll put you down for four tins.

I went through all this trouble for one reason, I was bound and determined to receive the greatest gift in the entire world — a Sony PlayStation (hey, it was 1997). And all I had to do was sell $1,000 of popcorn.

Here’s a recipe that reminds me of those days.

Microwave Caramel Corn

Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

Directions:

Melt butter in microwave (one minute on 60 percent power, give or take). Add corn syrup, brown sugar, and salt to butter and mix well (this is the caramel). Pop popcorn in microwave per label instructions, and dump it into the paper sack. Microwave the caramel mixture on high for two minutes. Remove caramel mixture from microwave and stir in baking soda (be careful, it will be very hot). Pour caramel mixture over the popcorn in the paper sack. Fold paper sack closed and put in microwave, being sure the paper sack does not touch the walls of the microwave. Cook on high for one minute. Shake the bag to coat the popcorn in caramel. Put sack back in microwave and cook for another minute. Shake again, then pour into a bowl. You’re done.