this week’s
top ten Winterlochen: Hours of Free Family Fun Following last year’s virtual version, the renowned arts facility’s annual celebration of winter is rewinding to its traditonal in-person approach on Saturday, Feb. 12, with fun, kid-friendly events planned for both indoors and out. Bring the fam to make s’mores, study animation, go sledding, or get your whippersnappers’ faces painted throughout the day. Kids can also take part in specially scheduled events — conducting an orchestra, attending an acting workshop, or contributing to cool art projects like “Mural Madness,” “Super Sustainable Sculpting,” “Frankenprint” or even “Old Time Photography.” Refuel the whole family at the Food Court, where local establishments Bradley’s Pub & Grille, Bud’s, and Hofbrau Steakhouse & American Grille will have their eats on offer. At day’s end, the whole family can sit down together to take in the Arts Academy Dance Division’s ballet performance of Romeo & Juliet. Interlochen Director of Dance Joseph Morrissey calls this production the arts academy’s largest-scale dance production ever, and dance faculty will perform several of the roles. (You can read more about the show and other chances to catch it on p. 13.) Other than the food court, all activities are free of charge. For more information see page 13 of this issue and visit www.interlochen.org.
She’s a Brainiac … Brainiac … Traverse City Central High School (CHS) has earned an impressive award for achieving high female representation in an Advanced Placement Computer Science class: the College Board Advanced Placement Computer Science Female Diversity Award. Translation? 50 percent or more female students were part of Central’s AP Computer Science A class (one of two levels of the course) in the 20/21 school year — a success only 198 other schools in the country, and only six other schools in Michigan, can claim. According to a Google study, 54 percent of female computer science majors took AP CSA in high school. Providing female students with access to computer science courses is considered critical to ensuring gender parity in the tech industry’s high-paying jobs. The median annual wage for computer and information technology occupations was $91,250 in May 2020.
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tastemaker Oryana’s Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding
Two-minute microwaved coffee-mug cakes used to save us in sweet-tooth emergencies. Rubbery though they are, those quick oooey-gooey cakes sated the cravings. Then we found Oryana’s recipe for Two-Ingredient Chocolate Pudding. By combining one (5.46 ounce) can of coconut milk and ½ cup of bittersweet chocolate chips in a small, heavy saucepan over medium heat and stirring until the chips are melted, you’ll have your own ultra-rich, utterly decadent, near-instant chocolate pudding. The rubber cake in the coffee mug cooks faster, yes, but it also requires far more ingredients — and several more minutes to search the cupboards and drawers for them. Here, two easy-to-find ingredients are enough. Though if you want to make this pudding taste even sweeter and richer — and you know we did — Oryana suggests stirring in a pinch of sea salt and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla after you remove the melted mix from heat. Of course, the Traverse City co-op also recommends pouring the pudding into two serving bowls and letting them cool completely. You know we didn’t. Find the ingredients at either Oryana location in Traverse City to treat your valentine — or your sweet self. www.oryana.coop
4 • february 07, 2022 • Northern Express Weekly
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Hey, read it
In Nigerian, wahala means trouble. And for the AngloNigerian trio of Simi, Ronke, and Boo, trouble looks a lot like life — at first: Simi’s not ready to try for a baby (though her husband thinks she is); Boo resents her mommy role; and Ronke’s boyfriend won’t commit. But all that changes when Isobel arrives. An enchanting childhood friend of Simi’s, Isobel embodies what each woman wants while finding — and exploiting — their deepest flaws. Will their bond survive her wily barrage? There’s only one way to find out. From debut author Nikki May comes “Wahala: A Novel.” Written with enough juicy drama to rival the likes of “Big Little Lies,” this modern and hilarious take on femme friendship is one you’ll gulp down in one sitting.
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Love Month WINE DINNERS 5 Courses | 4 Wines
Monday, February 14 VALENTINE WINE DINNER Thursday, February 17 PIO CESARE & FEAST OF SAINT VALENTINE
DOWNTOWN PETOSKEY
WINEGUYSGROUP.com
