Excerps from the Herald and Post

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

In order to give our guests and new applicants a taste of some of our behind the doors articles, we have decided to BLOG a few contributions each month, from previous editions. Please enjoy and let your appetite be whetted.

April 2013 Issue

Published April 26, 2013 - Eastern Time

Feel free to leave comments, suggestions and questions for our writers.  Your feedback is important to us.

T A B L E . O F . C O N T E N T S

O.		Introduction
I.		A Word from the Editor
II.		Elliquiy Anniversaries
III.		Hall of Mentors
IV.		RP Tips & Tricks
V.		What's the Mystery
VI.		Book Review
VII.		Exercise & Fitness
VIII.		Gardening Gloves
IX.		English Travelogue
X.		Kitchen Warriors
XI.		This Old Recipe
XII.		It’s Classified
XIII.		Dragon Eggs!
XIV.		Current Events
XV.		Closing Credits

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

RP Tips and Tricks

Action or Reaction?

Unless we enjoy talking to the air in empty rooms we want people to react when we speak.  That’s why we role play.  We want that snappy comeback, that surprise to our post and that nudge that takes us further along the path.  Our partner looks at our post for that nugget of gold that sparks their inspiration.  They want a hook that pulls them in.  You send me a post and when I read it I want to see what your character sees or feel what they are feeling.

Give a blink of fear that my character can smile about.  Give me anger and my character responds in kind.  Show me pain so my character can be compassionate.  In return I’ll give your character something else to be afraid of or another reason to be mad.  My character will bandage a cut, wrap a blanket around your shivering player or offer comfort for hurt feelings.

All you have to do is give me something I can turn my imagination loose on.  Describe that pounding heartbeat when the point of the knife presses in.  Tell me how that broken arm feels when you try to move your fingers.  Explain the devastation, anger, feeling of betrayal a broken promise causes.

The most simple action of one character can spawn words of response from your partner.  Your villain can make a sudden movement or the hero can react in an unexpected way and my character will be frightened or startled or quick to respond giving you another hook to grab and use.  Use those adjectives and adverbs that are waiting for the call.  Don’t just tell me you character is hurt because their significant other was caught cheating.  Show me those blazing eyes, the clenched fist, the lips drawn wide and thin over the teeth.  Add a bit of pathos to the mix and oh what a response you’ll get.

One line about a broken bone or sprained joint can be done.  Anything can be written but what are you going to get back from that?  You’ll get a simple response telling you what my character saw and maybe that they were showing some concern or you’ll get god-modding that you may or may not like but after a while I think your partner may lose interest. 

What about your life?  When you get angry with your boss is that all that happens?  Do you simply get angry and walk away?  Do you go back to your desk and just sit?

Alex was angry.  Mr. Collins never listened to a word he had to say.  His suggestions treated as worthless wastes of time.  The young man stood at his desk staring at the objects arranged neatly on the surface and picked up the letter opener.  It felt heavy in his hand and the sleek blade glinted in the light from overhead.  The tip felt sharp against his finger when Alex tested it.  His fingers tightened, his knuckles turned white and Alex stood there staring at Mr. Collins’ closed door.

Think about what could be done with that for a character who worked in the same office as Alex and needed to respond.  Also, think about what would have to be done by a writer if all they got was one line about how Alex was angry and returned to his desk and seethed.

Two people who pick up prompts from the other writer’s post using action and reaction, movement and dialogue and objects that happen to be laying around are going to create some fantastic prose.

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

After having delved into some classic (and some less classic) themes of murder & mystery literature I think it is about time to make the big step and have a good look at a mystery fiction story from the point of view of the villain. Actually, in modern thrillers it is far from uncommon to have the murderer as the protagonist of the story but in 'classic' mystery the assassin's persona is always something that appears almost as an abstract presence during the development of the plot. This is because even if the assassin is there amongst the suspects and interacts with everyone else we do not know his or her identity until the investigator uncovers it and at that point we are usually about to finish the book.

But what happens in the meantime? What goes on behind the scenes? What thoughts mull inside the head of that harmless looking man or that nice looking woman that only at the end of the book will be revealed as a ruthless killers? How is the resolution to commit a murder born? How does it fester? How does it come to fulfillment?

Interesting questions aren't they? Some of the most prominent authors of the golden age of Mystery have taken on themselves to provide an answer to them.

I think that having a look at what they have come up with is going to be an illuminating experience...

--Drake

Malice Aforethought - Francis Iles

Malice aforethought: 1) the conscious intent to cause death or great bodily harm to another person before a person commits the crime. Such malice is a required element to prove first degree murder. 2) a general evil and depraved state of mind in which the person is unconcerned for the lives of others. Thus, if a person uses a gun to hold up a bank and an innocent bystander is killed in a shoot-out with police, there is malice aforethought. (See  also: malice, murder, first degree murder)

Now, let us close the dictionary and put our hats on. We need to go to Devonshire and meet Dr. Bickleigh and his insufferable wife Julia. Actually, we need to do a bit more than meet him, we need to enter his brain and take shelter there because it is from inside the good doctor's head that we will live our little adventure through the pages of this book.

Okay, maybe Dr. Bickleigh cannot be defined as 'good' in the proper sense of the word since he is apparently well determined to commit a murder. Still, exactly for this reason, it is going to be an interesting ride. We will be able to see the world through the eyes of this acrid tempered, hen pecked country doctor that battles daily with an inferiority complex as big as a dinosaur and a tendency toward seeing people as if through a distorting glass for the better or for the worse. We will meet several other interesting figures each one deliciously flawed (please pay particular attention to the young spinster Madeleine Cranmere). We will follow the doctor on an intoxicating journey on the road to perdition and return.

And we will be able to see a wonderful rendition of life in a small town  filled with realism. And the kind of cynicism in which murderous intentions can really fester and dastardly plans may come slowly to fruition.

To quote the first line of the book…

“It was not until several weeks after he had decided to murder his wife that Dr. Bickleigh took any active steps in the matter. Murder is serious business.”

~ ~ ~

Ladies and gentlemen it is time to greet an old friend of "What's the Mystery?" who on this occasion has decided to visit us under a different pseudonym in order to operate a little personal revolution inside Murder & Mystery literature. In fact, Mr. Francis Iles is in truth none other than Anthony Berkeley, author of "The Poisoned Chocolates Case" (What's the Mystery: Chapter 1) and "The Piccadilly Murders" (What's the Mystery: Chapter 3) and one of the leading personalities living and working during the so called 'golden age' of Mystery (1920-1940).

Now when an acclaimed writer decides to put out a book under a different pseudonym it usually means that he has in mind to give a try at something new, something never attempted before, at least by him. This book, written in 1931 is one of the first real examples of a mutation of taste and story conception that would eventually end up giving birth to the 'modern' thriller that is, we should remember, a spawn of the Murder & Mystery genre as could easily testify Edgar Allan Poe who wrote both "The Pit and the Pendulum" and "Murders of the Rue Morgue".

So yeah, this is one of the first true examples of the application of the 'inverted story' technique (invented by R. Austin Freeman some years earlier) to a Murder & mystery fiction work. From the start, we know the name of the bad guy. Edmund Bickleigh, a pavid and frustrated physician operating in a small town. And after reading the first six lines of the story we already know that the man is a would be killer and his designated victim is his wife. So yeah we have the would-be-murderer and what we have to find out is the murder. Because the mystery here is if and how the assassin will be able to fulfil his aims.

What follows is a true tour de force and a really interesting experience in the development of the villain's personality because Dr. Bickleigh gives us an excellent chance to finally have a look into the mind of the typical classic Mystery fiction assassin. The kind of assassin that does not look like that on the outside. The kind of person who could look harmless or at least not much more dangerous than the other suspects.

I am ready to bet that those of us who as role-players like delving into character development will be delighted by this little excursion into a ‘classic’ murderer’s personality. Bickleigh is depicted as a man whose flaws are apparently matched and justified by the harassment he has to endure daily from his insufferable wife and the inferiority complex that comes from his low social class, his small stature and his fear of the fair sex. Also, it is not like he is the only character with negative connotations in all the story. On the contrary, there probably will be moments in which we find ourselves unwittingly siding with him.

Which is exactly what the author wants, by the way. The man is, in truth, a twisted individual but his true nature lays dormant and invisible, hidden in the sea of flaws that can be found in a little town until an unexpected event awakens it and turn a petty and vaguely pathetic individual into a true danger.

Bickleigh would have made an excellent villain for a Miss Marple story. Or for a Hitchcock movie and in fact good old Alfred had planned to bring the book on screen with Alec Guinness playing the role of Dr. Bickleigh.

Incidentally Iles wrote another book after this one and that ended up actually being turned into a movie by Hitchcock. Those you fans of Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine (Gosh I feel so old) who like “Suspicion” also have Berkeley/Iles to thank for it.

Ah and last but not least, despite being allowed to follow the footsteps of the villain from the very start of the story and being privy to all of his actions and intimate thoughts the author still manages to take us by surprise with a final coup de theatre that in my opinion is worth the price of the book by itself.

Did I manage to make you curious?

I hope so…

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

Exercise and Fitness

Hey there everyone! So a lot of you know me from around here but for those who don't my name is TSB but you can all call me Tim. So as a part of  E's Herald I will be writing a column that covers exercise and fitness. So let's get to it!

Exercise

Its May, so now its almost time for summer! I don't know about you but I plan to hit the beach in California and walk around shirtless, smiling at all the beautiful people getting some sun. For all of you who wish to join me I decided I would talk about an awesome abdominal exercise routine that I use almost everyday that is very simple and is called the Deck of Pain. I learned about the Deck of Pain when I first joined the Fleet Marine Force almost 4 years ago. Since it is a very simple workout that doesn't require much and is almost the epitome of muscle confusion, you will probably never do the same workout ever again. The workout that follows is my own variation of the deck and the one I use everyday.

Deck of Pain
Originally Created by: Unknown
Variant Created by: Myself

Take a deck of cards, either a real deck or an electronic one like the iPhone app iDeck. Shuffle the deck and then cut it for however many cards you want. A quarter of the deck is around 17 cards if your using iDeck. When you flip a card the number on the card is the repetition or how many times you are doing the exercise and the suit is what exercise. It follows the rules of 21, so Ace is 11 and faces are 10.

Diamond Suit: Diamonds are an exercise I call a caveman sit up. Picture a normal sit up and then put your feet down so you are laying out on your back. Then come up to the top of a sit up. You should look like you just did a sit-up, with your legs up and your upper body up and touching. Instead of leaving your legs there, like a regular sit up, let yours legs and your torso go back to the starting position at the same time.

Heart Suit: Heart is a leg lift. Put your hands under your ass, around the top where your lower back is and then take your feet off the ground to come six inches from the ground. From that starting position and keeping both of your legs together, lift them up into the air and back towards your head and over it, so your abs contract and most of your body is off the ground. Slowly lower your legs back until they are six inches off the ground again and that is one.

Clubs: Is a regular sit up or a crunch, depending on which you want to do.

Spades: Spades are what we call “Hello Dollies” in the Corps. Assuming the starting position from the leg lift, instead of bringing your legs up you will be bringing them out, spreading them just a little bit past shoulder width and bringing them back in while keeping them six inches off the ground. It is a four count exercise, so out is one, back in is two, back out is three and then back in is four or one repetition.

Fitness

This is the section where I will be covering relevant issues that are new to the world of fitness. As a personal trainer that trained at National Academy of Sports Medicine I get little notices from the school of any new changes in the world of fitness. If you have any questions you are dying to have answered, please just PM me as I am a certified personal trainer but I don't use my certification for anything except to help people. Today I want to talk about Metabolic State. Everyone knows what Metabolism is, they have probably heard a million things about it, how it will help you be skinny. Well I am not going to be covering it in depth, only a small part called Metabolic State. Not many people know about this and it is one thing that the personal training community is trying to bring to the world. Metabolic State is essentially when your Metabolism is boosted to where it is burning calories at a rapid rate because you are working out. Every person has their normal metabolic rate, which is static throughout your day as you go about your business but as you start to workout, your metabolic rate spikes and almost doubles or triples the amount of calories you burn. The thing is, your metabolic rate does not double until you workout for at least 15 minutes. So what does this mean? Well if you just run for fifteen minutes and then quit you didn't really achieve much. Optimally, you want to work out for 15 minutes and then do some more while your at the higher metabolic rate. This information kills the old body builder idea of lifting and then running. Why not do cardio for at least 15 minutes before you start lifting or doing whatever else you have planned and hitting that higher metabolic state when your doing the bulk of your workout?


So that's all from me in this column but as I said before, if anyone wants any sort of personal training or nutrition advice, please private message me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks for reading and hopefully I will see you out there! ;)


About The Author: At the ripe old age of 24, Blade is a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps. Blade has spent 5 years in the Corps and spent three of them deployed overseas as a Special Operations Instructor attached to 3rd Special Operations Training Group. Now working as a Recruiter in his hometown in the State of Oregon he is also going to college to get his Bachelors in Criminal Justice. Having once been extremely out of shape, weighing in at over 350 pounds, he now uses his passion for physical fitness to compete as an amateur body builder in the YBBA and to help others reach their own fitness goals, backed up by his training as a Certified Personal Trainer, which he received at the National Academy of Sports Medicine.

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

Kitchen Warriors

In the world of cooking there are an infinite number of topics. Aislinn and I got together and decided to run a series of articles based on kitchen utensils, appliances and other paraphernalia. We hope you enjoy our insights and subject matter. For our grand opening we have chosen the base of basics: Knives and Cutting Boards. It is our desire to point you in the right direction and enlighten you when it comes to everyday items you otherwise might not consider important.

Knife Know-How
By Aislinn

Who here uses knives handed down from the Dark Ages? Don’t be shy….a show of hands please…

Over the years I’ve talked to many a person about purchasing knives and it seems to me that the levels of insanity at the knife shop can seem, at times, to be directly correlated to testosterone levels and the amount of food television watched.

It makes me giggle.

I’ve learned over the years that just because you have the newest, coolest knife on the block Alton Brown you won’t automatically become. Some of the best chefs in the world have the most basic knives. The problem with the world of knives is that some would have you believe that you actually need 15 different knives in your arsenal. I’m more of the opinion that most people can’t afford that many knives and the truth is they don’t need that many knives.

So many of the problems that home cooks face result from a propensity to confuse what is suitable and/or essential in a professional kitchen with what is appropriate and/or necessary in a home kitchen.  That confusion is actually just a horrible tale being told to us by the people who want to sell us more crap and make us think that we can't cook well without every single doohickey they're trying to get us to buy.

For most home cooks three, maybe four knives are plenty.  When I'm too lazy to unpack my knife roll at home (which is very often) I often get away with just a chef's knife and a bread knife. The other two knives you ask? We’ll get to that…

Let’s also get a few things out of the way right now. Knife blocks are a waste of space, and sort of silly if you ask me.  Not only can knife blocks harbor and spread bacteria, they also are used as an incentive to buy more expensive knife sets, which leads us to the next thing. Knife sets are just a way to get you to spend way more money than you need to.

What follows is a simple guide to helping you find the knife or knives that suit your own needs. It is important before you shop for knives that you do a quick assessment of the types of foods you eat and what your needs actually are!

We will start with how knives are made. Basically there are two methods for constructing knife blades: stamping and forging. Generally stamped blades are considered to be of lesser quality and forged blades of higher quality.

A stamped blade is cut, or stamped, out of a roll of steel and then handles are attached.  Since there is no bolster and since stamped blades tend to be on the thinner side, a stamped knife is typically lighter and less expensive than its forged counterpart. Though stamped knives are often considered and often are inferior to their forged brethren, there are some great knives with stamped blades out there suitable for both professional and home cooks.

Forging a blade is a more intricate process which requires a more skilled hand, resulting in a better-crafted, more expensive knife.  In the process of forging a thick, hot piece of steel is shaped by pounding it with a forging hammer and die. Forged knives are also given bolsters, or thick pieces of metal where the blade meets the handle that can serve to protect straying fingers (Not always, as my fingers will attest) and offer balance between the blade and handle.  Because of the bolster and the thicker steel, forged knives are often considerably heavier than stamped knives, which can be useful for chopping but which can also lead to fatigue more quickly.  Forged knives often, but not always, have a full tang which means that the knife is made from a single piece of steel from the tip of the blade all the way to the end of the handle.  Besides being sturdier than a partial tang, a full tang will make a knife better balanced, which in turn can make it easier to use.

A lot of people, myself included at times, are really into Japanese forged knives which can offer the best of both worlds-an extremely well-crafted yet light, thin bladed knife with superior design.  Some of my favorite Japanese knives combine carbon steel, which can get really sharp, with stainless steel, which does not rust, for blades that sort of do it all.  The thing is Japanese knives can get really expensive really quickly.  Does the average home cook need a fancy Japanese knife?  No.  Will it make you a better cook?  No.  Will having one make certain tasks much more enjoyable?  Definitely. Will they last longer then less expensive knives? Generally.

The most important thing to consider when buying a knife is how it feels in your hand and that's why I highly recommend going to a cutlery shop in person to try out knives before purchasing them.  We all have different body types, hand shapes and likes and dislikes, so different knives of equal quality will be preferable to each of us.  In general I find men like the heavier German-style knives while women like the lightness and hand-feel of the Japanese inspired blades. My main chef’s knife is a 10-inch Shun Chef’s Knife. You don’t want to know how much it cost. I do also own several German Wusthof knives for different purposes, but that’s the point. As a chef I have different needs than a home cook has.

So let’s get down to it! What do you really need?

An 8-inch or 10-inch chef's knife. This is your workhorse knife. This knife should be able to handle 80% of what you would need a knife to do. There is such as thing as a 12-inch chef’s knife but lets leave that in the hands of the professionals, shall we? In truth the longer the knife the more production a knife if expected to produce and let’s face it, you don’t need to feed 100 people in your home. I generally recommend the 8-inch for most homes. 

A paring knife. You can find these in beak’s nose or straight varieties. I prefer straight but it’s really about personal preference.

A serrated knife. This knife is for cutting bread and tomatoes. You can try to cut them with non-serrated knives but I don’t recommend it. In my kitchens, professional and home, my Wusthof offset serrated knife is number two behind my chef’s knife in use. The offset handle makes sure that your knuckles don’t slam into the counter and if you are prone to kitchen injuries like me, every little bit helps.

A boning knife. This knife has a thin, flexible blade and is extremely useful for butchering and slicing raw and cooked meat.  Anyone who plans to cook fish, chicken or other meat at home should invest in one of these. The slender blade allows it to get places your chef’s knife is too wide for.

I think we covered the basics for now. If you only take a few things away from this the following are the most important things to remember:

-   Always, always, always buy a knife in person. You need to feel a knife in your hand to ascertain its comfort level.
-   Always keep your culinary needs in mind. Only buy the knives you need, not sets that offer knives you will never use at additional cost.

Happy shopping!

Cutting Boards
By Oreo

Before writing this article I never stopped to consider why I have so many cutting boards. They were just there, each serving its purpose. Upon reflection I came to have a bit more respect for each and every one. The number one reason is of course never cut on your counter-top unless you are intending to increase your RDA of polyester acrylics.

I'd like to begin with a bit about a health comparison between the controversial plastic versus wooden cutting boards. The results were surprising to say the least. Most folks think that the plastic surface is easier to clean and keep bacteria free. What experimentation found was quite the opposite. They discovered that disease bacteria were not recoverable from wooden surfaces a short time after they were applied whereas plastic surfaces allowed the bacteria to persist unless they were immediately cleaned and disinfected.

The same held true for both new cutting boards and those with many knife cuts where bacteria could hide. While the bacteria in wooden boards did live for a while in the cuts they did not multiply, but eventually died out on their own. More live bacteria was found in the deep cuts on plastic boards than their wooden counterparts.

The research team of Dean O. Cliver, Ph.D. had no commercial relationship or monetary interest in any company for this project. It is their conclusion that wooden surfaces have a superior advantage to a plastic cutting surface in respect to disease control and bacterial infection.

That said I have a multitude of boards consisting of plastic, wood and marble. For organization sake I am going to list them in order of expense rather than ease of use, though the cheaper ones do seem to be the easiest to care for. Go figure and let the showcase begin.

Norpro Cut-N-Slice Flexible Cutting Boards. A set of three costs about $7.



These thin little wonders are not only flexible, but come in colored sets of three so you don't end up with cross contamination. Once you get used to handling the thin plastic they are great for chopping food, folding the edges and funneling your fruit, meat or veggies straight into your bowl or pan. Each board is 14" x 9 1/2" to provide ample cutting space. They clean up easily in the sink with a bit of soapy water. I use these more than any of the other cutting boards in my kitchen.


Bamboo Cutting Boards. A set of three costs around $20.



While I don't have a set of these they seemed quite popular so I did a little research. From what I was able to glean they are great if the proper care is taken with them. When you get them rub them down with mineral oil before you wash them. This is a MUST or they will begin to shed slivers of wood! The best method I located for cleaning them is to add a half teaspoon of bleach to a quart size spray bottle. Squirt down the board, then scrub with salt, followed by a quick rinse with warm water. Dry well with a towel.

For the first month rub them down with the above mentioned mineral oil once a week. After that they should only need treatment about once a month.

SuperBoard Pure Poly Cutting Board - Midnight Granite. A single board costs about $15.



This is probably my most used board for simple tasks like cutting bread, making sandwiches and the like. The vanity in me likes them because of the different colors available. >_> It looks great in my black, stainless and copper kitchen. It is easy to take to the sink and clean with hot soapy water. Especially since I finally trained my hubby to do his sandwich and burrito making on the board as well. ;D

Marble Pastry and Cutting Board. Prices vary from around $20 - $40.



I love my marble slab. If you make pasta, bread, biscuits, pie or cookies on a regular basis you should really consider buying one. The naturally cool temperature makes working with any kind of dough easy as pie. Simply dust with a bit of flour and you're ready to go. While many people use the marble board for cutting, I recommend against this as they are easily damaged and knife cuts make it not as useful for working with dough.

Marble is beautiful and durable, but being a natural stone it is porous and can easily absorb stains. These boards are sensitive to acidic cleaning products, so be careful about the types of cleanser you use. Or better yet, I do my best to keep anything that might stain the stone out of staining distance. Before using any kind of wet cleanser or water on your marble pastry board scrape off any solid pieces of dough with a rubber spatula. Don't use metal or hard plastic spatulas because they can scratch the polished surface of the marble.

When the time has come for cleansing wash the surface with a solution of warm water and mild detergent. Rinse the surface of the pastry board well with clear water. Do not allow soaps or detergents to sit for long on the marble because smells can linger in the porous stone, making future pie crusts smell like soap. I prefer to do as my mother taught me and simply wipe the marble with a moist towel, then dry the board immediately.
   
If you do happen to get a stain or two on your board and want to freshen it up try applying a poultice of 1/4 cup baking soda with just enough water to form a thick paste. Prepare the stained area with a bit of distilled water to saturate the pores before applying the paste. Cover the poultice with a layer of plastic wrap, taping down the edges just around the stained area. Leave the poultice on the stain until the baking soda dries. This should lift the stain out of the marble. Repeat the process if the stain is stubborn.


John Boos Butcher Blocks. Yup, $80 - $1,800.



I chose to mention Boos Boards specifically since they are well worth the money. They have been around making quality butcher blocks since 1887. Go the extra distance and make sure you are getting an "End Grain" cutting board. If you care about your chopping arm, your knives and the longevity of both, end grain is paramount. Your knife will sink into the wood easier, rather than jar against the slightly less expensive 'edge grain' variety.

For a butcher block I would recommend one that is at least 20" x 15". The depth is a personal preference for me, unless you have the means to raise or lower your counter-top. I am particularly short and prefer a thinner board rather than standing on a step-stool to use the butcher block. Even better if your kitchen is large enough to accommodate a butcher block table that you can order to a specific height.

Of all the materials that have been mentioned wood by far needs the most upkeep. John Boos has a Mystery Oil consisting of mineral, linseed and tung oil. However, you can also use plain FDA approved mineral oil. Don't use just any oil for several reasons. One it needs to be safe to eat in case any oil transfers to your food. Two you don't want an oil that can go rancid. Three you don't want to use an oil that many people are highly allergic to. Though most of those also fall into the category of oils that can go rancid. Oil the wood every four to six weeks.

Do not soak your board in water or place in the dishwasher unless you have decided your love affair is over and cruel humor has you wanting to drown the board rather than set it afire. A quick scrub and rinse followed by a thorough drying should suffice.

One last comment about wood boards. Maple is the best material because of its small pore size compared to the hardness of the wood.

Happy shopping and chopping.

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

This Old Recipe

Howdy folks and welcome to a special edition of This Old Recipe! It’s a special edition because I’m sharing a prized recipe of my own and the story behind it. Below is the best caramel corn recipe in the known universe and it was given to my mother by a very special woman. Dianne was originally a neighbor of ours who became a really good family friend and was both my mom’s hair dresser of great talent and my babysitter when I was a wee tike. Dianne and her daughter Suzie used to watch me a lot at night in their apartment down the hill from my house when my parents would go out and every time they’d watch me we would make caramel corn.

Now caramel corn is one of my favorite things in the world and I got hooked on it because of Dianne and her wonderful recipe. Of course half of the joy of the caramel corn when I was a kid there at Dianne’s was making it and I always had so much fun helping to make it in the little kitchen of her apartment. I’d help pop the corn and make the caramel and pour it over the popcorn and stir it and oh how the delicious aroma would fill the whole apartment and make your mouth water. Then after the caramel corn had cooled I got to munch down on it most heartily and boy was that a happy feasting!

Well now I’ve shared the story behind the caramel corn and so without further adieu I give you…

Dianne’s Caramel Corn

Caramel:
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup corn syrup
Or
3 cups of marshmallows
Boil for 5 minutes, add ½ teaspoon of soda if you like. Mix well.
Poor over 6 quarts of popped corn in a heavy pan, mix well and let cool, then break apart.
If you like add Spanish peanuts at the same time as you add the caramel.


So now I have shared with you the readers the most delicious caramel corn there is and I hope you all enjoy making it and devouring it with your family and friends! Next month This Old Recipe will be back to its usual format with reader contributed recipes and so it’d be most appreciated if people would send their recipes and stories to us here at the Herald & Post so I can share them with all our readers!

Happy caramel corn munching and I’ll see you all next time!
Gadifriald

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

~~~~~*~~~~~

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Position Filled: Exercise Routines - Do you have knowledge to share on going from a couch potato to regaining your health? We'd like to hear from you.

Position Filled: Games - Do you play the newest video games? Are you a connoisseur of the older games? We have an opening for reviews of both games and consoles. Though we are always looking for guest writers, have a look at Persephone325's Fatal Frame Review.

Position Filled: Trivia Aficionado - Is this you? Someone who thrills to the simple things like looking back at music: Did you know in March 1966 Dusty Springfield broke the UK charts with her smash album hit “You Don't Have to Say You Love me”? A kind of a ‘DID YOU KNOW?’ set of articles that could be about science, war, music, politics, society, commercials, movies and more.

Position Filled: Pet Talk - Are you well versed in pet care? Things that make a happy and safe pet? What kind of pets are good for certain people? Please send your questions to Monty at the Herald and Post!

Position Filled: Travelogue - Does your real life job require a lot of travel? Would you be interested in sharing some of the must see sights around our amazing globe? Be sure to catch this month's article by Ciosa and Kimbersqk!!

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

Dragon Eggs!

[Elliquian Herald and Post]

This Old Recipe is looking for you!

Trick or treat! See my link! Send me something good for others to make and eat…
At the Herald & Post where we’re doing a special Halloween edition of This Old Recipe! And remember gals and ghouls, witches and warlocks, if you don't send us your treats there will be tricks and we'll soap your Windows and TP your home pages!