Carols Stuff

In Memoriam: Celebrities who died in 2022

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March 1st is Aragorn Day

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From The Tolkien Society

Raise a glass to the Professor in honour of his 126th birthday

To mark J.R.R. Tolkien’s twelfty-sixth (126th) birthday, The Tolkien Society invites fans all over the world to participate in our annual Birthday Toast.

The Toast

After Bilbo left the Shire on his eleventy-first birthday in The Lord of the Rings, Frodo toasted his uncle’s birthday each year on 22 September.

J.R.R. Tolkien was born in Bloemfontein on 3 January 1892, and we invite you to celebrate the birthday of this much loved author by raising a glass at 9pm your local time.

The toast is simply:

The Professor!

All you need to do is stand, raise a glass of your choice of drink (not necessarily alcoholic), and say the words “The Professor” before taking a sip (or swig, if that’s more appropriate for your drink). Sit and enjoy the rest of your drink.

Note that we do not condone drinking alcohol if it endangers the health or safety of the drinker or others, or contravenes the law.

Crispy Potato Tacos
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Yield: 4-6
Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Ingredients

2 large russet potatoes, cut into bite size pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Corn tortillas
Optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, avocado, salsa, onion, jalapeno, cilantro

Instructions

*Add chopped potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until fork tender, 15-20 minutes. When done, drain potatoes well.
*Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add olive oil, potatoes and all the spices. Stir until all the spices are evenly incorporated and then arrange in a single layer. Let potatoes cook for 3-5 minutes, until crispy, and then flip and repeat.
*Fill corn tortillas with desired amount of potatoes and top with favorite toppings.

Garlic Crostini

1 French baguette
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes chopped
One half cup black olives, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Slices of mozzarella cheese
Fresh basil for garnish

Slice baguette into one quarter inch slices. Brush slices with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Combine garlic, tomatoes, black olives and salt and pepper together and mix well. Place a slice of cheese on each slice of baguette and top with tomato mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Serve warm.

VAM Day 8

FLAVORED POPCORN RECIPES AND IDEAS

SPICY POPCORN
Here are flavoring ideas for embellishing freshly made popcorn. These recipes make enough to flavor a 10-cup batch (from about 1/2 cup kernels). If you air-pop or use fat-free microwave popcorn, you might like to drizzle 2 tablespoons or so of melted Earth Balance or coconut oil into the popcorn just before adding the seasonings.

SAVORY FLAVORINGS
Add salt to these mixes, or not, as preferred, and increase or decrease the amount of seasonings suggested here to your taste.

CHILI-SPICED POPCORN: Combine 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin. Sprinkle over hot popcorn and toss well.

PIZZA-FLAVORED POPCORN: Combine 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning, 2 teaspoons tomato powder, and 1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes.

HERB-AND-SPICE POPCORN: Simply sprinkle hot popcorn with a teaspoon or two of your favorite seasoning blend, like Mrs. Dash or Spike.

SWEET SEASONINGS
PUMPKIN PIE POPCORN: Melt 2 tablespoons Earth Balance or organic virgin coconut oil in a small saucepan. Stir in 1 to 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice and 3 tablespoons agave nectar or maple syrup. Drizzle evenly over hot popcorn.

CARAMEL OR PEANUT-CARAMEL POPCORN: For a Cracker Jack-type mix, melt 2 to 3 tablespoons Earth Balance or organic virgin coconut oil in a small saucepan. Stir in 3 tablespoons natural granulated sugar and stir until melted. Stir 1 cup peanuts into the popcorn. Drizzle the mixture from the saucepan over the popcorn and peanuts and toss well. Let cool completely before serving.

ALMOND-MAPLE POPCORN: Melt 2 tablespoons Earth Balance or organic virgin coconut oil in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons maple syrup. Stir 1 cup toasted almonds into the popcorn. Drizzle the mixture from the saucepan over the popcorn and almonds and toss well. Let cool completely before serving.

POPCORN MIXES
Combine your freshly popped corn with nuts, dried fruits, tiny pretzels, and whatever seasonings you fancy at the moment, and don’t shy away from combining sweet and salty flavors!

VAM - Day 7

EASY APPLE CHARLOTTES
4 servings

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the ramekins
2 medium cooking apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2/3 cup nonfat milk
1 tablespoon superfine sugar, plus more for sprinkling
10 slices stale challah or raisin bread, 1/2 inch thick (about 12 ounces), crusts removed
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Generously grease four 5.4-ounce ramekins with butter.

Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the apples, vanilla extract, lemon juice, brown sugar and cinnamon, and mix well. Cook on medium-low heat until the apples are tender and any liquid has evaporated; this should take 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the variety of apples you are using. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. The mixture should thicken and turn a medium caramel color.

Combine the eggs, milk and 1 tablespoon of superfine sugar in a shallow dish. Mix until fully combined.

Use a 2 1/2-inch round cookie cutter to cut out four circles from the bread; these will serve as the base of each portion. Alternatively, use a clean ramekin and a sharp knife to trace and cut your circles. Cut the remaining bread into rectangles about 1 inch wide. Cube, dry and store any excess bread scraps in an airtight container for another use.

Quickly dip each bread circle in the egg mixture and place one in the bottom of each ramekin. Then dip the rectangles, standing them upright around the inside edge of each cup, extending above the rim so you can fold them over later to make a lid. Each ramekin will use 6 or 7 strips.

Fill each ramekin with the apple mixture. Add a piece or two of bread to the top and fold over the rectangular pieces of bread so the package is sealed completely. It should look like a little crown. Sprinkle each top with a little superfine sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and puffed. Allow to cool slightly, then run a knife around the edges and turn them out onto individual plates.

Use a fine-mesh sieve to dust each portion with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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A selection from "Three Songs at the End of Summer"
by Jane Kenyon

A white, indifferent morning sky,
and a crow, hectoring from its nest
high in the hemlock, a nest as big
as a laundry basket....
In my childhood
I stood under a dripping oak,
while autumnal fog eddied around my feet,
waiting for the school bus
with a dread that took my breath away.

The damp dirt road gave off
this same complex organic scent.

I had my new books—words, numbers
and operations with numbers I did not
comprehend—and crayons unspoiled
by use, in a blue canvas satchel
with red leather straps.

Spruce, inadequate, and alien,
I stood at the side of the road.
It was the only life I had.