Got Milkweed?

Gordon L. Osborne from Newport, Vermont, writes the following
(he’s a friend of Fred Bodin and Clark Linehan: retired from Varian Semiconductor):

Hi Kim,

The milkweed seeding program caught my interest. Last year I had a notion to do a still life combining milkweed, an old milk bottle, and real milk. Trouble was finding milkweed gone to seed. Finally in late September, on the way home from church, the right milkweed appeared beside the road. My startled passengers thought I had gone
bezerk when stopping so suddenly. All came together with the still life below. Caption is undecided but may be: “Got Milk”, “Got Milk Bottle”, “Got Milkweed”.

IMG_2882-004

“Got Milk?” RNAC’s “Season’s Best Cookie Competition”

cookie scarf got milk

Saturday, December 21, 2:00PM

The Cultural Center at Rocky Neck

As part of the Holiday Art & Fine Crafts Festival, the Winter Solstice Party on Saturday, December 21 will feature a “Season’s Best Cookie Competition”. Any kind of home-baked cookie may be entered, except chocolate chip – everyone makes good chocolate chip cookies – as we are looking for competitors to come up different, unique and prize-winning entries.

The first prize winner of the cookie competition will become the proud owner of this hand-painted silk scarf by Adriana Mederos, titled “Got Milk?”  This beautiful scarf depicts Shortbread, Anise, Oatmeal-Raisin, Linzerkuchen, Chocolate-dipped Diamonds, Biscotti, Baklava, Sugar Cookies, Snowball, Mandelkuchen, Macaroons, Almond Mezzalune, Polvorones, Pizzelle and Crinkles. There is also a First Place Blue Ribbon painted on the scarf to memorialize the winner’s proud achievement.

There will also be 2nd and 3rd place prizes, as well as prizes for “best presentation” and “classic”.

First prize – “Got Milk?” hand-painted scarf

Second prize – limited edition trivet

Third prize – set of Ice Box Bling

“Best Presentation” and “Classic” prize winners will receive notecard sets

The cookie competition will be judged by the Honorable and Venerable Judges Ed Collard (renowned master of food competition judging), Mayor Carolyn Kirk (whose birthday is December 21, so come help celebrate her birthday by bringing your well wishes and most awesome cookies for her to judge), and Sister Felicia Ciaramitaro (the Cape Ann Queen of culinary delights, so bring on your absolute best).

We are hoping to have some unique and festive cookie entries, such as those depicted on this delectable scarf, but bakers are encouraged to enter what they know to be their best cookie (again, no chocolate chip). If you would like to enter the competition, please email gigimederos@gmail.com with “cookie competition entry” in the subject line and your name, type of cookie you plan to enter, and your phone number in the email body. Entries will be limited to the first twelve unique cookie entry submissions received (we want to have diversity and be considerate of the judges’ waistlines, and eating more than 12 cookies isn’t in anyone’s diet). Please be prepared to bake at least two-dozen cookies, for the judges and party attendees to taste and enjoy.

Also, RNAC is considering creating a Best Cookies calendar as a fundraiser for 2015 which would include the recipes, bakers’ credit and photos of the 12 cookie entries.  Please indicate in your email entry if you are willing to share your recipe and have it included in the calendar, if we go forward with producing it.

E.J. Lefavour