Every Friday night we have a tradition in our house. We put our pajamas on early and we have a Friday movie night! It’s something I love and cherish because it’s spending time as a family, doing something fun together. It’s funny, throughout the week everyone will start tossing out movie ideas, hoping they “win” with the movie choice. It varies week to week… sometimes it’s old school throwbacks (Ghostbusters, Goonies), sometimes it’s superheroes (Captain American, Iron Man, Spiderman), sometimes animation (Beauty and the Beast, Nemo, Zootopia)… it’s something different each and every week. The tradition has been going on for about 2 years now and it’s just truly a McClelland family favorite.

There’s just one thing we can’t possibly have our movie night without.

(Any guesses?)

POPCORN. And not just any popcorn, it has to be Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn.

Every McClelland family member is a self-proclaimed popcorn enthusiast. We love us some popcorn! We love it so much that my mother-in-law (literally) will buy boxes of it and bring it to us as a gift when she comes to visit from Pittsburgh. Before every movie night, there’s a line in our kitchen waiting for the microwave to be free so a fresh bag can be popped (always Orville Redenbacher’s movie theater flavored popcorn, too!).

So… when Orville Redenbacher’s reached out to me to host a NYC Media Dinner, I jumped at the opportunity because it truly is a perfect fit. I eat the popcorn. I love the popcorn. And I know my family is obsessed with the popcorn. But! What I didn’t know was the story behind the brand. The true passion and commitment this goes into making this yummy treat. I was honored to be part of this fun Media Dinner because it gave me the unique opportunity to be up close and personal with Orville Redenbacher’s and really get to know about the family behind the brand. I can confidently say that it elevated me from fan to super fan.

Orville Redenbacher’s is committed to bringing the best from their farms to our families, believing that the best traditions are grown at home. It’s that simple, they truly just want to bring all of us the best tasting popcorn. That’s their passion and that’s their commitment to all of us. They are able to fulfill this passion and commitment in bringing people together by using the highest quality ingredients like Orville’s lighter, fluffier kernels and real butter. Oh, yes – you heard me – real butter! One thing I was surprised to find out was that Orville himself was born on a corn farm in Brazil, Indiana. He began to sell his own popping corn at the age of 12, and eventually sold enough to put himself through college, where he studied agriculture at Purdue University! As you can tell, this passion for farming and popping corn started very young. It’s amazing to think what he grew (pun intended) from that passion that started when he was a boy!

What was so much fun about the Media Dinner in NYC was that Orville Redenbacher’s worked with a local chef to create a custom four-course menu inspired by the passionate, multi-generational farmers who carry on Orville’s commitment to quality. Each course throughout our meal incorporated Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn, giving us all a whole new way to experience the snack we know and love.

What was on the menu? Feast you eyes on these delicious dishes (and remember, each dish includes Orville’s popcorn!)…

Appetizer: Orville’s Avocado Toast

What I loved was enjoying all the different ways popcorn was brought into the dishes! It was so interesting and so much fun to see how the chef was going to prepare each next dish! Not to  mention everything was delicious!

It was an incredible evening and such a great chance to talk about everyone’s love for popcorn and the different traditions that we all have in our lives. With today being FRIDAY, you know what I’ll be doing tonight! I even have my 2 nephews sleeping over tonight, so the more the merrier! Lots of popcorn will be popped tonight! Whether you’re curling up on the couch to watch a movie or hosting a party with friends, warm, delicious Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn brings people together.  There’s something for everyone when it comes to their high-quality line of gourmet popping corn: