Audrey Love Magazine December 2013
The Table of Contents for December 2013 The Best Christmas Albums and Songs by Sophie Cook A Recap of the News of November by Faith Lierheimer Horse and Buggy: An Amish Tradition by Laura Luchenbach Classics Corner: Steinbeck, A Review by Faith Lierheimer Laugh, Cry, And Sigh: Our Three Favorite Christmas Movies by Faith Lierheimer Gifts for Everyone by Yzabelle Onate A Very Merry Meal by Yzabelle Onate Christmas Break Reading List by Sophie Cook Art: Japanese Footbridge at Giverny, a Reflection by Sophie Cook Brand: Gone Reading by Sophie Cook Photo Credits
The Best Christmas Albums and Songs by Sophie Cook In reality, there is only one Christmas song you will ever need, and it featured prominently on my Christmas Playlist.
ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU BY MARIAH CAREY But, if you still want more, here are a few to check out: Christmas by Michael Buble A Very She&Him Christmas by She&Him Noel by Josh Groban Peppermint Winter by Owl City Christmas With The Vienna Boys’ Choir by The Vienna Boys’ Choir The Christmas Song Ft. The Ready Set by Plug in Stereo
Major News from November written by Faith Lierheimer
The 50th Anniversary of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination passed this November. The murder of one of America’s most beloved presidents still remains a clear memory in the minds of many Americans, though the ones who remember now belong to an older generation. Several projects have been put together to commemorate President Kennedy’s death, a couple of examples being an exhibit at Philadelphia University, a candle-lighting ceremony at Alabama State University, and a documentary screening at Kennedy’s alma mater, Harvard University. Dallas, where the assassination occurred, had probably the largest collection of events occurring to remember the President and to look forward to the future. The ceremony included readings from Kennedy’s speeches by David McCullough, an Air Force flyover, and a moment of silence. Npr.org offered extensive coverage on the 50 year anniversary of JFK’s death. Typhoon Haiyan made landfall in the central Philippines on November 8th. It caused extensive damage and claimed over 5,000 lives in its wake. Local authorities reported that over four million people were displaced by the storm, and over a million homes were damaged. Most of the dead had to be buried in mass graves, many without ever being identified.
Aid to victims of Typhoon Haiyan has come from several organizations, two large ones being the Red Cross and Doctors without Borders. Additionally, federal aid from the UK and from the United States has come in an attempt to stabilize the situation as much as possible. Donations can be made to Doctors without Borders and the Red Cross by visiting their respective websites, www.doctorswithoutborders.org, and www.redcross.org.
Horse & Buggy: An Amish Tradition By Laura J. Luckenbach As the Christmas season approaches, horse drawn stagecoaches will begin making a seasonal appearance in major cities around the world. The horses are usually dressed and groomed for a merry, aesthetically pleasing ride. The stagecoaches are showcased in a variety of different festive styles such as the Phaeton, the Victoria, the Berlin, the Omnibus, and Corbillard (if you find yourself privileged enough to celebrate the First NoĂŤl in Paris). The horse & buggy is a popular winter tradition with extravagantly made carriages and winter-snow shoed horses to draw these stagecoaches. To some, this may only be imagined through the lens of fairytales and Hollywood movies. A more conservative view of the horse & buggy may be viewed through the Amish tradition. The Amish tradition does not view the horse drawn stagecoaches as a commercial, tourist attraction but as a standard for living in their community. Horse & buggies are a necessity for living in the Amish community as they are used for transportation from one place to another place. In other
words, Amish use the traditional horse & buggy rides as the modern society uses cars. Likewise, Amish generally do not saddle a horse or ride horseback. Unlike riding horseback, a buggy provides room for more than one or two persons as well as a place for luggage or baggage. A buggy also provides more modesty for women and is a more formal mode of transportation, especially when traveling to church. Amish buggies are quaint in design as opposed to the commercial stagecoaches used for winter horse drawn stagecoach attractions. In some Amish communities, the buggies must be of one particular color. Each Amish community has a different set of rules and regulations in regards to colors of buggies, and some Amish communities are less restrictive than others. Despite the differences in communities, Amish buggies are always in neutral, conservative colors such as: black, gray, or brown. Amish communities do not have a restriction on horse breeds; however, the Amish generally use standardbred racehorses.
The Amish use standard-bred racehorses because of their calm
demeanor, gallant trotting, and cart training, which may be purchased for a relatively inexpensive price. The horses, which Amish need for pulling stagecoaches, must be calm when entering into traffic, which many Amish horse & buggies do. The standard-bred horses are naturally predisposed for compliance in a busy, loud area. Additionally, the standard-bred horses have also already been trained to trot and pull a cart. These two traits make
standard-bred racehorses perfect for the Amish lifestyle. In fact, the Amish generally purchase unsuccessful racehorses that owners want to discharge for a low cost.
Unlike the Christmas Horse and Buggy rides, the Amish Horse & Buggy
rides are offered all year round. The stagecoaches may be less ornate in dĂŠcor. The horses may not have fanciful reigns. However, the horses are treated with more respect, and the atmosphere surrounding the ride is less chaotic. Traveling to an Amish community this Christmas may not be what you have in mind, but if you are looking for a great escape from the hectic festivities this Christmas (or any hereafter) and would like to enjoy a more pastoral, oldfashioned milieu, consider an Amish Country vacation in Pennsylvania, Ohio, or Indiana.
Post-Script: While enjoying an Amish Vacation be sure to try some organic Amish cheese, which contains no artificial hormones, artificial ingredients, or artificial preservatives and can be stored at room-temperature!
Classics Corner: Audrey Love Reviews Steinbeck John Steinbeck is a classic American author whose prose has been known to bring the strongest of readers to their knees and wrench a tear from the eye of even the most cynical souls. One of his short novels, The Pearl, is particularly memorable. The Pearl tells the story of a poor fisherman called Kino who lives in the town of La Paz, Mexico with his wife Juana and their baby child. Kino is out fishing one day and happens upon the most beautiful and valuable pearl he has ever seen, one that will surely lift him out of the cycle of poverty and give him a better future. This pearl, the Pearl of the World as it is called in the book, brings much more pain with it than joy as it turns Kino’s soul dark and causes him to do unspeakable things in the name of money. The book ends abruptly, as many of Steinbeck’s do, and leaves its readers in a state of contemplation as to whether they would have done what Kino did when faced with the prospect of great riches.
In typical Steinbeck fashion, The Pearl draws clear parallels to Biblical parables. The parable of the Pearl of Great Price in the Bible ends virtuously with the man who found the pearl selling everything he owned to buy the land the pearl was on. Steinbeck explores the darker side of this parable by introducing human fallibility and the desperation of poverty to the tale. The other residents of Kino’s town want the pearl just as much as he does and will do anything they can to get their hands on it. Morals grow muddled as the story proceeds and Kino eventually becomes someone he barely recognizes. The pace of Steinbeck’s prose follows Kino’s journey to a T, from the melodious beginning where he is content with the rhythm of his little family to the choppy, dark end where he realizes the extent of his own capacity for evil. The Pearl is a quick, touching, and thought-provoking read that ought to be on any dedicated reader’s list.
Faith Lierheimer is a Steinbeck aficionado. Her favorite Steinbeck novel is The Grapes of Wrath. She is the lifestyle editor of and a regular contributor to Audrey Love Magazine.
Laugh, Cry, and Sigh: Our Top Three Christmas Movies Christmastime and the holiday season overall are a wonderful time of year, if for nothing else than the multitude of excellent movies that are on repeat on TV all December long. Any movie that ends in a moment of warm fuzzies around the fireplace is a sure winner, but here at LAM we’ve compiled 3 of our favorite movies under 3 categories. One movie to make you laugh until your Santa hat falls off, one that will touch your heart and make you cry, and one that will give you pause and make you sigh as you contemplate the deeper things in life. Laugh: Home Alone, 1990. The slapstick humor of this Christmas comedy never gets old. 8-year old Kevin McCallister is accidentally left at home as his family flies to Paris for Christmas, and he must fend for himself as two burglars attempt to invade his home. The result is hilarious as Kevin sets multiple traps for the goony would-be thieves, ending in lots of raised lumps on foreheads, stepping on sharp objects, and a tarring and feathering of sorts. Relive Macaulay Culkin’s childhood star charm and laugh yourself silly with this holiday classic. Like any good Christmas movie, all is resolved at the end and the value of family is recognized as everyone celebrates the season together in its true spirit. Cry: It’s a Wonderful Life, 1946. The premise of It’s a Wonderful Life has been done over and over again-depressed person wishes they were in a different life, they get their wish, and then they realize how valuable their life truly is once everything they love in it is gone. The trope may be overused, but the magic of the original is incomparable. Jimmy Stewart stars as George Bailey, a man on the brink of suicide. His guardian angel then shows him the extent of his own influence in his hometown of Bedford Falls and reveals how different the community would have been had he never been born. Stewart’s performance along with his costars is authentic and touching. It’s a Wonderful Life never fails to remind its viewers of the intrinsic value of every human life, and that truly, no man is a failure who has friends.
Sigh: A Christmas Carol, 1999. Here at Living Like Audrey we believe that movie adaptations of books can never compare to their text counterparts. However, the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption is so visual in nature that the many movie adaptations are an excellent complement to the classic novel by Charles Dickens. This particular adaptation stars Patrick Stewart in a riveting interpretation of the miserly Scrooge and his encounters with the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. The change in Scrooge as the movie progresses is palpable and emotional. By the time he awakes on Christmas morning and buys Christmas dinner for the Cratchits, it is difficult to keep back the tears. The real beauty of Stewart’s Scrooge is his ability to make his viewers pause, sigh, and reevaluate their attitudes not only towards the holiday season but to their neighbors and whether they are doing right by their peers. Faith Lierheimer is a Christmas movie enthusiast. She reads A Christmas Carol every December in homage to Dickens’ brilliance and in an attempt to keep her inner Scrooge at bay. She is the Lifestyle Editor of and a regular contributor to Audrey Love Magazine.
Gifts for Everyone by Yzabelle Onate Christmas is an exciting time for giving and receiving presents, but sometimes it becomes
difficult when trying to pinpoint what someone might want. Listed are various presents that would be great to give your unique loved ones. 1. The Jetsetter Your friend LOVES to travel and can’t imagine doing anything else; they love adventure and crave the exotic. If they won’t be able to travel during the holidays or winter, help evoke that feeling with unique gifts.
Archipelago Excursion Mini Tin Candles
These excursion candles are travel-sized and are great to pack too. The candles are all based
on a location and the scents vary from Bali all the way to Istanbul. They’re inexpensive stocking stuffers or great to combine with another gift. Lonely Planet’s Beautiful World
This beautiful hardcover book is full of descriptions and high-resolution pictures of beautiful places around the world that are not commonly visited.
Travelon Inflatable Hangers
If he/she ever needs spare hangers or there are no hangers where they’re going, this is a great stocking stuffer as well. 2.The Chef at heart Herb Oil Infuser They can now get creative with customizing their oil with different herbs or with garlic, delicious and innovative! Sandwich Sticky Notes A different way to play with your food! The bread as well as the fillings
inside are all sticky notes! A great way to keep organized, write grocery lists, or share recipes! Seed Bombs These are actually seeds with the
nutrients already surrounding it; all
you need to do is plant and water them!
Your friend can grow his or her own herbs
or greens for salad like arugula or spinach too!
3.Boyfriend/Dad/Guy Best Friend/Brother Sometimes they’re hard to shop for, but if you’re never really sure something technologicalrelated is always a safe bet. istash stash box
It looks exactly like an iphone or itouch, but it isn’t! It’s a container that has various slots for
money, cards, metrocards, or anything you can think of! It can also be used to keep valuables safe.
Pebble Smartstick Charger
Not only a great gift for the men in your life but for everyone as well! This is great to have on
hand since smart phones these days eat up the battery fast; it’s great to have a back up. Since it’s small and compact, you can always bring it with you in the event of your phone dying.
4.Fitness Enthusiast They love to work out or be active in some way, whether it is running, hiking, or yoga. Show your support and love with some of these cool gifts. Jawbone I have friends who have this and absolutely love it. You wear it
as a bracelet and it acts as a pedometer, monitors your sleep cycles
and helps assist you in your fitness goals by tracking calories burned
or idle activity. You can then connect it to your smartphone to see the data!
Workout Dvd
You don’t need to pick this dvd specifically, but something your friend would like such as yoga, kick-boxing, etc. It’s a great inexpensive way to show you care
Polar Water Bottle
These water bottles are great for insulating cold or hot water; it kept my water icy cold during
hot yoga! The company offers various sizes, colors, and designs and you can even customize it.
A Very Merry Meal by Yzabelle Onate Everyone loves good food, and Christmas is another holiday in which you can showcase your cooking
and/or baking skills. Here are various recipes that can be mixed and matched, even tweaked if a loved one has a particular allergy or dietary concern.
Brussels Sprouts with Balsamic and Cranberries
You’ll Need: -3 pounds of Brussels sprouts -1/2 cup of olive oil -1 cup sugar -3/4 cup balsamic vinegar -1 cup dried cranberries Directions: First preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Trim and clean the Brussels sprouts by cutting off the stem. But be careful or the leaves will fall off! Cut them in half and then place them on multiple baking sheets, toss with olive oil (this gives them a nice brown color). Take them out when they’re roasted and brown, this will take about 25 to 30 minutes. Combine the balsamic vinegar and sugar in a saucepan, bringing to a boil. Once boiling reduce the heat to medium-low and keep reducing until it’s very thick. Then drizzle the balsamic reduction over the roasted Brussels sprouts, and then sprinkle on the dried cranberries. Usually one of the most unloved vegetables, Brussels sprouts are delicious if made correctly. And they even taste great just roasted in the oven tossed in olive oil, sea salt and pepper if you’re not up for using the cranberries!
Stuffed Turkey Breast
You’ll Need: -8 ounces sweet Italian sausage (removed from the casing) -5 ounces prosciutto (finely diced) -1 cup chopped and boiled chestnuts -1/2 cup green olives (diced) -2 tablespoons fresh sage (chopped) or 2 teaspoons dried salt and freshly ground black pepper -1 (about 4 pounds) boneless turkey breast -Extra virgin olive oil -Kitchen twine Directions: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine the sausage, prosciutto, chestnuts, olives and sage. After, season the stuffing with salt and pepper. Then heat a small skillet and add a tablespoon of the stuffing. SautÊ until it is cooked, this will take about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary. Place the turkey breast on a cutting board with the skin side down. Flatten it with your hands and season the breast with salt and pepper, then drizzle it with olive oil. Spread the stuffing on top and roll the turkey breast around the stuffing, then wrap the twine around the breast and tie it tightly. Place the turkey in a pan and drizzle with olive oil, and then season with salt and pepper. Roast until the internal temperature is 165 degrees F. This can be converted to about 1 hour or 12 to 15 minutes per pound. Let it rest for 10 minutes, then snip off the twine. Slice and serve! You can pour the pan juices over the turkey and slices.
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
You’ll Need: -4 pounds sweet potatoes (6 large) -1/2 cup orange juice -1/2 cup heavy cream -4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of unsalted butter (melted) -1/4 cup of light brown sugar -1 teaspoon ground nutmeg -1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon -2 teaspoons kosher salt -1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Directions: Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes and prick them several times with a knife or fork. Bake them for 1 hour or until very soft when pierced with a knife. Remove them from the oven and scoop out the insides when they are cool. Place the sweet potato meat into a bowl with the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined (not too smooth!), and then transfer to a baking dish. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes. For this dish you can mix the ingredients the old-fashioned way or use an electric mixer if you have one. If you have a sweet tooth, you can even add marshmallows before baking.
Chocolate Cheesecake Candy Cane Bars
You’ll Need: Crust: -20 chocolate wafer cookies -3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted) -1 tablespoon sugar -1/2 teaspoon finely ground coffee beans -1/4 teaspoon fine salt Filling: -8 ounces semisweet chocolate (finely chopped) -8 ounces cream cheese (room temp) -2/3 cup sugar -2 large eggs (room temp) Glaze: -4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped) -2 tablespoons unsalted butter -1 teaspoon light or dark corn syrup -2 tablespoons sour cream (room temp) -1/2 cup crushed candy canes Directions: Crust: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then line an 8-inch square baking dish with foil. Mix in a food processor, the chocolate wafers, butter, sugar, coffee and salt until fine. Evenly press the crust into the prepared dish, covering the bottom completely. Bake until the crust sets, which is about 15 minutes. Filling: Heat the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl for 2 minutes. Sit, and continue to heat until melted. Blend the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream together in food processor until
smooth (or by hand). Add eggs the pour the chocolate into the wet ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour the filling evenly over the crust. Bake until the filling puffs slightly around the edges, but is still a little bit wobbly in the center (25 to 30 minutes). Then cool on a rack. Glaze: Put chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted like before. Stir until smooth then add the sour cream. Spread the glaze evenly over the warm cake, and then scatter crushed candy canes on top. Cool completely then refrigerate overnight. Cut into small bars or squares, and serve chilled or at room temperature. The bars can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Christmas Break Reading List by Sophie Cook Christmas Break is the perfect time to catch up on all just for fun reading that had to
wait on the back burner during the semester. Here are a few suggestions- just add a cup of hot chocolate and a roaring fire.
The Complete Short Stories of Flannery O’Connor-Flannery O’Connor And Then There Were None- Agatha Christie Les Miserables-Victor Hugo The Lord of the Rings Series-J.R.R. Tolkein The Harry Potter Series-J.K.Rowling The Book Thief-Markus Zusak The Importance of Being Ernest&Other Plays-Oscar Wilde Paper Towns-John Green Emma-Jane Austen A Christmas Carol-Charles Dickens Tender is the Night-F.Scott Fitzgerald Pygmalion-by George Bernard Shaw
Art: Japanese
Footbridge at Giverny,
a Reflection by Sophie Cook
Looking at the painting “Japanese Footbridge at Giverny” by Claude Monet took my breathe away and made me want to cry. The first time I saw this painting when I was about twelve, I did not get it. I thought the Impressionist style was bizarre, and that surely even I, who did not have even one iota of artistic talent, could replicate the fierce and wild brush strokes. However, since then I have grown to love the Impressionists, especially “Japanese Footbridge”. This painting uses a gorgeous array of colors heavily applied on the canvas. Monet captures the sunlight reflecting on the water by using bright oranges and reds mixed with a deep navy so that it actually looks like the water is rippling in the breeze. The dark mint and purple used for the hanging trees distinguishes the foliage from the water, creating a border for the scene. The bridge itself was not apparent when I first saw the painting. With the mint and blacks used, it was hard to tell it apart from the water and trees. However the longer I looked at the painting, the more depth it had, and the bridge became clear. On the left side of the bridge is a small white patch, which is some sort
of indistinguishable figure. I stared at it for ages trying to decipher what it was. Could it be some sort of flowering vine, dancing in the wind? Or was it a lady, her gown billowing behind her? I do not know, but it gives the painting intrigue. The more I look at this painting, the more I want to cry, it is so amazingly beautiful. Even though it does not give a realistic view of what Monet’s garden would have looked like, it captures the soul and emotion of the scene. It makes me long to be there with the sun reflecting off the pond, sitting on the bridge, soaking up the evening air. The colors are so rich and vivid that it makes me physically warmer just by looking at it. If I could marry this painting, I would. Sadly I can not, so I must settle for visiting the Museum of Fine Arts frequently to embrace the brilliant gorgeousness and vivid emotion of this painting.
Brand: Gone Reading by Sophie Cook The GoneReading.com is one of the websites that should come with a warning label: “If you are a bibliophile, think long and hard about how important buying food is before clicking onto this website.” It is that tempting. It offers a variety of reading themed gifts that would be perfect for any self-professed bibliomaniac, all at reasonable prices. Here’s what I’m looking at (hint, hint!).
A board game titled “It Was An Oscar Wilde action figure.
A Dark And Story Night”, based on the first lines of books.
The only political t-shirt I could ever
A Shakespearean magnetic poetry kit.
wear.
A reading journal....the inside is simply wonderful!
Photo credits: Gone Reading article: http://gonereading.com Monet article: http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/122604461 Christmas Recipes: Brussels sprouts: http://img.foodnetwork.com/FOOD/2011/12/18/ WUSP01H_brussels-sprouts-with-balsamic-and-cranberries_s4x3.jpg Stuffed turkey: http://rk.wsimgs.com/wsimgs/rk/images/dp/recipe/201338/0012/img24l.jpg smashed sweet potatoes: http://www.drjockers.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/Smashed-sweet-potatoes.jpg chocolate cheesecake candy cane bars: http://mocochocodotcom.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/chocolate_cheesecake.jpg Christmas Gift Guide: hangers: http://www.amazon.com/Travelon-Inflatable-Hangers-White-Size/ dp/B001CZT4L8/?qid=1384550080&s=apparel&ref=sr_1_107&ie=UTF8&sr=1-107 herb oil infuser: http://data.uncommongoods.com.edgesuite.net/images/newweb/product/ 24200_lg1.jpg Beautiful world book: http://shop.lonelyplanet.com/world/lonely-planets-beautiful-world/? lpaffil=lpsearch-shoppod excursion candle: http://www.smallflower.com/prodimages/222003-DEFAULT-L.jpg seed bombs: http://poketo.com/shop/Seed-Bombs sandwich sticky notes: http://veryhoney.com/collections/apartment/products/sandwich-sticky-notes istash: http://buyhimthat.com/istash-stash-box/ pebble smartstick charger: http://buyhimthat.com/pebble-smartstick-charger/ jawbone: http://www.wired.com/reviews/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/20121130-JAWBONEUP-2012-011edit.jpg workout dvd: http://www.elephantjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/ 2008/07/05-52899_am_yogaweek_3d1.jpg polar water bottle: http://media.nashbar.com/images/nashbar/products/1500/PB-WB2-WH-FRONT.jpg Steinbeck article:http://bibliomantics.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/the-pearl-book-image.jpg http://fs1.beta.obami.com/User/b35c3834-182d-4ba7-8a60-a03b00c1bcb4/Blogs/4ddbf219-9105-477aaf80-a16d0040a38e/298b523d-e78e-47c0-ac5e-cb7481e0f7e7.jpg Horse and buggy article: http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/20/72/bc/ 2072bcf53a15d163a41a8414c488e72c.jpg Christmas Movies article: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/92/ AChristmasCarol1999Cover.jpg/220px-AChristmasCarol1999Cover.jpg http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/ MV5BMTMzMzY5NDc4M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzc4NjIxNw@@._V1_.jpg http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/ MV5BMTUzMzg4MTg2M15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTYwNDM4OTk4._V1._SX339_SY475_.jpg Recap of the news: http://imgace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/president-john-f.-kennedy-dallastexas-november-22-1963.jpg http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/dam/assets/131108033731-haiyan-track-map-3-story-top.jpg http://www.washingtonpost.com/rf/image_606w/2010-2019/WashingtonPost/2013/11/09/Foreign/ Images/2013-11-09T144753Z_01_CHE11_RTRIDSP_3_PHILIPPINES-TYPHOON.jpg
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