Six Quick and Flavorful Ways to Jazz Up Your Popcorn [GALLERY]

My son has been keeping track on his little wall calendar, checking off the days, looking forward to this day for weeks. Before he went to bed last night, John looked up at me with earnest eyes and asked if I remembered that today was the big day - popcorn day - I promised that I did and he fell asleep with a smile on his sweet little face.

My family loves popcorn so much that we buy it in bulk, but only on special occasions do we do more than pop and bag and eat it. Today is a special occasion because it's National Popcorn Day and an excuse to create a smorgasbord of flavored popcorn treats to munch on while playing board games.

Over the years, my family has experimented with all sorts of popcorn flavorings and toppings. Some were delicious and others no so much. While all of us think that nothing beats movie theater popcorn drowning in buttery goodness, these come in a close second.