Sell By, Best By & Expires on

If you look on your gallon of milk it will say "Sell By..." My husband will not drink the milk if it is even a day or two before that date! I have tried to explain to him that the milk is actually still good for at least a few days after that because it doesn't say "Expires..."

I, however, won't eat food that says "Best by..." after the date that it gives. I figure if its best by that date it must mean it doesn't taste as good after that date...and Jen deserves only the best. (I can't believe I just referred to myself in third person.)

On Friday afternoon at work one of the ladies, D., wanted to pop some popcorn. At our office there is always a stock of coffee, hot chocolate and popcorn that is free to all. When she was picking a bag she realized that half of the bags in the box said "Best by Jul. 27, 2005." She jokingly freaked out and ran out of the break room asking if, C. the office manager (who buys the popcorn) was trying to kill all of us. Which then inspired an office debate about whether or not the popcorn was still safe to eat.

I was going to throw the popcorn away when J., an older man, said that when he was in Vietnam in 1973 the army gave them rations that were from 1959 and they were all just fine! "Don't throw those out! They're all perfectly fine!" So D. said, "OK, but YOU can eat that popcorn by yourself." Then D. and I shared a deliciously popped bag of popcorn, "Best By Aug. 13, 2011."

A few minutes later J. decided he would also like some popcorn. So he grabbed a 2005 bag and put it in the microwave bound and determined to show us just how right he was...a little over two minutes later the bag caught fire! It was hilarious. He grabbed the smoking bag and ran it outside to the dumpster...already too late as the whole office stunk of burned four year old popcorn. And yet, he still wasn't finished! He grabbed another 2005 bag, set the microwave for half the time and at 50% power. This bag cooked successfully...if you call successful being a half popped bag of popcorn. He ate what had popped and urged us to try just one piece of popcorn.

It was the most delicious popcorn I have ever tasted. Just kidding...it was completely tasteless. Ya, I'd say we won that one.

PS. From this conversation I also learned that the unpopped kernels at the bottom of the bag are called "Old Maids." I'd never heard that before. I couldn't figure out why they would be called "Old Maids," it turns out my mind was just too pure. I'd share it with you here but it just isn't an appropriate enough topic for my PG blog :)

Oh the things we learn in the office break room.