Top 3 Ways to Embrace Winter Weather (Erin)

Well, Readers, by now, you probably have figured out that some of us live in the frigid Midwest. Along about February, I get tired of chiseling my car out of ice, getting gas in below zero temps, and trying to come up with unique sweater, skirt and fleece-lined tight combinations to wear to work. So, I was thinking about ways we all could embrace the season and enjoy the cold a little longer.

3. Bundle up and build a snow fort. What amazing fantasy setting can you build in your yard? Grab some buckets and food coloring, and you can even make colored snow bricks.
 

2. Enjoy a local snow celebration. Here in the Twin Cities, we have an annual Winter Carnival. Last year, we toured ice sculptures, listened to an outdoor concert, and ate delicious pasties from a food truck, all in below-zero weather.

1. Pair some snow ice cream with some hot chocolate and settle in with The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Either reading the book or watching the movie will do. If you can dig out some white lights left over from Christmas, and a furry blanket or two, even better. (See below for snow ice cream recipe.)


Snow Ice Cream (courtesy of my mom, S. Hawley)

Ingredients:  A bowl of freshly fallen snow (NOT yellow snow!)
A spoonful of sugar
A sprinkle of cinnamon
A drizzle of food coloring (optional)

Fair warning: I started reading The Chronicles of Narnia to my kiddos when they were four or five, and there was a period of time where my oldest daughter talked to Aslan and other characters more than she talked to me. 

How do you embrace the long, cold, post-Christmas season?

Attributions:
https://pixabay.com/en/igloo-snow-fort-frozen-winter-168784/
http://365twincities.com/day-260-saint-paul-winter-carnival/
https://www.amazon.com/NARNIA-POSTER-Witch-Wardrobe-24X36/dp/B005JT1WVS
https://www.google.com/search?q=mn+winter+carnival+images&tbm

Top 3 Fantasy Illustrators (Erin)

Today in Top 3s, let’s take a look at illustrators! Imagining fantasy worlds is so much fun, but seeing the way artists conceptualize those worlds helps me to gain a clearer picture as I read.

Here are three of my favorites:

3. Pauline Baynes: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis was one of the first fantasy books I read when I was growing up. The colorful sketches by Pauline Baynes made it even more magical. Tell us what you thought about the Narnia movies here. 






2. James A. Owen: Author of Here, There Be Dragons and the rest of the Imaginarium Geographica series, Owen started as a comic book illustrator. Each chapter in Here, There Be Dragons begins with an elaborate drawing, executed by the author himself. His attention to detail is remarkable. I can’t imagine how long it would take to draw each piece! I am excited to read more of his work.

3. Alan Lee and John Howe: I know, they are actually two illustrators, but they are tied for their amazing work on both the print copies and the movie concept artwork for the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Their paintings made Tolkein’s books come alive for me. Read more about the world of Lord of the Rings here.












Attributions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pauline_Baynes
https://40.media.tumblr.com/51c7043051372c39d909691fbf73e544/tumblr_n65lpq0i3R1t2e8o4o1_500.jpg
http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Rings-Sketchbook-Alan-Lee/dp/0618640142?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r
http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Magic-Art-John-Howe/dp/0007107951?ie=UTF8&fpl=fresh&redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_g14_i1_r

Favorite Fantasy Foods (Erin)

Do you know what we haven’t talked about yet? 

Favorite foods! 

I love learning about delicious foods in fun books! Here are three of my favorites. What are yours?

3. Lembas Bread: Used by the elves in J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings and Hobbit to give travelers long-lasting energy, Lembas Bread is more like unleavened bread or dense crackers. My daughter actually got to try making this in her Food and Nutrition class last year! They made their bread with banana, but what else could you use?  Thanks to her amazingly creative teacher, the class actually wrapped them in fancy, green, leaf-like papers. 

2. Butterbeer: Okay, not technically a food, but still one of my favorite fantasy concoctions. A Harry Potter favorite, butterbeer is a bit like butterscotch flavored root beer, but smoother, richer and not quite as fizzy. Recipes found online vary from site to site because butterbeer was actually imagined into being by J.K. Rowling. I was always a huge fan of the fuzzy, butterscotch candies my grandpa used to keep in his pocket. He’d use them to bribe us into going out for a walk with him, in order to give my grandma a bit of peace and quiet. Imagine: Rootbeer float meets butterscotch candy. Delicious! Let us know if you find a promising recipe! 

1. Turkish Delight: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.  Growing up in America, I had no idea what Turkish Delight was. I think, each time I read C.S. Lewis’ magical book (at least once a year), I would imagine Turkish Delight as something new. Divinely melting chocolate, savory beef stew, or perhaps delicate, snowflake-shaped ice candies. Years later, my mother-in-law bought Turkish Delight from a specialty shop. Similar to gumdrops, but square, dusted with powdered sugar, and slightly chewier, Turkish Delight wasn’t quite as delicious as I imagined. However, it is still worth trying, and a fun addition to any Christmas party.  

What did you think Turkish Delight was the first time you read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe?

Attributions:

https://pixabay.com/en/flat-bread-salad-baguette-sandwich-617241/

https://pixabay.com/en/photos/?image_type=&cat=&min_width=&min_height=&q=milkshake&order=popular

https://pixabay.com/en/turkish-delight-map-tradition-sweet-1040790/